Sousão is a dark-skinned grape variety widely planted in northern Portugal, where the wine is notably high in acidity as well as colour and is therefore increasingly valued in port blends. It is an ingredient in quinta do noval Nacional, and in the nearby Minho it is known as Vinhão, its official Portuguese name, and makes particularly tart red vinho verde. Portuguese plantings totalled almost 4,000 ha/10,000 acres in 2012 and a few hundred hectares in Galicia where most goes into tart blends. Spelt variously Sousão, Souzao, and all stations in between, it has also been planted by aspirant makers of port-style wines in California, South Africa, and Australia, with a certain degree of success.
