Vinho Verde Day 1 Recap

I couldn’t decide where I wanted to start with everything that I have to share from this trip - so I figured, I might as well take it day by day! 

My first day in the region started in the late afternoon where we visited the most beautiful restored old home that now houses the Casa do Vinho Verde. At the Casa, we got a quick debrief on the region - so here are some of those fun facts:

• September 18th, 1903 was when the region got its demarcation by the King (yes, they still had a King in 1903)

• The region has over 16,000 grape growers, 1400 wine brands and 370 wine bottlers.

• There are 9 subregions

• Pretty much all the soil in the region is granite

• They export to over 100 countries worldwide (~50% of production is exported)

• White wines make up the largest percentage of sales at 85% (no surprise there), but rosé wines actually outsell reds which was surprising to me, coming in at 10% vs 5%, respectively.

There are many more fun facts that I can share - but in all honesty, the biggest takeaway for me was that Vinho Verde is more than just young, fresh, and aromatic light wines; there are wines to be discovered that are more complex and offer more structure. In one phrase - there’s more to Vinho Verde than meets the eye - and I’m hoping this series of blog posts helps convey that message. 

We ended our time at the Casa with time to explore the beautiful grounds and of course, a tasting featuring 3 different producers:

• Adega Ponte de Lima

• Márcio Lopes

• Terras de Felgueiras

After the tasting, we made our way to BB Gourmet for a delicious multi-course wine dinner. There was so much delicious food, and the wine only elevated every dish that much more - you’ll see that this is a common theme throughout my adventures in Vinho Verde. 

Day 2 recap coming next!