What is Vinho Verde?

Vinho Verde is the name of a region and a wine from Portugal. Winemaker Sara Dioniso of Casa de Mouraz explains the region and describes the wines that are produced there. Verde means green, and refers to the lush, verdant nature of the area. Sara spoke to Ask a Winemaker in Chicago at Red and White Wines in 2014.
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What is Vinho Verde?
Well, Vinho Verde is also a wine a wine region from Portugal where we can produce excellent wine specially the white wines. We have some also some Reds like the Vinhao, it's one of the the wines that it's produced in the Vinho Verde region.
But the Vinho Verde it's a very Atlantic it's north, completely Atlantic. it's a big region also and the wines usually are more light with lower more alcohol degree. But it's possible that we have more alcohol degrees. That depends on the way that we make the wine. It's a very good region. For me it's it's one of the best areas to produce white wines in Portugal. Vinho Verde it's the name of the appellation and the name, it's related to... In Vinho Verde it's green. in the summertime in the other places it can all be dry, but in the Vinho Verde it still is green. It's very very green. And also it's it's well the grapes are the maturation of the grapes in the Vinho Verde are a little different. Usually they don't have so much. The maturation don't go so high as in the other regions, but that it doesn't mean that the grapes are not mature because they are matured but it's a different kind of maturation. But the grapes are not green when we might sometimes the people have the idea that that the grapes are green. Sometimes people have the idea that the grapes are green when we make the wine. No! No they are not green they are matured also, but it's a different kind of maturation. It's not the same exactly as in the other parts of Portugal because it's very Atlantic. The wines from the Vinho Verde region usually are also the presence of more... are salty. For example our vineyard is like less than than 20 kilometers from the sea. We feel a lot this presence of the of the sea because it's very very Atlantic. In the Vinho Verde we have the Loureiro, treixadura, azal, we have the Avesso a little more in the south of the Vinho Verde, near the Douro Valley. Because the Vinho Verde starts near the Minho river. It is the separation from Spain, from Galicia. It starts there and it goes to the the Douro Valley. It's a very big region and it's completely different. The Vinho Verde wines made in the north and the wines that are made more near the Douro Valley. In the Vinho Verde region it's also the region where where we have the Alvarhino. It's a sub region that that it's in the north north of the Vinho Verde, but the little more interior. And makes wine to more structure. The Alvarhino usually it's a wine with more structure and more alcohol degree. it's a great variety also the Alvarhino. You know already you taste already some Alvarhino? It is a great great variety. But for the white wines it's a great area. It's a great area. Sometimes the people know so it knows more like the commercial side of the Vinho Verde the wines with a lot of gas and all of this. But the Vinho Verde have other kind of wines that are made in a way more natural way that are wonderful like the Biotite. You taste already the Biotite we do? And some other from other producers like Quinta da Mial makes a wonderful a wonderful wonderful Alvarhino. It's a great great region

[@costalago1091]

vivo em londres inglaterra...sou Portugues natural de braga....tenho o maior orgulho de falar mostrar e trabalhar com este vinho ...so nosso

[@robb3176]

I was introduce to this wine back in 1985 when a client of mine in the Ironbound area of Newark ordered it for us at a Portuguese seafood restaurant.

[@Bigboss5]

i'm pretty used to albariño from Rias Baixas. any recommendations for an alvarinho from Vinho Verde?

[@askawinemaker]

A lot of them would be blended with others for Vinho Verde. You might connect up with Sara and Antonio on Facebook - they share a lot of new about their wines. Here is the page: facebook.com/casademouraz/?fref=ts

[@FernandoSilva-bx6st]

Provan
Murralhas

[@ilfordcity663]

Lol that isn't vinho verde

[@tiagosoares1461]

Sapateiro Alvarinho & Avesso. It is a blend, but you'll very likely enjoy it.