Beira Interior is the easternmost DOC (Denominação de Origem Controlada) of the Beiras wine region in the northern half of Portugal. It is less notable than its neighbors to the west, Bairrada and Dão, but still makes a range of wines from regional grape varieties like Baga, Castelao, Rufete (Tinto Pinheira) and Touriga Nacional.
©Wines of Portugal
The DOC corresponds precisely with the former Beira Interior administrative region, which has now been divided into the Guarda and Castelo Branco districts. As its name implies, Beira Interior is located on the eastern, interior side of Portugal, along the border with Spain. The climate here is much more continental than in what was once Beira Litoral (coastal Beira), where Bairrada and the western Dão vineyards are found. The landscape is also hillier here, as it rises up towards the Sistema Central, the mountain range that dominates the center of the Iberian Peninsula. Reaching almost 6500ft (1980m) in altitude, the Serra de Estrela hills here are the highest in mainland Portugal, only overshadowed by Ponta do Pico, the mountain on the Azores island of Pico.
The Beira Interior hills are known as Portugal's main winter-sports area, and for the Queijo Serra da Estrela ewes'-milk cheese produced there, which was granted PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status in 2008. The area is less known for its wines, which are produced and sold under the Beira Interior DOC, which came into force in 2005. This is divided into three sub-regions: Pinhel and Castel Rodrigo in the hilly north, and Cova da Beira in the warmer south, where ripeness is a little easier to achieve.
Various styles of wine are produced in Beira Interior. The reds are typically blended from classic Portuguese grape varieties along with some more international varieties like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Whites are usually based on Fernao Pires, Bical and modern imports like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
