Portuguese vintners turned 2007 into the best performing vintage since the modern era of winemaking began about 10 years ago in the Douro Valley. The Douro leads the quality parade not only because of its winemaking heritage, but also its unique terroirs. What made 2007 special was better farming, a honing of winemaking techniques and old-fashioned luck. One of the major hurdles in the Douro's shift to table wine production has been uncovering which varieties are planted in which vineyards. There's been a great sorting out in the vineyards since 2000; the results are now beginning to pay off in spades.
