Portuguese wine Vinho Verde
What could be nicer than ending a mild summer evening with a cool glass of wine. This is pure wine enjoyment! A light and tangy wine tastes best in the heat of summer. Portuguese Vinho Verde is perfect for summer enjoyment. You drink it chilled. White Vinho Verde tastes particularly good as an aperitif, with salads or just in between. We came to appreciate him on our journey along the Rota do Peixe through the Alentejo. It goes perfectly with the light fish dishes that are served on the coasts of Portugal. Since then, it has been at home for us to enjoy pure wine on hot summer days.
Vinho Verde is a light wine whose growing areas are in the northwest Portugal are located. He is refreshing and tingles pleasant on the palate. Vinho Verde is fruity in taste.
Vinho Verde is a young wine. You drink it right after fermentation. With an alcohol content between 8,5 to 12,5%, it is very light and is perfect for light dishes on hot summer days. The vinho verde owes its liveliness to the fact that it sparkles slightly. During the winemaking process, the malic acid contained in the grape juice is naturally converted into carbonic acid. Wherever Vinhos Verdes are produced industrially, carbonic acid is added artificially.
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Where is Vinho Verde growing?
Between the rivers Douro and Minho there is a wine region where it rains frequently. Up to 2000 mm of precipitation falls here every year. The districts of Viana do Castelo, Braga and Porto are very fertile and green. These landscapes gave the wine its name. Vinho Verde means nothing more than "green wine".
Wine region and grape varieties Portugal
Vinho Verde grows in the wine region of Portugal directly on the Atlantic Ocean. The vineyards are up to 700 meters above sea level. Popular varieties include Alvarinho, Avesso, Loureiro and Treixadura. Sometimes you will also find the Grape Sercial. The winemakers grow the wines as a sideline. For this they let the vines grow as a pergola. Traditionally, the wine climbs over trellises and provides shade and moisture to the soil in which it thrives. In the past, the grapevines also grazed on poplars towards the sun. However, this is now becoming increasingly rare. Instead, the winemakers are going to build the pergolas lower. This makes it easier to machine the wine.
In the past, the winegrowers only produced the Vinho Verde for their own use. To do this, it was first fermented in open “lagares” made of stone. Then he was put in barrels, where the acid turned into carbon dioxide. These wines are still served today in Portuguese bars and cafés.
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However, part of the wine production goes today to wine cooperatives, where the wines are produced, which are destined for the foreign market. Some Quintas now also specialize in the production of high-quality varietal wines.
The Vinho Verde route in the northwest
The Vinho Verde route passes through the extreme northwest of Portugal. There you will find the small cultivation plots on which this wine grows. They extend over the entire Minho region to the river Vouga in the south. Winegrowers invite you here to taste the wine. Of course you can also take one or the other bottle home with you.
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Why do you drink Vinho Verde?
Which dishes are best for the Vinho Verde? The best way to stick to what the Portuguese eat. In Portugal, this wine is served with cold and warm appetizers. It goes well with finger foods and appetizers, the petiscos. It tastes especially good with pasta, fish and light meat dishes. But it also goes well with desserts with fruit and chocolate.
Do you already know:
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- Alentejo - made from fish, prawns and coriander
- Discoveries by Portuguese sailors
- Blooming mountain meadows in the Kleinwalsertal
- Wine regions Austria
- Taste the World: Wine Regions to Discover
- Finance Holiday - Travel Blogger Tips
Source Portuguese wine Vinho Verde: own research
Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs, TravelWorldOnline
Do you 2,
but that sounds interesting. On our next trip to Portugal Sebastian will definitely like to try it :)
VG, Nina
Liebe Nina,
we can highly recommend him. A wine that tastes good in the heat of Portugal.
Best regards,
Monika
Hallo,
Actually, I'm not the white wine fan, but from what you write about the Vinho Verde, I should try it.
Portugal is still on the bucket list, so I have another plan.
Best regards,
Gina
Dear Gina,
usually white wine is not my cup of tea either. I'm more of a red wine drinker. But the Vinho Verde tastes good to me. Of course, wine is always a matter of taste. Everyone has to find out what suits him. We love Portugal as a destination. Since it is not enough that one tastes through the wines of the country. So we became fans of the Vinho Verde.
Best regards,
Monika
Dear Monika,
a very nice and informative report. Unfortunately, I have never been to Portugal and unfortunately - at least as far as I can remember - I did not drink any Vinho Verde yet. But it sounds like I should definitely make up for it. ;)
Many greetings
Kathi
Dear Kathi,
we can highly recommend both. Portugal is a very beautiful country, but thankfully, Vinho Verde is also available from us.
Best regards,
Monika
I think Vino Verde is perfect for a summer evening! He is often served with us, rightly so :)
Dear Nicole,
I can understand that well. We also like to drink it.
Best regards,
Monika
Dear Monika and dear Peter,
I was lucky enough to get to know the varieties from the region! They taste very light and fruity. Just nice with company and delicious light summer barbecue!
I have never been to Portugal but the pleasure is already there!
Best regards,
Alexandra.
Liebe Alexandra,
We have come to appreciate the Vinhos Verdes on our tour along the Rota do Peixe in Alentejo. They are perfect with the fish dishes that are available along the coast. Meanwhile, there are some bottles of it in our cellar, which we have stored for barbecues on our terrace.
Best regards,
Monika
Dear Monika,
We are real wine lovers, but really Portuguese wines have not really tried. Can one also order it online? We are always open for something new :)
Dear Saskia,
then you must definitely try the Vinho Verde. We do not like every wine, but it tastes excellent. He is also sold in stores. Of course, ordering online is also possible.
Best regards,
Monika
Dear Monika, dear Petar,
We have wanted to go to Portugal for a long time. Being a passionate wine drinker, the Vinho Verde route would be just right. Against a light wine in the summer to light delicacies speaks nothing against it. You can certainly buy the wine from here.
Best regards, Selda
Dear Selda,
Thank you very much for your nice comment. And yes, the wine is also available to buy here. You do not necessarily have to go to Portugal for that, although the wine experience is certainly even more intense there.
Best regards,
Monika
Dear Monika, Dear Petar,
I have not seen Portugal so much as a wine region so far. Interesting ... I do not even know the regions in the northwest. Where wine grows, there are certainly interesting landscapes.
LG Ricarda
Dear Ricarda,
You are right: Wine regions are always beautiful travel destinations. In Portugal, this is worth it. The Vinhos Verdes are very good and go well with the fish specialties of the country.
Best regards,
Monika