Portugal's history of viticulture and vinification covers many centuries and has included the use of an extensive number native varieties. In addition, through experimentation and field trials a number of new varieties have emerged and are now playing key roles in producing the country's wide array of wines. The relative absence of many international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Semillon is another characteristic of this country's wine industry, although in recent decades many of these varieties have been brought into wider use as the lists below reveal. Portugal's wine production in 2019 was 6.5 million hectolitres (Mhl), consistent with its annual average since 2015, and the forecast for 2020 is also 6.5 Mhl. This industry makes an important contribution to the country's annual income by attracting a vigorous local market and by being exported all over the world with France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Brazil and Germany as the main destinations. Evidence gained from recent research may suggest that the industry has not yet reached its maximum level of winegrape output efficiency. Among other wine exporting nations, Portugal was ranked as the world's 9th largest in 2018-2019.
Identifying a variety - the problem with homonyms and synonyms Wine grape varieties are usually known by what is called the "prime name", and it is under this name they are listed in official and academic documents such as the Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) and Kym Anderson et al.'s Which Winegrape is Grown Where?: A Global Empirical Picture. Sometimes in a particular country, a variety may have a prime name which is different from its prime name in the international context. For example, the variety called Tempranillo or Tempranillo Tinto internationally is officially listed in Portugal as Aragonez, and is also known in different regions as Tinta Roriz or Aragonês.
Along with the prime name, the other names, that is homonyms and synonyms, by which each variety is known are also included in the lists below. These homonyms and synonyms indicate how many of the wine grape varieties grown in Portugal are known by more than one name both within the country itself and internationally. For example, the synonyms for Tinta Caiada (also called Tinta Lameira in Portugal, and known elsewhere by its Spanish name, Parraleta), listed by country of origin, are: Bonvedro, False Carignan (Australia); Espagnin Noir (France); Bastardão, Bonvedro, Bomvedro, Lambrusco de Alentejo, Monvedro, Monvedro do Algarve, Monvedro de Sines, Murteira, Olho Branco, Pau Ferro, Perrel, Preto Foz, Preto João Mendes, Tinta Caiada, Tinta Grossa, Tinta Lameira, Tintorro, Torres de Algarve (Portugal); Bonifaccencu, Bonifacienco, Carenisca, Caricagiola (Sardinia); Bastardo, Cua Tendra, Parraleta, Parrel, Salceño Negro (Spain). In an international context, some varieties have more than 200 or 300 homonyms or synonyms: over 250 for Chasselas Blanc, about 300 for Pinot Noir, and close to 350 for Moscatel Galego Branco. Often homonyms or synonyms of a particular variety are a direct translation from one language or dialect to another. Pinot Blanc, for example, originated from France and therefore its prime name is in French, but in Italian it is called Pinot Bianco (bianco = white) and Pinot Bijeli (bijeli = white) in Croatian and languages or dialects related to Serbo-Croatian. Sometimes, when a variety originated from a particular place or has been grown there for a long time, it can be given a local name that reflects that association. Arinto, for example, has among its synonyms Arinto d'Anadia, Arinto de Bucelas, Arinto do Dão and Arinto do Douro as well as Asal Espanhol, Pé de Perdiz Branco and Terrantez de Terceira. Further confusion has arisen when a particular homonym or synonym has been given to more than one variety. Espadeiro, for example, is the prime name for a variety; but as Wein-Plus warns, "It must not be confused with Camaraou Noir, Manseng Noir (both from France), Padeiro, Trincadeira Preta or Vinhão (all five with the synonym Espadeiro), despite the fact that they seem to share synonyms or have morphological similarities. Probably the greatest confusion of identity has come about through misidentification, misnaming, or mislabelling. Some growers, for example, have found themselves with vines for which they have no formal identification and have based their decision on observation or even guesswork; so if the vine, grape or seasonal behaviour is similar to that of another variety, it is not surprising that the variety is given an incorrect name. The occurrence of mislabelling was also frequent in the past, especially when the gathering and exchanging of cuttings were carried out informally and without some form of control. New legislation and strict administration have reduced but not eliminated this risk.
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