Vinho Verde
Many of our clients are surprised by the wine lists of the local restaurants: in addition to the division of 'Reds' and 'Whites' there are the 'Greens'. The Reds and the Whites then are divided into the wine regions; Greens, if divided at all, may be divided into Green Whites or Green Reds.
So what are the Green wines, the Vinho Verdes?
The most known Greens are white, but there are reds as well. They are best served chilled and make a great aperitif - and go very well with fish, seafood, salads, white meats, sushi, sashimi - and are great drink on a hot summer day. As their alcohol content is lower than that of the other wines (8-11,5%), so is their calory amount, and this makes it an 'easily drinkable' wine.
Vinho Verde has great digestive properties due to its freshness and special qualities. The reds are full-bodied wines with an intense colour and a rosy or light red foam. The whites usually present a lemony or straw colour.
The strong distinctive character and originality of these wines are the result of soil and climate characteristics and social-economic agents, on one hand, and of the grape varieties and the vinegrowing methods, on the other. Vinho Verde is only grown in the Northwest region of Portugal, in Minho. The vines, distinguished by their great vegetative expansion in severe conditions, occupy an area of almost 35 thousand hectares, corresponding to 15% of the national viticultural area. These vines also grow very tall, nearly tree-like.
So - why 'Green'? The green here is not the opposite of or differentiation from other colors. It is 'green' as in 'young', as opposite to 'mature'. The Portuguese wine legislation of 1946 still divided the wines into 'greens and matures', also referring to the alcohol content, which of the matures started from 11,5%. So the green wine is a young wine, drunk young, and you will not find quality greens from 50 years ago. Notice that Green wine is made from special grapes, though, not all the grapes will make a green wine, it would just be 'wine-made-with-not-so-mature-grapes'.
There are many famous green wine houses, but due to the small region that produces these wines, the production has not been large enough for large scale export. Only in the recent years has there been more exports and only last year the sales of vinho verde went up 34% in the United States. Yet - the best green wines are not necessarily the ones of the biggest houses with large marketing budgets. Just last weekend I had the 'House Green' at Praia da Adraga restaurant - excellent and cheap - and from a smaller producer.
When you are here - try it! I am sure you will be positively surprised!
So what are the Green wines, the Vinho Verdes?
The most known Greens are white, but there are reds as well. They are best served chilled and make a great aperitif - and go very well with fish, seafood, salads, white meats, sushi, sashimi - and are great drink on a hot summer day. As their alcohol content is lower than that of the other wines (8-11,5%), so is their calory amount, and this makes it an 'easily drinkable' wine.
Vinho Verde has great digestive properties due to its freshness and special qualities. The reds are full-bodied wines with an intense colour and a rosy or light red foam. The whites usually present a lemony or straw colour.
The strong distinctive character and originality of these wines are the result of soil and climate characteristics and social-economic agents, on one hand, and of the grape varieties and the vinegrowing methods, on the other. Vinho Verde is only grown in the Northwest region of Portugal, in Minho. The vines, distinguished by their great vegetative expansion in severe conditions, occupy an area of almost 35 thousand hectares, corresponding to 15% of the national viticultural area. These vines also grow very tall, nearly tree-like.
So - why 'Green'? The green here is not the opposite of or differentiation from other colors. It is 'green' as in 'young', as opposite to 'mature'. The Portuguese wine legislation of 1946 still divided the wines into 'greens and matures', also referring to the alcohol content, which of the matures started from 11,5%. So the green wine is a young wine, drunk young, and you will not find quality greens from 50 years ago. Notice that Green wine is made from special grapes, though, not all the grapes will make a green wine, it would just be 'wine-made-with-not-so-mature-grapes'.
There are many famous green wine houses, but due to the small region that produces these wines, the production has not been large enough for large scale export. Only in the recent years has there been more exports and only last year the sales of vinho verde went up 34% in the United States. Yet - the best green wines are not necessarily the ones of the biggest houses with large marketing budgets. Just last weekend I had the 'House Green' at Praia da Adraga restaurant - excellent and cheap - and from a smaller producer.
When you are here - try it! I am sure you will be positively surprised!
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