DOC

At the top level of the European wine hierarchy, Portugal has 31 DOCs/DOPs.

At the moment, both of these terms are used in Portugal, the traditional local ‘DOC’ (Denominação de Origem Controlada) meaning Controlled Designation of Origin, while the new pan-European ‘DOP’ (Denominação de Origem Protegida) means Protected Designation of Origin. Each of these regions has its own strictly defined geographical boundaries – note that the map numbers only go up to 29 because two of the regions, Douro and Port and Madeira and Madeirense, have the same ‘footprint’ and are numbered together. DOC regulations also prescribe maximum grape yields, recommended and permitted grape varieties and various other things, and all the wines have to be officially tasted, tested and approved.