Many of my readers have been asking about the wines of Portugal and while I am not a officianado, I am happy to devote part of my blog to a distinctive variety of wine that I discovered in Portugal – the Vinho Verde.
To provide some context, Portugal is a country where different and unique wines are made and you cannot equate them with the wines of Spain or any other region. Marked by an extreme Atlantic influence, created by a unique exposure to sea winds, granite soils, mild climate and high rainfall, it is one of the most distinctive regions of Portugal.
When you first hear of Vinho Verde, you think the wine will have a tint of green since it follows that Vinho blanco is white wine and Vinho Tinto is red wine. Alas, that is not the case as I soon discovered when it began pouring out of the bottle and into my glass. The Vinho Verde is the colour of white wine, very fresh, due to its natural acidity, with fruity and floral aromas that depend on the grape variety.
Some say that the designation “Verde”(green) is due to the acidity and freshness characteristic of Vinho Verde and that it reminds one of unripe fruit. Others say that the origin “Verde”(green) is explained by the fact that the wine is produced in a region very rich in vegetation and is therefore very green even in winter.
My research revealed that while Vinho Verde means “green wine,” the name really translates as “young wine”, with wine being released three to six months after the grapes are harvested. Vinho Verde is not green wine, it’s not a color for the wine and it doesn’t come from green grapes – it is simply a non-translatable name of the Region like Côte du Rhône. The harvest in the Vinho Verde Wine Region usually starts between August and September, like other wine regions in Portugal. The grapes are picked in their perfect state of maturation, completely ripe, and not green by the way.
The Vinhos Verdes Demarcated Region which is Portugal’s largest wine region in terms of area and one of the largest in Europe extends throughout the northwest of Portugal. Vineyards are concentrated along the valleys of the main rivers in the country’s north, bounded by the Minho river, the city of Porto and the banks of the Vouga river, with ownership spread over thousands of small plots, sometimes little larger than small backyards.. It is the largest denomination in Portugal, with an area of around 24,000 hectare.
The reason for this particular growing pattern is due to the arrival of maize (mais/corn) in the 16th century. To maximize production of maize, new regulations banished vines to the field margins, where they would be draped over trees and hedges, forcing the vignerons to pick them from tall ladders. Today, you can find some examples of vines trained by the old methods, but most of the Vinho Verde Region is now using modern methods, which give larger and better yield
The Alvarinho and Loureiro grape varieties are the main “stars” of this region. I am told, by a sommelier I encountered that there is a worldwide growing demand for these elegant and seductive wines.
I am happy to provide you with a bit of historical context regarding Portuguese wines, since it allows me to share some of the history of this beautiful, unstated country.
Historical Context
The origin of wines in Portugal seems to date back to around 2000 BC, when the hypothetical civilisation of Tartessos flourished, using it as its currency of exchange.
Discovery and occupation by the Phoenicians in the 10th century, the Greeks in the 7th century and the Celts and Iberian of the 6th century all had a hand to play in the wine production of Portugal, but it was the Romans in the 2nd century that led the consolidation of wine production in Portugal. In order to satisfy Rome’s increasing consumption due to growth and development, the colonies, including Portugal, were under pressure to meet the ever increasing demand and guarantee that wine flowed, abundantly all over the Roman Empire.
Surprisingly, between the 8th and 12th centuries, a time marked by Arab influence (Moors) and a culture that strictly forbade the consumption of fermented beverages, vine growing and wine production were curiously maintained, benefiting from the benevolent and protective spirit with which the Arabs regarded farmers.
The foundation of Portugal, in 1143, and the conquest of the whole of Portuguese territory from the Moors, in 1249, allowed the establishment of religious, military and monastic orders, which became active centres of agricultural colonisation. Slowly, the wines from Portugal gained notoriety, and in the second half of the 14th century wine production went through a phase of great development and exportation.
In the mid-16th century, Lisbon was the biggest centre of consumption and distribution of wine in the empire, and Portuguese wine reached the four corners of the world. In the 17th century.
Over the past few years, exports have been on the increase. From attractive price points to native grape varieties and an extensive product range, Portuguese wines are growing in popularity in the global marketplace are legion. In 2022, Portugal exported $994M in wine, making it the 9th largest exporter of wine in the world.
The same year, wine was the 12th most exported product in Portugal, heading primar to the US ($120M), France ($112M), the UK ($98.1M), Brazil ($72M), and Canada ($55.4M).
It was our guide who recommended we try the Vinho Verde. We enjoyed it chilled, with a fabulous seafood lunch, overlooking surfers at Cabo da Roca beach, a beautiful coastal retreat on the Atlantic Ocean. – and the most western point of Europe.
