Touriga Nacional

Touriga Nacional (“tor-ee-gah nah-see-un-nall”) is one of Portugal’s finest red wine grapes. It is one of the five most important grape varieties used in making Port – the country’s famous fortified red wine.

Increasingly, Touriga Nacional is becoming known for good quality dry reds. In Portugal, the most famous examples come from two regions. Not surprisingly, one of these is Douro, the home of Port. The other is Dao – the region that Touriga most likely originated from.

Good value bottles can be found in Lisboa – an up-and-coming Portuguese region where relaxed wine regulations allow winemakers to experiment with different grape varieties. Many of our most popular Portuguese reds come from this region. It is also becoming fashionable in South Africa, and Australia. In Australia, it is known simply as Touriga. Touriga Nacional’s wines are characteristically rich and full flavoured with red and black fruit. Some have a distinctive perfumed aroma – reminiscent of star anise or Turkish delight.

As well as being one of the principal grapes in Port production, Touriga Nacional is increasingly becoming known for making big, richly flavoured dry reds.  

It is sometimes bottled solo as a pure Touriga Nacional red – and often blended with other varieties. Touriga is used to provide a backbone of rich dark fruit – plus that signature perfumed note – while other grapes are added to give more red fruit notes of extra spice. 

Common grapes blended with Touriga Nacional include fellow Portuguese varietals like Castelão and Tinto Roriz (aka Tempranillo), as well as international varieties such as Syrah.

Touriga is found in the Portuguese dry reds of Douro (the home of Port) and Däo – where it most likely originated.  It is also grown in most Portuguese regions. You can find good value in the Lisboa and Península de Setúbal regions.

Touriga Nacional’s ability to produce reds that combine rich fruit flavours with floral complexity is making it popular around the world. Winemakers in South Africa, California and Australia are all producing some very good examples.

Touriga Nacional’s firm tannic structure makes it highly suitable for oak ageing. Many Portuguese reds are aged in oak, allowing the wines to take on a mellow character and more complex notes – such as cedar or vanilla. However, it’s rich fruit and natural floral complexity means Touriga is often bottled unoaked, too – resulting in a fruitier style and allowing it’s natural floral character to shine.

Touriga Nacional produces rich warming reds with intense black fruit flavours – including blackcurrant, raspberry, blueberry and black cherries. But alongside the rich black fruit you’ll often find distinctive spice and floral characteristics – including star anise, Turkish delight, liquorice and mint. Oak aged Touriga Nacional may also have further notes of cedar, tobacco leaf or vanilla.

Touriga Nacional pairs beautifully with plain roasted and grilled meats. Its intense fruit matches the rich, fatty flavours of the meat, and the more floral characteristics are able to shine through. But it will complement herby and spiced dishes, too.       

• Meats: Think grilled or barbecued steaks, a Sunday roast, lamb chops or slow roasted lamb shanks.
• Mediterranean: Touriga Nacional pairs beautifully with herby Mediterranean dishes such as moussaka (meaty or veggie) or spaghetti Bolognese.
• Spiced: Touriga’s spicy, floral character makes it a good choice with a Thai curry or other Asian dishes.
• Comfort food: As a big warming red, Touriga is a great partner to simple comfort food – sausages and mash, meat feast pizza or burger and chips.

Discover more food and wine pairing tips. 

Touriga Nacional is best served at around room temperature – between 18-21°C. It can also benefit from decanting for half an hour before serving, to allow its more complex aromas and flavours to open out.

As for glassware, Touriga is suited to large, tulip shaped wine glasses, which allow the wine to open out and concentrate the aroma while directing it to your nose. But a standard red wine glass will also do just fine.