The face of Portuguese wines has been changing over the past decade, with fortified Port wines falling out of favour in world markets, leaving the winemakers scrambling to repurpose their vineyards with more profitable plantings.
Vinho Verde is both a wine region and a style, which can be confusing to the typical consumer. The Vinho Verde wine region is the largest wine region in Portugal, with over 51000 acres under vine.
Vinho Verde is located in the northwest corner of Portugal, on the Atlantic side of the Iberian peninsula, which provides cooling breezes and welcome rains in the hot summers, which significantly increase yields compared to the drier inland regions.
While there are small plantings of red and rosé grapes, more than 85% of the plantings are white grapes, mostly the Alvarhino and Trajadura grape varietals.
The Vinho Verde wine region of Portugal shares a border with the reknowned Rias Baixas wine region of Spain. The same grape is extensively planted on both sides of the border, so attentive readers may recognize the Alvarhino grape by its Spanish name of Albariño.
Alvarhino is the most commonly planted grape in the region, and is usually the primary blending grape used in the Vinho Verde style, which translates to “green wine” or “young wine”, as it is usually consumed within 3-6 months after bottling.
This makes Vinho Verde a quintessential summertime wine, with high acidity and floral aromas making it particularly refreshing.
The entire Iberian peninsula has been growing wine for millenia, so the Vinho Verde region comes with an impressive pedigree. The region became famous for its wine as a province of the Roman Empire, and later became part of the medieval kingdom of Galicia, when the local wines were the envy of kings and commoners alike.
A unique historical quirk of the region is that the many small vineyards train the vines along high pergolas and trellis systems, which allows other vegetable crops such as maize to be grown beneath the vines.
This tradition dates back to 16th century, where subsistence farmers would grow their own food crops in the same fields as the wine grapes. While this tradition has waned with the advent of increased industrialization, there are still many vines trained along trellising systems several meters high, requiring the vineyard workers to scramble up and down ladders during the annual harvest.
Most Vinho Verde wines are inexpensive table wines, rarely exceeding $15, making them very popular. There are more elegant examples to be found, but the region is generally considered a producer of value-oriented wines rather than rare and expensive varietals.
While Vinho Verde wines are not classed as sparkling wines, they typically contain a tiny dash of effervescence from post-bottling malolactic fermentation, usually because the grapes are harvested before they are fully ripened.
Other wine styles consider this a fault, but a subtle hint of fizz in these wines has become part of the signature of the region, and consumers have come to expect it.
The wines of the region tend to have tangy and citrusy finishes, making them excellent companions for seafood, salads, or Asian cuisine. My favourite pairing is with freshly shucked oysters and just a dash of ground pepper.
When bottled as a single varietal, the wine will often be labeled as an Alvarhino, but most of the production is of blended wines simply labeled as Vinho Verde.
The grapes are native Portuguese varietials, including the popular Alvarhino, as well as Louriero, Arinto, Trajadura, and Azal. These grapes are rarely grown outside of Portugal, making Vinho Verde wines a treat that you will not find anywhere else.
Vinho Verde wines have long been popular in the domestic Portuguese market, but exports to international markets have been growing over the past decade, with 40% of production now exported to other countries.
With the lazy days of summer now upon us, Vinho Verde wines are the perfect tipple for your garden party, picnic, or enjoying on the patio while watching the sunset. These wines are best consumed young, so enjoy them now, as they will generally not improve with age.
Browse through the Portuguese aisle of your friendly neighbourhood booze merchant, and you are sure to find a Vinho Verde calling out to you. Take one home and enjoy it today!
