Brandy Style

Two names define the brandy style of this region. Aguardente DOC Lourinhã is an aged wine brandy that spends at least 24 months in small wooden casks and is bottled at a minimum of 38% ABV. In the cask, it turns amber-colored and develops notes of wood, spice, and dried fruit. This is the style of a brandy, not a fresh fruit spirit.

Aguardente Bagaceira da Bairrada, on the other hand, is made from fresh, fermented red wine pomace, bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV, and usually remains clear. According to the specifications, it is low in acidity and bitterness and carries herbal aromas. Anyone thinking of brandy should approach this as its own distinct type, not as a weaker relative.

What's the difference between Bagaceira and Grappa? In terms of raw material, none—both are pomace brandies made from fermented grape pomace. The name reveals the origin: Grappa belongs to Italy, Bagaceira to Portugal, and each follows its own set of rules.

The difference between Aguardente de Vinho and Bagaceira lies in wine versus residue. Aguardente de Vinho requires wine, while Bagaceira uses the pomace left over after pressing. Both carry protected names in Portugal.

Neighboring regions bring their own accents. In the Douro, Aguardente de Vinho mainly serves as an ingredient for Port wine; in Alentejo and Ribatejo, there are their own protected wine brandies; and in the Vinhos Verdes, both types exist side by side.

Anyone trying to read the names on the label should watch for three words. Aguardente simply means brandy, Vínica or de Vinho refers to wine as the raw material, and Bagaceira refers to pomace. Velha means old and, for Bagaceira, indicates aging in wood; for Lourinhã's Aguardente, cask aging is already standard practice, since a brandy may not carry this name without at least 24 months in wood.