While Portugal is perhaps best known as the source of great vintage port, the country's white wines have made dramatic improvements in recent years, one specialist has said.

Speaking at the Vinho Verde tasting in London, Dr Jamie Good told The Drinks Business that viticulture is improving, and producers now have the confidence to experiment and create some "really interesting dry white wines".

"They are very contemporary wines that fit with modern tastes," he told the publication.

"The more modern styles are intrinsically fresh and slightly higher in alcohol, leading to more complex, flavour-intense wines."

Meanwhile, he described Portugal's reds as "Marmite wines", with some loving their freshness and vivacity while others dislike their rawness.

Recently, the Intercontinental London Park Lane hotel announced that it will offer the extremely rare Taylor's Scion 1855 vintage port to guests for £100 per glass, to celebrate the launch of its first hotel in Portugal.