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The history of Portuguese wine has been influenced by Portugal's relative isolationism in the world's wine market, with the one notable exception of its relationship with the British.〔J. Robinson (ed) ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pp. 536–540 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0-19-860990-6〕 While wine has been made in Portugal (and neighboring Spain) since at least 2000 BC when the Tartessians planted vines in the Sado and Tagus valleys. By the 10th century BC, the Phoenicians had arrived and introduced new grape varieties and winemaking techniques to the area. Up until this point, viticulture was mostly centered on the southern coastal areas of Portugal. In later centuries, the Ancient Greeks, Celts and Romans would do much to spread viticulture and winemaking further north.〔Gourmet Girl ''"(The wines of Portugal )"'' Gourmet Girl Magazine, Accessed: December 6, 2009〕 Portuguese wines were first shipped to England in the 12th century from the Entre Douro e Minho region (which today includes modern Portuguese wine regions such as the Douro and Vinho verde). In 1386, Portugal and England signed the Treaty of Windsor which fostered close diplomatic relations between the two countries and opened the door for extensive trade opportunities. The 1703 Methuen Treaty furthered advanced English economic interest in Portugal by reducing tariffs and give Portuguese wines preferential treatment in the British wine market over French wines. Around this time, the fortified wine known as Port was increasing in popularity in Britain. The lucrative trade in Port prompted the Portuguese authorities to establish one of the world's first protected designation of origin when Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Marquis of Pombal established boundaries and regulations for the production of authentic Port from the Douro in 1756.〔 For centuries afterwards, Portuguese wines came to be associated with Port (and to some extent Madeira which was a popular drink of British colonies around the globe, such as the American colonies.) In the mid-to-late 20th century, sweet, slightly sparkling ''rosé'' brands from Portugal (Mateus and Lancers being the most notable) became immensely popular around the globe-with the British wine market again leading the way.〔A. Bespaloff ''Complete Guide to Wine'', pp. 178–182 Penguin Books 1994 ISBN 0-451-18169-7〕 In the mid-1980s, Portugal's introduction to the European Union brought a flood of financing and grants to the stagnant Portuguese wine industry. These new investments paved the way for upgrades in winemaking technology and facilities. Renewed interest in the abundance of unique Portuguese wine grape varieties shifted focus to more premium wine production with a portfolio of unique dry red and white wines being marketed on a global scale.〔 ==Early history== Viticulture has existed on the Iberian Peninsula (home to modern day Spain and Portugal) for thousands of years. The Tartessians are believed to have cultivated the first vineyards in the Tagus vineyards around 2000 BC. When the Phoenicians conquered the area in the 10th century BC, they brought with them grape varieties and winemaking techniques from the Middle East and Carthage.〔R. Phillips ''A Short History of Wine'', pp. 32, 66, 129–139, 187–198 Harper Collins 2000 ISBN 0-06-621282-0〕 The Ancient Greeks settlers of the 7th century BC, furthered the advance of viticulture in Portugal and left evidence of their influence. In the area around the modern day town of Alcácer do Sal, archeologists have uncovered numerous pieces of ''cratera'' or Greek vases used to dilute wine with water with gives evidence of the Greeks drinking local Portuguese wine.〔Corks and Forks ''"(Portuguese wine )"'' Accessed: December 6, 2009〕 When the Romans reached Portugal, they named the area Lusitania after Lusus, the son of the Roman god of wine Bacchus.〔 As they did before in Italy, France, Germany and Spain, the Romans did much to expand and promote viticulture in their settlements in Portugal. Wines were produced across the territory for both local consumption as well as export to Rome.〔 Vineyards extended further north and inland, being firmly established in places such as Douro by the end of Roman rule. Following the Fall of the Roman Empire, local barbarian tribes sustained the tradition and practice of viticulture in the area. In the mid-9th century AD, Ordoño the Gothic king of Asturias (in what is now northern Portugal) granted vineyards and landowning privileges around the town of Coimbra to a monastic Christian order in the area. While most historian's accounts of the history of wine following Roman rules suggest that the Christian Church took the lead in preserving viticulture across the former Roman empire, the evidence suggest that, at least in Portugal, the ruling authorities played an important role.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「History of Portuguese wine」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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