Wine of the Week 7/3/21

Vera Vinho Verde Branco 2020
Regularly $11.99/On Sale for $9.96!

In the 50’s and 60’s, the Portuguese government, under pressure from the wine industry, resisted the arrival of Coca-Cola and soft drinks. Vinho Verdes, with their light alcohol and slight carbonation, were the soft drink du jour, the drink people could have for lunch or when meeting with a friend. 

The Vinho Verde DOC is in northwest Portugal, just north of the warm Douro River Valley. It is rainy, mountainous, and intensely green.  Most grapes for Vinho Verde wines are grown on high pergolas so there can be another food crop grown on the ground and to get bunches well above the ground because the region has heavy rainfall. Its climate is similar to the Pacific Northwest coast; many places receive around 80 inches of rain each year. Distinctively, the pergola system requires picking grapes using ladders.

The Vera Vinho Verde is 60% Arinto, 30% Azal, 10% Loureiro, 100% estate fruit from vines planted in 1998.  The Arinto brings bright acidity and aging potential, Azal is citric and fresh, and Loureiro is aromatic and delicate.  This Verde is a step up in complexity while still being the fresh and lip-smacking wine that August requires!