Aperitivo or dinner? Portuguese whites are always right
Portuguese wines have been making steady advances on British drinkers in recent years, and for good reason.The country is home to many delightful indigenous grapes (bom dia baga, encantado encruzado), as well as the sort of varied maritime, mountainous terrain that encourages personality.Its winemakers tend to be forward-thinking and climate-conscious, too, and there are lots of bottles of interest at the “midweek” price point – that is, £8-£13.Case in point: the “yellow tram wine”, AKA Porta 6 Lisboa, is now a ubiquitous presence on our high streets.The Guardian’s journalism is independent.
We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.Learn more.While Portugal is often associated with sturdy reds and Christmassy digestifs, it also excels at light, crisp, appetite-whetting whites.As we all know, there is no finer moment in the day than aperitivo, that elusive hour when deadlines and bedtimes recede mid the pssscht of bottles and the crack and tinkle of ice (the fact that this almost never actually happens only heightens the pleasure when it does).And Portuguese whites are tailor-made for such moments; if you also have some pretty tins of Nuri sardinhas on the go, so much the better.
The obvious starting point is vinho verde, from the rainy Atlantic north-west.The name means “green wine”, which refers to youth rather than colour.These cheerful wines are typically bottled while they’re still in nappies and are lightly effervescent, gentle on the alcohol (think 9-11%) and food-friendly.The lesser examples can be a bit thin and sharp, though they remain excellent mixing wines (try with Campari or Portuguese Per Se for a next-level aperitif), but their quality is improving all the time.Look out, in particular, for examples made with alvarinho (Spain’s albariño under its Portuguese name), which tend to be fuller and more structured.
Beyond vinho verde, the Lisboa region has a nice line in fruity blends, but it’s the whites of Dão that are probably the most exciting,Here, the grape to know is encruzado, which is found almost nowhere else and produces poised, textured, burgundy-esque wines with a faint resinous note and impressive ageing potential,The great producers (Quinta dos Carvalhais) can be hard to get hold of in the UK, but credit to Marks & Spencer for introducing the grape to its excellent Found range,The Portuguese white repertoire also includes white port, the essential ingredient in a porto tónica (white port and tonic over ice with lots of lemon and mint), which really deserves to spread beyond its homeland in the Douro,Light, fresh and elegant, it nevertheless has a lovely, honeyed roundness in common with the more traditional red port.
It also just so happens to be a total steal.Quinta do Ameal Bico Amarelo Vinho Verde 2024 £8.75 The Wine Society, 11%.Well-structured, with a lovely, mineral quality – demands grilled fish.Quinta do Ermizio Chin Chin Vinho Verde DOC 2024 £12.
90 Forest Wines, 11%,The darling of the lockdown picnic boom,Spritzy and delicious,M&S Found Encruzado £8,50 Ocado, 13%.
A good entry point into an encruzado habit.Cockburn’s Fine White Port £13.95 Tesco, 14.3%.A lovely aperitif, and a great sub for vermouth in cocktails.
Varzea do Morao Rosé Vinho Verde £5.99, or £4.49 with a storecard, Lidl, 8.5%.Perhaps the only sub-£5 wine that has ever made me say: “Yum.
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