Bairrada DOC

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Bairrada DOC" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Bairrada is a Portuguese wine region located in the Beira Litoral Province. The region has Portugal's highest wine classification as a Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC), and its popularity has surged over the last years. It is small and quite narrow coastal region, part of the broader region of Beira Atlântico, and it is bordered to the northeast by the Lafões IPR and to the east by the Dão DOC.

It is located close to the Atlantic Ocean and the currents have a moderating effect on the climate, resulting in a mild, maritime climate with abundant rainfall. The region is hilly, but the majority of the vineyards are placed on flatter land.

About 2/3 of the national sparkling wine production takes place in this region, and in recent years the city of Anadia received the nickname of "Capital do Espumante", which translates to "Sparkling Wine Capital".

The region is also known for its deep colored tannic red wines, that often have bell pepper and black currant flavors, as well its emerging rosé production.^[1]

The boundaries of the Bairrada DOC includes the municipalities of Anadia, Cantanhede, Mealhada and Oliveira do Bairro, and some parishes in the municipalities of Vagos and Coimbra and also the parish of Nariz, in the municipality of Aveiro.