Looking ahead to summer was a tasting for wine professionals held recently in Geneva, Switzerland. It was part of a promotion campaign by the CVRVV —the Porto-based inter-professional organization charged with representing the interests of all those involved in the production and trade of AO Vinho Verde and IG Minho.
Vinho Verde means green wine—the reference is to its youth. Its freshness has given it, by now, a well-established reputation as a perfect summer wine. Yet while Vinho Verde whites are already well known internationally, present in some 70 export markets, the CVRVV’s current promotional aim is to make them even better known, as potential agers in some cases, and as wines for all seasons.
And that’s not all. The campaign also aims to expand awareness that Vinho Verde is about more than still whites: there are Vinho Verde sparkling wines, rosés, and powerful reds that, in Portugal’s Minho province where these wines are produced, may well be served in a small ceramic bowl instead of a glass.
Vinho Verde Wine Tasting in Geneva
The Geneva tasting was led by by Dorli Muhr, founder of the Vienna press agency Wine&Partners that was mandated by the CVRVV to carry out targeted presentations.
Muhr presented 12 wines, beginning with a sparkling Espumante Castas de Monção 2008 made by PROVAM from Alvarinho and Trajadura grapes. The sparkler was marked by a very pronounced complementarity between freshness and bubbles, each sharpening the other.
There followed nine whites by PROVAM and five other wineries: Adega de Ponte da Barca, Afros (Vasco Croft), Agri-Roncão, Quinta das Arcas, and Vinhos Norte. All wines were from the 2009 or 2010 vintages. There were four classic Loureiro, Arinto (or Avesso), and Trajadura blends; two Loureiro and two Alvarinho varietals; and one Avesso single variety wine.
The wines were marked by a strong minerailty, occasional pearliness, and naturally high acidity balanced by residual sugar—as high as 6.5 grams in the case of the 2009 Quinta de Linhares Avesso from Agri-Ronção. Across the board, alcohol content was in the 11 to 13 percent range, and recurring aromas were lime and freesia. Only one wine, the 2009 Vinha Antiga, an Alvarinho varietal from PROVAM, was oaked: ‘’The general trend now is light and fruity, not wooded,’’ said Muhr.
Finishing off the session were two 2009 wines: Conde Villar Rosé by Quinta das Arcas, an Espadeiro varietal, and Afros Vinhão, by Afros. ‘’Vinho Verde reds are real food wines, not much exported presently,’’ said Muhr of the meaty, concentrated, rustic red Vinhão varietal.
Tasting Vinho Verde on Home Turf: Minho Province
Summer may be the time of year Vinho Verde whites are most associated with, but it’s also the time for holidays—and a subtext of Muhr’s presentation (as well as the images handed out with the information pack) was: come and discover these wines in situ.
Vinho Verde wine country is in the province of Minho in the northwestern part of Portugal. This is hilly terrain, with dramatic terraced landscapes, rivers flowing through valleys, and Atlantic winds pushing in. Part of the area’s exoticism (aside from the fact that it is relatively pristine as far as tourist swarms go) is due to the way many grapes are still cultivated—vines looping up through trees and poles to maximize space and sometimes to make room for other crops in the soil below—and little-known local grape varieties such as those mentioned above.
Wineries ranging from simple farms to châteaux dot some 35,000 hectares of vineyards, about 15 percent of Portugal’s land under vine.
The area is rich in other ways: culinary delights, colorful festivals, and spectacularly beautiful towns and cities (like Braga, a Baroque jewel). All of this including wineries have been woven into itineraries along the Vinho Verde Route. Portugal’s tourism board, Visit Portugal, also promotes the area in terms of its outdoorsy interest ideal for nature lovers, sports and adventure holiday enthusiasts.
Gail Mangold-Vine - Based in Geneva, Switzerland, Gail Mangold-Vine is the author of two books. Her work as a journalist is published worldwide.
Join the Conversation