Since we only import and distribute wines we love, we know that our wines are great but it’s always excellent when wine journalists discover wines we’ve known and love for years. So, cheers to Laurie Daniel of the San Jose Mercury News and her excellent article this week on wines of all stripes from the Vinho Verde region of Northern Portugal.

We’ve already written enough about the specifics of our lovely Vinho Verdes, so check out these past articles for a more detailed refresher, but we’re thrilled that Ms. Daniel singled out Adega de Monção and its three Alvarinho-based wines made entirely from its meticulously managed cooperative vineyards. Muralhas de Monção Vinho Verde, its flagship wine, is a long-time staple of our portfolio. Made from 85% Alvarinho and 15% Trajaradura, its somewhat similar to a good Spanish Albariño but with a strong mineral character from Monção’s heavily granitic soil and the trademark Vinho Verde spritz.

She also mentioned the 100% Alvarinho Deu La Deu cuvée from Adega de Monção. It’s delicious now but can also evolve with age in a way that is similar to a good Riesling. The article also didn’t leave out the humble Trajarinho, our exclusive bottling from Adega de Monção made from 60% Alvarinho and 40% Trajadura. A container of freshly-bottled wine just arrived from Portugal and its the perfect daily drinking white for a summer that, although wrapping up, shows no signs of cooling off.

(Missing from the list was the Muralhas de Monção Vinho Verde Rosé, but that’s okay. It’s moving fast and won’t be around for long. Get it while you can.)

Also from Vinho Verde we have the Soalheiro Alvarinho available. Quinta de Soalheiro in the village of Melgaço, only a few miles from Monção, it’s a wine we consider among the best white wines in the world. Organically farmed from unique terroir and hand-made from start to finish, it’s truly distinctive.

We’re also lucky each year to get a small amount of the Vinho Verde from Quinta do Ameal. Made entirely from the Loureiro grape (mentioned in Ms. Daniel’s article) from wine maker Pedro Araujo’s small 30 acre estate vineyard, this organic wine is a different face of Vinho Verde. We visited Quinta do Ameal during our trip to Portugal last year and were impressed by Pedro’s small, hands-on operation. Staffed solely by Pedro and his office manager, Quinta do Ameal is literally a two-person operation. The attention to the vineyard management is impressive, when you consider the constant need for pruning back the foliage due to the vigorous nature of the vines in this region. Low yielding Loureiro vines are important to getting the quality Pedro is looking for in his wines, his vines yield on average just a tiny 4-5 tons per hectare whereas the average producer in the region is about 15 tons per hectare. Essentially he looses 2/3′s of his production each year to reach the quality he wants which for a long time in his region hasn’t always been the case. Loureiro is the most aromatic of the grapes found in the Vinho Verde and Pedro’s version is a textbook example of the varietal which he vinifies dry without the spritz most people associate with the regions wines. Just over 100 cases of the Quinta do Ameal Loureiro make it into California each year, so it’s another rare gem.

There’s clearly lots to love about Vinho Verde of every sort. Keep enjoying them as the summer winds to a close and keep drinking them into the Fall and Winter. I know quite a few bottles of Portuguese Alvarinho and Loureiro will find spots at our Thanksgiving dinner table.

Cheers.

by David Duman