Vinho Verde ( European Portuguese: [ˈviɲu ˈveɾðɨ] ; lit. ' green wine ' , nonliterally 'young wine') refers to Portuguese wine that originated in the historic Minho Province in the far north of the country. The modern-day 'Vinho Verde' region, originally designated in 1908, includes the old Minho Province plus adjacent areas to the south. In 1976, the old province was dissolved.
18-409: Vinho Verde is not a grape variety, it is a DOC for the production of wine. The name means 'green wine', but translates as "young wine", with wine being released three to six months after the grapes are harvested. They may be red , white or rosé , and they are usually consumed soon after bottling. A Vinho Verde can also be a sparkling, a Late Harvest or even Brandy. In its early years of production,
36-631: A Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) in 1984. The DOC is overseen by the Comissão de Viticultura da Região dos Vinhos Verdes ( lit. ' Wine Commission of the Vinho Verde Region ' ). Currently, nearly 21,000 hectares of vineyards are planted, making up 9% of the total in Portugal. There are around 19,000 producers, down from 72,590 in 1981. Around 600 bottlers in the region produce 85 million liters of wine each year. 86% of
54-408: A regulating body to ensure compliance with DOC standards. In addition to the top-level DOC designation, there are two secondary tiers: Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (IPR) and Vinho Regional. IPRs are similar to DOC "in training" and indicate regions that have established their own regulating bodies but have not yet established an internationally recognizable identity for their wines. It
72-534: Is made from Alvarinho grapes, from a designated subregion of Monção and Melgaço . It has more alcohol (11.5 to 14%) and ripe tropical aromas. The reds are deep red and tannic, and are mostly made from Vinhão , Borraçal and Amaral grapes. The rosés are very fresh and fruity, usually made from Espadeiro and Padeiro grapes. The Romans Seneca the Younger and Pliny the Elder both made reference to vines in
90-795: Is similar to the French Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDSQ) system. Vinho Regional is similar to the French Vin de pays and is sort of a "catchall" classification for wines that do not qualify under the DOC or IPR designations. Denomina%C3%A7%C3%A3o de Origem Controlada The denominação de origem controlada (or DOC ) is the system of protected designation of origin for fruit, wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products from Portugal . Portuguese wine regions, as well as producers of several other products, established this system following Portugal's entry into
108-641: Is the system of protected designation of origin for fruit, wines, cheeses, butters, and other agricultural products from Portugal . Portuguese wine regions, as well as producers of several other products, established this system following Portugal's entry into the European Union in 1986. It is similar to the French Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), the Italian Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC), and
126-482: Is widely planted in the northern Minho between the Lima Valley and Spanish border. Loureiro produces higher yields but very aromatic wines. The most successful red wine grape has been Vinhão, followed by Amaral / Azal Tinto and Espadeiro. These grapes can produce wines with deep purple coloring and peppery notes. Denomina%C3%A7%C3%A3o de Origem Controlada The denominação de origem controlada (or DOC )
144-478: The European Union in 1986. It is similar to the French Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC), the Italian Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC), and the Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) systems. The DOC system replaced the earlier Região Demarcada system of Portuguese appellations developed in the early 20th century. In addition to protecting the designation of origin,
162-610: The Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) systems. The DOC system replaced the earlier Região Demarcada system of Portuguese appellations developed in the early 20th century. In addition to protecting the designation of origin, the DOC also establishes regulations aimed at maintaining the quality level of the wines associated with a particular wine region . This includes establishing permitted grape varieties , regulating maximum crop yields at harvest , establishing minimum alcohol content , and periods of bottle or oak aging. Producers are required to submit finished wine samples to
180-467: The 16th century left a distinctive stamp on viticulture in the region. 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. The "Vinho Verde Region" was demarcated by the law of September 18, 1908 and a decree of October 1 of the same year. The regulations controlling production were largely set in 1926, with recognition as
198-448: The DOC also establishes regulations aimed at maintaining the quality level of the wines associated with a particular wine region . This includes establishing permitted grape varieties , regulating maximum crop yields at harvest , establishing minimum alcohol content , and periods of bottle or oak aging. Producers are required to submit finished wine samples to a regulating body to ensure compliance with DOC standards. In addition to
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#1732780083792216-662: The area between the rivers Douro and Minho. A record exists of a winery being donated to the Alpendurada convent in Marco de Canaveses in 870 AD, and the vineyards seem to have expanded over the following centuries, planted by religious orders and encouraged by tax breaks. Wines were mostly produced for domestic consumption, although Vinho Verde may have been exported in the 12th century, to England, Germany, and Flanders. The first definite exports to England are recorded by John Croft as taking place in 1788. The arrival of maize in
234-447: The slight effervesce of the wine came from malolactic fermentation taking place in the bottle. In winemaking , this is usually considered a wine fault but Vinho Verde producers found that consumers liked the slightly fizzy nature. However, the wines had to be packaged in opaque bottles to hide the unseemly turbidity and sediment that the "in-bottle MLF" produced. Today, most Vinho Verde producers no longer follow this practice with
252-400: The slight sparkle being added by artificial carbonation . The region is characterized by its many small growers, which numbered around 19,000 as of 2014. Many of these growers used to train their vines high off the ground, up trees, fences, and even telephone poles so that they could cultivate vegetable crops below the vines that their families may use as a food source. The majority of
270-425: The top-level DOC designation, there are two secondary tiers: Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada (IPR) and Vinho Regional. IPRs are similar to DOC "in training" and indicate regions that have established their own regulating bodies but have not yet established an internationally recognizable identity for their wines. It is similar to the French Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (VDSQ) system. Vinho Regional
288-456: The white ones. That is caused mainly by the region's climatic conditions with its relatively cool temperatures and high level of rainfall that make it impossible for the red wine grapes to ripen. The Vinho Verde red wines usually have red color and a fruity flavor with the tasting notes of pepper, peony, and sour plum. Vinho Verde rose wines are also not very common, they have a slightly pink or intense color and red berries flavor. Vinho Alvarinho
306-548: The wine from Vinho Verde is white. The Vinho Verde DOC is divided into nine subregions, which may be indicated on the wine label together with the name of Vinho Verde, for example as Vinho Verde-Amarante. The subregions are: Amarante, Ave, Baião, Basto, Cávado, Lima, Monção e Melgaço, Paiva, and Sousa. The grape varieties recommended or permitted for the DOC are as follows: The two most successful white wine varieties are Alvarinho and Loureiro. Alvarinho tends to produce low yields and can reach much higher alcohol levels. The grape
324-616: The wines classified as Vinho Verde are white, but the region is also known for the production of red and rose wines. The white Vinho Verde is very fresh, due to its natural acidity, with fruity and floral aromas that depend on the grape variety. The white wines are lemon- or straw-coloured, around 8.5 to 11% alcohol, and are made from local grape varieties Loureiro , Arinto , Trajadura , Avesso , and Azal . At less than one bar of CO 2 pressure, they do not quite qualify as semi-sparkling wines but are nonetheless slightly sparkling. The red and rose Vinho Verde wines are much less common than
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