Pinhel is a Portuguese wine

Portuguese wine

Portuguese wine is the result of traditions introduced to the region by ancient civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Greeks, and mostly the Romans. Portugal started to export its wines to Rome during the Roman Empire. Modern exports developed with trade to England after the...

 region centered around the town of Pinhel

Pinhel

Pinhel is a municipality in Centro Region, Beira Interior Norte Subregion, Portugal with a total area of 484.5 km² and a total population of 10,436 inhabitants.The city of Pinhel has about 3.500 inhabitants....

 in the wider Beiras

Beiras VR

Beiras is a Portuguese wine region covering the same areas as its namesake region. The region is classified as a Vinho Regional , a designation similar to a French vin de pays region...

 wine region. Pinhel was initially a separate Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada (IPR) region, but in 2005, it became one of three subregions of the Beira Interior DOC

Beira Interior DOC

Beira Interior is a Portuguese wine Denominação de Origem Controlada located in central Portugal in the Beiras VR wine region. It was created in 2005 when three Indicação de Proveniencia Regulamentada regions were put together into one DOC....

, which has the higher Denominação de Origem Controlada

Denominação de Origem Controlada

The Denominação de Origem Controlada is the system of protected designation of origin for wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products from Portugal.-Wines:...

(DOC) status. Its name may still be indicated together with that of Beira Interior, as Beira Interior-Pinhel.

Located south of the Douro

Douro

The Douro or Duero is one of the major rivers of the Iberian Peninsula, flowing from its source near Duruelo de la Sierra in Soria Province across northern-central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Porto...

 region, Pinhel is known primarily for its earthy, full bodied white wines used by Portuguese sparkling wine

Sparkling wine

Sparkling wine is a wine with significant levels of carbon dioxide in it making it fizzy. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in a bottle, as with the méthode champenoise, in a large tank designed to withstand the pressures involved , or as a result of carbon dioxide...

 producers as part of a base cuvée

Cuvee

Cuvée is a French wine term derived from cuve, meaning vat or tank. The term cuvée is used with several different meanings, more or less based on the concept of a tank of wine put to some purpose:...

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Grapes

The principle grapes of the Pinhel region include Arinto

Arinto

Arinto or Arinto de Bucelas is a white Portuguese wine grape planted primarily in the Bucelas, Tejo and Vinho Verde regions. It can produce high acid wines with lemon notes.-Synonyms:...

, Assario Branco, Bastardo, Codo, Fonte Cal, Marufo, Rufete and Touriga Nacional

Touriga Nacional

Touriga Nacional is a variety of red wine grape, considered by many to be Portugal's finest. Despite the low yields from its small grapes, it plays a big part in the blends used for ports, and is increasingly being used for table wine in the Douro and Dão. Touriga Nacional provides structure and...

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