The "Green Wine" of Portugal

The small region of Vinho Verde is located in the northwest of Portugal. Portugal’s “green wine” is well adored for its distinctively fresh character, lip-smacking acidity, and sometimes a slight fizz. 

Traditionally, this “fizz” was naturally occurring; wines began fermentation in open stone lagares before being run off into casks where malolactic conversion took place, producing carbon dioxide. Today, some producers add a small amount of carbon dioxide at bottling, although many have left this trait in the past altogether. 

Before the 1980s, Vinho Verde made predominantly red wines in an effervescent and acidic style from local varieties. Red wines are still made in small quantities but rarely leave the country, and today, they are usually still and darker-fruited.

The white wines of Vinho Verde tend to be low alcohol with medium to high acidity. They feature characteristics like citrus, melon, peach, and lime blossom. While most wines are dry, some may have a small amount of residual sugar. Co-operatives or large merchants make the majority of wines here, however, the region has seen an increase in boutique wineries with some very good quality wines. Single-varietal and sub-region-specific wines are becoming more common, as well as experimentation with vessels and ambient yeast.

Portugal is well-known for their use of indigenous varietals, and blends dominate. The most widely grown grape is Loureiro (aka Loureira), followed by Alvarinho (aka Albariño), and the third most planted is Pedernã (aka Arinto).

Vinho Verde is part of the Minho region which neighbours the Atlantic Ocean, it experiences a moderate maritime climate with plenty of rainfall. Further inland, soils are less fertile and the climate becomes warmer and drier allowing for later ripening varietals such as Avesso and Alvarinho.

Vinho Verde has been categorized into nine subregions according to climatic differences:

Monção & Melgaço hugs the Spanish border and is known to produce some of the best and most expensive Vinho Verde wines from Alvarinho.

Sousa, Paiva, Baião, and Basto are mountainous with more sunshine than the other sub-regions. The top white wine varieties are Azal and Avesso, but it is also known for some rare red wines from Espadeiro, Vinhão(aka Sousão), and Padeiro.

Lima, Cávado, and Ave are closest to the Atlantic coast with a ton of rain. The wines here are commonly made from Arinto, Loureiro, and Trajadura, and tend to be lighter and easier drinking.

References:

https://www.winesofportugal.com/en/discover/wine-regions/vinho-verde/

https://www.aveleda.com/en/about-us/vinho-verde-wine-region

Robinson, J. & Harding, J. (2015), The Oxford Companion to Wine, Oxford University Press, 4th Edition