Tag Archives: Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde Alert

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Monção is the most northerly wine making sub-region of the Vinho Verde DOC,
which in turn is tucked into the most northern province of Portugal. Here on the
frontier with Spanish Galicia, the agricultural terroir is influenced by the damp
coastal climate of the eastern Atlantic. The white grapes growing among these
misty, forested hillsides that line the Rio Miño river valleys are necessarily fast
maturing varieties. The vines are often pruned into an overhead canopy style
that promotes better air circulation between both the leaves and around the
fruit clusters; guarding against fungal diseases that can be more prevalent with
elevated and prolonged moisture levels.

This week’s recommended vintner is Adega Cooperativa Regional de Monção,
based in the heart of Melgaço, a still-vibrant historical town whose intriguing
stone walls provide both the bottle’s namesake and graphic. Over the past half
century, the 25 original co-op visionaries have achieved an enviable reputation
as being consistent producers of quality wine. This despite numerous variables
involved in sourcing grapes from an additional 1,700 individual growers, each
of whom contributes from very small plots – typically only one hectare or less.

Becoming a seasonal tradition, spring sees DéClassé promoting a Vinho Verde,
though this year’s familiar LCBO Vintages release of Muralhas de Monção has
arrived somewhat later. This particular Loureiro blend of so-called green wine
(more likely to mean young) is built with 2 noble grape varieties: the indigenous,
Portuguese Trajadura paired with the aromatic and slightly spritzy Alvarinho.
The latter’s heritage lies across the border in Spain and contributes slightly
higher alcohol levels than is the DOC norm for this wine style, clocking in at
12%. Summer has finally come, so celebrate by uncorking some of this bright,
ebullient bottling of sunshine – to enjoy alongside lighter food fare offerings at
your next al fresco meal on the patio!

Muralhas

MURALHAS DE MONÇÃO VINHO VERDE 2014
VINTAGES – LCBO Product #80374 | 750 mL bottle
Price $ 15.95
12% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content Descriptor: D

Made in: Monção e Melgaço, Portugal
By: Adega Coop. Regional de Monção
Release Date: July 11, 2015

Tasting Note
This divinely fresh wine has aromas of grapefruit and apricot mingling about
apple flavours. With a pleasing structure of acidity and minerality, it’s a natural
complement to seafood, white meats, pasta and light cream or pesto sauces.

Vinho Verde Alert

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Bordering the Cávado River, near Braga in the north-western sub-region of the
larger Vinho Verde DOC, with a damp, near-Atlantic coastal climate, grapes are
grown among forested hillsides that line the misty valleys. Of necessity these are
very fast maturing, fairly fragrant white wine varieties, more-typically cultivated
in an overhead canopy style of trellis, lessening the chance of fungal disease, due
to elevated moisture levels. This vintner employs a lower-level, so-called Unilateral Cordon (or Cordon de Royat in French – who pioneered this method) since these
issues are less-prevalent in the Minho zone.

Winemaker Alavaro van Zeller, has his experienced hands and stamp on this
week’s DéClassé recommended varietal creation using 100% Loureiro grape
content. It’s purported namesake comes from an association to laurel flowers,
acacia, lime and orange blossoms – in the prolific form of green-yellow bunches.
On the heels of a September harvest, the resulting must ferments and is stored
for a time in stainless steel vats to yield up a fresh and crisp wine style unique to
its source vineyards. In turn, these surround the central manor house ‘Solar’ set
in among the woods ‘Bouças’, inspiring this bottle’s catchy title.

Vinho Verde still too often, literally, construed as a ‘green’ wine; it’s more-likely
intending to reference that it is ‘young’ wine – decidedly a key facet of its charm.
Though well-known in Europe, North American consumers have been slow in
coming to appreciate its placement in the pantheon of white wine styles. Low
alcohol content means that it can be experienced and enjoyed in more-liberal
quantity but of course, not without a reasonable restraint!

For added emphasis, this bottling was selected as #1 of 50 great Portuguese
Wines in 2014 by lead editor Joshua Greene in Wine and Spirits magazine. A
significant endorsement for such an affordably priced offering.

Solar Das Boucas

SOLAR DAS BOUÇAS LOUREIRO 2013
VINTAGES – LCBO Product #221036 | 750 mL bottle
Price $ 13.95
10.7% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content Descriptor: XD

Made in: Vinho Verde, Portugal
By: Baroa De Vilar
Release Date: Oct. 11, 2014

Tasting Note
Light, low alcohol, fruity and ever-so sparkling (‘petillant’), this wine has a pleasing
acidity akin to pears with a hint of citrus. Certainly this is appropriate to serve
as apéritif or with all manner of white meats, pasta and fresh fish dishes.

Vinho Verde Alert

Posted on by

Monção is the most northerly sub-region of the Vinho Verde DOC, which in turn
is in the most northerly province of Portugal on the frontier with Galicia. As this
terroir is also bordered by the damp, western coastal climate, the grapes grown
among the forested hillsides which line these misty valleys – are fast maturing,
white wine varieties. Moreover, the grapes are necessarily grown in an overhead
canopy style, that promotes good air circulation, lessening the possibility of fungal
disease which can be more prevalent with these elevated moisture levels.

This week’s recommended vintner is Adega Cooperativa Regional de Monção,
based in the heart of Melgaço – a historical town whose intriguing stone walls
provide both the bottle’s namesake and graphic. Over the past several decades
in particular, they’ve achieved an enviable reputation as a consistent producer
of high quality wine – despite the numerous variables involved in sourcing grapes
from 1,700 individual growers, each of whom contributes from vine plots that
are typically only 2 acres or less.

Becoming a seasonal tradition, early springtime now sees DéClassé promoting
a Vinho Verde, though this year the LCBO release has come out a touch later.
This so-called ‘green wine’ (more likely to mean ‘young’) is built around a blend of
2 noble grape varieties: the indigenous, Portuguese Trajadura (15%) along with
the somewhat-more aromatic Alvarinho (85%). The latter has a distant Spanish
heritage from across the border – providing the characteristic spritziness and
contributing a slightly higher level of alcohol than is the norm for this delightful
wine style. Spring has sprung, so celebrate by uncorking some of this very bright
bottled sunshine to enjoy alongside patio brunch-fare!

Muralhas

MURALHAS DE MONÇÃO VINHO VERDE 2012
VINTAGES – LCBO Product #80374 | 750 mL bottle
Price $ 14.95
12% Alcohol/Vol.
Sugar Content Descriptor: D

Made in: Monção e Melgaço, Portugal
By: Adega Coop. Regional de Monção
Release Date: Apr 26, 2014

Tasting Note
This refreshing wine has aromas of ripe peach and apricot coupled with apple
flavours and a pleasing acidity and minerality. A natural compliment for seafood
of all kinds, also try with white meats, pasta and light cream or pesto sauces.