The red Dão wine is Portugal's most famous table wine. The Dão wine region obviously is named after the Dão River. The climate conditions for grapevines along the Dão are very favorable. The valleys and hillsides of the river offer a good location for vineyards, even though they contain so much granite that it often has to be blown out with dynamite to make planting holes. Soil containing granite is good for growing blue grapes. In the areas where one finds slate mostly white grapes are grown. The Dão wines carry a controlled name of origin, the 'Demominacao de Origem Controlada' (doc), which means that these wines have the highest quality according to the European Wine Legislation. Although more reds are produced here, the number of white wines is growing. The red Dão wine is a classic Portuguese wine-when young, it has a ruby red color with a bold character, full and dry. When aging, it develops a velvet soft taste and a rich bouquet. It's definitely worth trying!