Incredible Portuguese White Wine At An Incredible Price

Portuguese wines are a treat, whether you’re drinking a wonderful Porto or a still wine from the Douro Valley. Today's wine is from the Alentejo region in the south of Portugal.

Herdade do Rocim's 2024 Mariana is a white Alentejano wine which was named after a cloistered nun. Mariana Alcoforado lived in the Beja Castle in the 17th century. The castle was already centuries old at that time. Why the namesake? From the terraces of Rocim Winery, one can see the famed tower of the castle. She reportedly wrote Letters of a Portuguese Nun, a collection of five letters she wrote to her lover, a French military man. That's the story, anyway.

The wine is even more interesting than the story behind the name. Mariana is made from 60% Antão Vaz grapes, 30% Arinto, and 10% Alvarinho. Antão Vaz is a thick-skinned white grape which thrives in hot weather. Arinto delivers high acidity, and Alvarinho is the Portuguese name for the Spanish Albariño. The wine was aged for three months in concrete tanks, has an alcohol level of 12% abv and sells for around $20. 

This wine has a clean, yellow glow in the glass. The nose is full of lemon and herbal aromas. Minerals abound on the palate, along with a delightfully racy acidity. Sweet lemon flavors and a mineral-laden salinity mark this wine as one to look for.

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Vinho Verde: Portugal's Top White Wine Region

The Vinho Verde wine region in northern Portugal is home to some of the best white wines this side of Albariño.  Vinho Verde means, "green wine," which is not a color reference but a suggestion that the wine is quite youthful.  The white wines of Vinho Verde typically have a wonderful acidity and a slightly fizzy nature.  The lower alcohol content makes them great choices for summer sipping by the pool, but they work quite well as aperitifs at holiday parties and pair graciously with cheese plates or pasta.

Provam Varanda do Conde 2018

PROVAM is made up of ten winemakers from the Monção and Melgaço sub-region, in the northern part of the Vinho Verde region.  The mix of 70% Trajadura and 30% Alvarinho grapes is a traditional blend for the region, capturing Alvarinho's complexity and Trajadura's softness.  The wine's alcohol level hits 12.5% abv and it sells for well below the $10 mark in the U.S.

This refreshing white has a nose which explodes with the smell of lemons and white flowers.  The palate is just as much a party, with lemons aplenty and acidity to burn.  Bring on the fish, bring on the shrimp.  The wine will pair wonderfully.


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Green Wine For The Holidays

The Vinho Verde wine region in northern Portugal is home to some of the best white wines this side of Albariño.  Vinho Verde means, "green wine," which is not a color reference but a suggestion that the wine is quite youthful.  The white wines of Vinho Verde typically have a wonderful acidity and a slightly fizzy nature.  The lower alcohol content makes them great choices for summer sipping by the pool, but they work quite well as aperitifs at holiday parties and pair graciously with cheese plates, pasta or holiday dishes.

The Portuguese wine company Quinta da Lixa is run by the Meireles family.  They employ winemaker Carlos Teixeira to create wines like the 2018 Aromas Das Castas Grande Escolha Vinho Verde.

This wine is a blend of Alvarinho and Loueiro grapes from the Vinho Verde sub-regions of Moncao and Melgaco.  Half of the grapes are Alvarinho and 50% half are Loureiro.  The Loueira grape gives the wine its wonderful floral note, while the Alvarinho brings the fruit. At 12.5% abv, the alcohol content is a little higher than usually found in Vinho Verde wines.

This yellow-gold wine smells like a fruit basket.  Lemon, lime, peach, nectarine - a cornucopia.  There is also a beautiful floral note which is almost washed away in the tidal wave of fruit.  The palate shows plenty of lemon and lime, with a brisk acidity and finish that stays in the mouth a long time.  The stone fruit aspect brings a slight sweetness to the wine to differentiate it from, say, a Sauvignon Blanc.  Great summer sipper?  Sure it is.  But a wine like this will serve well at holiday parties and alongside turkey and ham.

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Albarino By Another Name, From Another Place

Here is a different stroke from the Vinho Verde appellation of Portugal. The estate, Quinta da Aveleda, has vineyards, of course, but the grounds also feature gardens, parks and art pieces. It is one of two winemaking centers the Guedes family operates in Portugal’s Vinho Verde region.

Aveleda Vinho Verde Alvarinho 2015

This wine is called  Vinho Branco - white wine - and has a higher-than-normal 12% abv number for alcohol.

The 2015 Aveleda Vinho Verde Alvarinho is richer than other Vinho Verde styles, owing to the use use here of Alvarinho, or Albarino, grapes. shows pale in the glass, and gives aromas of apples and citrus, with a hint of flowers and minerals. On the palate, the flavors run toward apples, peaches, orange peel and Meyer lemons with an acidity level that is refreshing, but doesn’t rip anyone’s taste buds off the tongue.

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