📍 Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde is a wine region in north-west Portugal. It is bounded by the Minho river to the north; to the south by the Douro and the Freita, Arada and Montemuro mountains; to the east by the Peneda, Gerês, Cabreira and Marão mountains; and to the west by the Atlantic. This natural amphitheatre, open to ocean winds, lies below 700 m and covers the districts of Braga and Viana do Castelo and parts of four neighbouring ones.

The climate is mild, without extremes, with about 1,200 mm of rain a year, mostly in winter and spring. The soils are mainly granite. The region's boundaries were fixed by a law of 1908, and in the EU the name has been protected as a PDO since 24 December 1991.

The CVRVV council calls Vinho Verde Portugal's largest DOC: about 16,000 ha of vineyards and 9 sub-regions – Amarante, Ave, Baião, Basto, Cávado, Lima, Monção e Melgaço, Paiva and Sousa. Among some 48 grape varieties are Alvarinho, Loureiro, Arinto, Trajadura, Avesso, Azal and the red Vinhão. The wines may be white, rosé, red or sparkling, with an alcohol content of 8 to 14 %.

The rules point out that these were the first Portuguese wines to become known on the markets of England, Flanders and Germany.

Why it matters to you. “Verde” does not mean a white colour or youth: the CVRVV council stresses that the wine is defined neither by colour nor by maturity. Alvarinho with a sub-region name comes only from Monção e Melgaço, and a varietal “Alvarinho” is 100 % that grape. Whites are served at 4–10 °C.