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When we talk about wine and the north of Portugal, more specifically the north-west region of Entre-Douro-e-Minho, we are naturally talking about the Vinho Verde Demarcated Region, the largest Portuguese Demarcated Region and one of the largest in Europe.
Its beautiful landscape, the valleys and hills and the silhouettes of the River Douro have given its wines their name. However, the term ‘verdes’ (green) generates some ambiguity and even confusion because, in fact, Vinhos Verdes are not green. Rather, they can be white wines, rosé wines, red wines or sparkling wines.
So, what kind of wines are there?
There are three types of wine that we can taste: Sparkling (which release gas when the bottle is opened), Still (which don’t have gas, have between 8.5 and 15 per cent alcohol and are also called “table wines”) and Fortified (have 15 to 22 per cent alcohol, thanks to the addition of alcohol / brandy).
It’s also important to clarify that all of them can be white, rosé or red, can be drier or sweeter and can be produced in different parts of the world.
There is also another theory that argues that the term ‘vinho verde’ (green wine) is linked to the fact that the region’s grapes, even when ripe, have a high acidity content, which can make it seem as if they were harvested before they had matured properly.
Nevertheless, we can always find plenty of reasons to taste and savour the delicious wine from the Vinho Verde region, for its aroma, lightness and freshness, whether in its white, red or rosé version.
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