The Buyer | Beyond 250 grapes. How Wines of Portugal is making diversity work

250 indigenous grape varieties, combined with the country’s varied climates and soils, allow wine producers to offer an unusually wide range of styles. And Portugal’s diversity is no longer simply a point of curiosity for the trade; it is increasingly becoming a foundation for how the country presents itself internationally. For UK buyers and sommeliers, Portugal offers something increasingly valuable in a crowded global market: wines with both a distinctive identity and a compelling story to tell. Leona de Pasquale attends Portuguese Wine Academy at the 2026 generic tasting, talks to influential buyers and hears about the progress of 2024’s Wines of Portugal National Sustainability Certification which aims to create a unified framework for responsible production across the country’s 14 wine regions.