Vinhas Altas Vinho Verde (2010)

One of the latest trends in white wine is Vinho Verde, a white wine produced in Portugal.  Vinho Verdes are also a fairly difficult wine to blog about.  It takes a little time to get information about the wine, and even longer if I want to include something about the winemaker.  When I reviewed the Opala Vinho Verde (2009), I was able to get enough information to talk about the background about this wine, including the types of grapes used and the DOC established for the wine. 

Recently, when I was working on the latest installment of my Around the World in 80 Dishes Challenge, I was able to try another Vinho Verde.  The challenge was Mozambique, a former Portuguese colony.  As part of the challenge, I was making Camarao Mozambique.  One of the ingredients in that dish is 1/4 bottle of white wine and, given the origins of the recipe, Vinho Verde was the recommended wine.  So, I bought a bottle of the Vinhas Alta Vinho Verde (2010).

The Vinhas Alta Vinho Verde is very similar to the Opala Vinho Verde.  The wine pours very light and clear, with heavy carbonation.  As the picture shows, there were a lot of bubbles that danced up the sides of the glass.  The aromas of the wine include crisp apple, some pear and even a little grass.   

After taking in the aromatic elements of the wine, I could taste green apples, just after taking the initial bite.  Not just any green apples, but apples that had marinated in a wine like Moscato.  The Vinhas Alta Vinho Verde has that sugary sweetness that is very reminscent of dessert-style Moscato wines. This sweetness provided a little different character to the Vinhas Alta, separating it from the Opala.  

As for pairing, I paired this wine with the Camarao Mozambique, a spicy shrimp dish from Mozambique.  I had restrained myself a little in terms of the spice, which was a good thing because it allowed the wine to shine a little more.  Other than somewhat spicy dishes, this wine -- like most Vinho Verdes -- pair very well with seafood dishes, as well as chicken dishes that include citrus (like lemon juice or lime juice).  

This wine is good, although I think the Opala Vinho Verde a little more.  This wine is available at local grocery stores and wine stores.  It is a bargain value at about $8.99 a bottle.

ENJOY!

Opala Vinho Verde (2009)

Generally, everyone talks about wines in two colors ... red and white.  However, as I have come to learn, wines come in other colors.  In the northern Portuguese region of Minho,  winemakers cultivating vines of Loureiro, Arinto, Trajadura, Avesso, Azal and other grapes.  With these grapes, the winemakers produce a "green" wine, commonly referred to by its Portuguese name, "Vinho Verde."

Vinho Verde has its own Denominacao de Origem Controlada (DOC), much like Italy has its own DOC and France has its own AOC.  The Vinho Verde DOC is divided into nine subregions.  The subregions are: Amarante, Ave, Baiao, Basto, Cavado, Lima, Mancao e Malgaso, Paiva and Soussa.  (I am missing a lot of accent marks, I really need to figure out how to add them to blog posts.)  There are also two special designations for Vinho Verde: Vinho Verde Alvarinho and Vinho Verde Alvarinho Espumante.  The Vinho Verde Alvarinho is made from Alvarinho grapes from Moncao and has more alcohol than the typical Vinho Verde.  Although I could not confirm this, I believe the Vinho Verde Alvarinho Espumante is just a more sparkling version of the Vinho Verde Alvarinho.  (It would make sense because "espumante" means sparkling in Portuguese). 

I recently purchased a bottle of the Opala Vinho Verde, which, judging by the 9% alcohol, is not a Vinho Verde Alvarinho.  Still,  this wine is a very good Vinho Verde.  The Opala Vinho Verde pours almost like a sparking wine, with bubbles clinging to the side of the glass.  The aroma of this wine is full of fresh fruit, such as granny smith apples and sliced pears.  The fruit in the aromas follow through in the taste.  The apple and pear flavors are found throughout the wine, particularly in the forward and the finish.  The body of this wine is light, crisp and refreshing, making this wine a good one to enjoy on a hot and hazy summer afternoon.

The Opala Vinho Verde would pair well with a variety of dishes.  I think that the rules for pairing this wine with food would be similar to the pairing rules for other crisp, fruity white wines.  Generally, this wine would go well with dishes that have some heat or spice.  A very spicy dish would most likely overpower the wine.  As with many white wines, the Vinho Verde can be paired with with appetizers, chicken and seafood.

During my research for this post, I came across a lot of positive reviews for this wine.  I guess this is going to be one more such review because I think that the Opala Vinho Verde is a very good wine.   This wine is available at Whole Foods Market for about $8.99 or $9.99 a bottle.

ENJOY!

For more about Vinho Verde wines, check out Wikipedia.