According to the report, the country's trade surplus in wine also grew, to €648 million in 2018 from €634 million in 2017, despite "notable" growth in imports, of 15.3%.

Despite the growth in exports, estimated production for the 2018/2019 production year slipped to 5.30 million hectolitres, around 20% less than the amount registered in the previous year, when there had been a 11.9% increase, the report added.

Informa D&B also noted that 43% of exports corresponded to fortified wine, such as port, which alone accounted for 40% of the total amount exported.

In terms of regions, port wine and table wine from the Douro had the highest volume of production, representing 21.5% of the total for 2017/2018, followed by Lisbon, at 18%, the Minho and the Alentejo, at 14% each, and Beiras, at 12%.

The main markets for Portuguse wine were in the European Union, which as a whole represented 60% of total sales, with the UK and France the largest single national markets.

Outside the EU, the main destinations were the US, Brazil, Canada and Angola, according to the report.