Summer’s favorite wine region offers unexpectedly concentrated, textured white wines to pair with unpredictable temperatures.
New York, NY, October 8, 2018 – As summer draws to a close, it’s tempting to stash away crisp, refreshing white wines along with the tank tops and shorts that are necessary for long, sunny days and warm, festive nights. But the coming and going of Labor Day doesn’t mean that scarves and sweaters are here to stay for good. The inevitable Indian summer could easily intersperse cool fall days with skyrocketing temperatures, leaving oenophiles craving a wine with thirst-quenching acidity.
Luckily, summer’s favorite wine region, Vinho Verde, is also just right for fall’s unpredictable weather. The region’s forward-thinking experimentation with oak-aging, monovarietal wines, and terroir-specific cuvees crafts a different side of Vinho Verde – one that can carry your palate from summer to fall, regardless of what the thermometer reads that day.
Northwestern Portugal’s Vinho Verde region is known for creating light, zippy white wines perfect for guzzling on warm summer days, but Vinho Verde’s vintners like to push the envelope, too, experimenting with vinification techniques for this verdant region’s 47 different, high-quality varieties. Monovarietal wines, terroir-specific bottles, and oak-aged cuvees generally tend to have more concentration than standard Vinho Verdes, while maintaining the region’s characteristically high acidity. This freshness allows these wines to drink beautifully solo, or pair wonderfully with the richer dishes that become more popular as days grow cooler.
By highlighting Vinho Verde’s finest varieties in single-varietal wines, winemakers focus on the individual characteristics of each grape. Monovarietal Vinho Verdes also tend to have a bit more weight, working well with cooler temperatures. The elegant, floral-scented Loureiro would pair beautifully with velvety butternut squash soup, while Alvarinho’s complex aromatics and mouth-cleansing acidity would balance spicy chili well.
Increasingly-popular, terroir-specific Vinho Verde wines, in which winemakers choose to spotlight one of the region’s nine specific subregions, create a wider range of typically mineral-driven Vinho Verdes. The intense wines of northerly Monção e Melgaço could stand up to rich roasted meats, while the lighter Vinho Verdes of rainy Lima might be a good match for savory, sautéed mushrooms. And as these single-region and single-varietal Vinho Verde vintners take a more serious approach to their wines, some are opting for oak-aging, rather than stainless steel, creating an extra dimension of texture that pairs beautifully with classic roasted chicken.
Instead of overhauling the wine rack in September, consider sticking with the region that provided summer’s best moments. Whether fall weather necessitates sunscreen and flip flops or jackets and gloves, the wines of Vinho Verde are ready for anything.
About Vinho Verde:
Vinho Verde is a wine region in northwest Portugal known for producing crisp and refreshing wines, reflecting the natural assets of this unique coastal wine region. Vinho Verde wines have a balanced acidity. They make a delicious (and affordable) aperitif at parties and dinners and are great to pair with light fare like salads, fish, seafood, white meat, tapas, sushi, sashimi or other international dishes. The region bases much of its winemaking craft on the unique use of blends from several indigenous grape varietals, like Loureiro, Trajadura, and the classic Alvarinho. Vinho Verde has produced wine for over 2,000 years, making it one of the oldest wine regions in Portugal and one of the largest wine regions in Europe.
