Portugal
Alvarinho grapes
Portugal has potentially the longest period of uninterrupted winemaking in history, and having recovered from the 20th Century – phylloxera, Salazar & poverty - this beautiful country is one of the richest and most exciting wine producing areas in Europe today, offering an excellent point of difference and value for money.
Galets or pebblestones, famous in France’s Rhone Valley- as well as in Monção-Melgaco.
While there are gems in the southern half of the country and its islands, the cooler climate in the northern regional zones of Beiras & Minho make the northern-half of Portugal ideal for winemaking. Here, we represent producers from Vinho Verde, Dão & Bairrada; with a view to adding producers from other notable appellations in Portugal.
Portugal was the inspiration for DTF Wines and is the spiritual cornerstone of the portfolio. Their wines are becoming ever-more understood and appreciated by New Zealander’s and are a must for all serious lists and shelves.
Vinho Verde DOC
Vinho Verde, “green wine”, pronounced “Veen-yo Vurd” (not Ver-day) - is both a regional appellation and a style of wine that begins at the Minho River on the border with Spain and continues until the famed Douro River.
It’s cold and wet here, making for a lush green landscape and wines of a crisp refreshing nature- both white and red. Across the Vinho Verde wines, expect strong acid profiles, minerality and a refreshing nature. Beyond that, depending on the varieties used and the winemaking employed, we can find everything on the fruit spectrum, flowers, herbs, beeswax and spice. Forget the Vinho Verdes with a slight spritz: This comes from malolactic re-fermentation in the bottle due to imprecise winemaking. Vinho Verde should be still (unless the intention is to make a sparkling wine- which they also do well), and this is what the top producers focus on.
Map from Survives on Wine
Harvest time
Our producers are working with indigenous varieties. Alvarinho is commonly known by its Spanish name, Albarino, although there’s a good argument that it originates from Portugal. In any event, it’s great in both countries, and in Portugal it grows best in Monção & Melgaco. There it typically gets very ripe, exhibiting stone & exotic fruit, but also chamomile, green almond and white flowers. Loureiro tends to come from Barcelos & Lima, and literally translates to “smells like laurel [bay leaf]”, giving lots of herbs, flowers, green apples and citrus. Avesso means “inside out” or, perhaps, “inverse”: While Vinho Verde grapes are typically high in acid and low in alcohol, Avesso offers breadth in texture along with ripe peaches and nectarines, adding complexity in Vinho Verde blends. For the reds, Alvarelhão (Brancellao in Galicia) is the principal variety, making excellent light reds with juicy red fruit. Pedral (Espadeiro) adds refined fragrance while Verdelho-Feijão an earthy, rustic nature.