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Portuguese sparkling wine

Portuguese sparkling wine is called espumante. The best known comes from Bairrada, made by the classic method like Champagne, often from the local Baga grape. Here you will find Bairrada bruts, bubbles from Vinho Verde and Lisbon, and a few cloudy pet nats.

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Classic method or pet nat?

On the label	How it is made	What to expect
Método clássico	Second fermentation in the bottle, then time on the lees	Fine bubbles, bread and toast notes, dry
Pet nat, método ancestral	Bottled before the first fermentation ends	Softer bubbles, fruity, often cloudy
Bruto natural	No sugar added after disgorgement	The driest style there is

Bairrada and the rest of the country

Bairrada sits between Coimbra and Aveiro, close to the Atlantic, on clay and limestone. Baga is a red grape, but pressed gently it gives a white or pale rosé sparkling wine with real acidity. Start with Quinta das Bageiras Bruto Natural Sparkling, then compare it with Quinta das Bageiras Bruto Natural Rosé Sparkling and Poço do Lobo Baga Sparkling.

Outside Bairrada, Vinho Verde makes fresh, lighter bubbles: try Quinta da Raza Pet Nat Sparkling White, a Trajadura pet nat, or Terrunho d'Alma Alvarinho Sparkling. Closer to home, Quinta da Murta Bucelas Sparkling is Arinto from Bucelas, just north of Lisbon. More from the north on our Vinho Verde page.

How to serve it

Cold, around 6 to 8°C, in a white wine glass rather than a narrow flute, so you get the smell too. With a sparkling stopper it keeps a day or two in the fridge.

The local match in Bairrada is leitão, roast suckling pig. The bubbles and acidity cut straight through the fat. Fried petiscos, pastéis de bacalhau and salty cheese work for the same reason. For a guided tour of Portuguese wine, see our tastings in Graça.

Questions we get asked

What is espumante?

Espumante is the Portuguese word for sparkling wine. Most quality espumante is made by the classic method, with the second fermentation in the bottle.

Is Portuguese sparkling wine like Champagne?

The best Bairrada espumante is made the same way as Champagne, but with Portuguese grapes such as Baga, Bical and Maria Gomes. It usually costs much less.

What is a pet nat?

Pet nat, short for pétillant naturel, is a sparkling wine bottled before its first fermentation has finished. The bubbles come from that one fermentation, so it is softer, fruitier and often cloudy.

Which Portuguese region makes the best sparkling wine?

Bairrada, between Coimbra and Aveiro, is the main region for Portuguese sparkling wine. Vinho Verde, the Távora-Varosa area and the Lisbon region also make good ones.