Vinho Verde shares an acidic, crisp and slightly fizzy body.
What is
Vinho Verde?
Vinho Verde is not, as the translation suggests, green wine. Traditionally, Vinho Verde is a white wine, although available in bright, shiny and colorful options such as red or rosé, made from indigenous grape blends to achieve a light body, crisp flavor and fizzy texture.
Made from indigenous grape blends to achieve the perfect equilibrium between young yet mild, acidic yet balanced, fruity yet harmonious. A young wine, best consumed within a year of harvest to comply with their freshness.
The name “Vinho Verde” comes from the youthfulness of its taste and texture, as well as the lush green, dense foliage landscape of its Region.
The Vinho Verde Region, due to its peculiar weather and terroir characteristics, excels the winemaking production of fresh, low alcoholic white and sparkling wines as well as spirit beverages, mainly due to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean nearby, sea winds, mild climate, high precipitation and granitic soil – combined in a microclimate perfectly tailored to produce light, fresh and refreshing wines.
Is Vinho Verde
bubbly?
Vinho Verde develops tiny bubbles when served, caused by the winemaking natural malolactic fermentation process, which creates carbon dioxide later trapped inside the bottle. In sensorial terms, it tastes light, a bit acidic yet with a refreshing fizziness.
As the grapes’ acids turn to sugar, the level of acidity falls and the amount of alcohol increases, leaving to the winemaker the decision on the ratio and flavor balance.
Why is Vinho Verde
so light and fresh?
Lighter than most and especially aromatic, Vinho Verde has a refreshing finish provided by a balanced blend of indigenous varieties, predominantly Arinto and Azal as a foundation, and varying according to its color and characteristics: White, Rosé or Red Vinho Verde.
Suffused by the Douro and the Minho rivers, The Vinho Verde Region possesses a specific microclimate: mild weather, high precipitation, the influence of the Atlantic Ocean nearby and its sea winds as well as its granitic soils – an environment perfectly tailored to produce light, acidic refreshing wines.
Grape varieties
One of the oldest harvested in Portugal, producing young, fresh and vibrant wines with lemony notes, gaining some complexity due to its mineral characteristics.
Endogenous grapes providing a light citrus color and a fruity aroma. Azal produces very acidic wines and usually only take part in a mixture of varieties to balance its palate.
Noble variety of grapes known for its pungent orange and linden floral aromas with a natural harmonious acidity.
Typical Iberian grape mixed for greater flavor and boldness, with hints of mature pears and peaches. Pairs perfectly with Loureiro grape variety to provide a more prominent wine.
Espadeiro produces light-bodied wines usually associated with Vinho Verde. This variety is used to tint rosé wines with a mild pink color.
An heavy-colored grape variety, producing the most dark and opaque wines and to tint Rosés. It offers a strong rustic palate, full-bodied texture with high levels of acidity.
Ruby colored rustic grape, producing zesty aromas yet bold, full-bodied textures.
The Vinho Verde Region
Made from a blend of all indigenous grape varieties, Vinho Verde is a piece of history in a glass.
Considered as a national landscape and legally recognized as such in the early ‘60s as a protected D.O.C. land, The Vinho Verde Region rose its traditional winemaking efforts mainly due to its autochthonous grape varieties which produced such low alcoholic, fresh and young wines unique in the world.
All nine Vinho Verde sub-regions have very different microclimates, achieving different depths, flavors, textures and alcohol percentages, varying from 9% to 14% vol., over 47 grape varieties and countless blending options in order to achieve a peculiar taste, although sharing the lightness and the youthfulness in every glass. The uniqueness, the acidity, the fizzy texture and the aftertaste on every sip wins the hearts of more and more wine lovers across the world.
