Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde is both a place and a style: a young, light, high-acid white wine from the cool, green, rain-soaked Minho region of north-west Portugal, and the large DOC (Denominacao de Origem Controlada) that governs it. The name means "green wine" — a reference not to colour but to youth, since the wines are made to be drunk fresh, within a year or so of harvest. Typically low in alcohol at around 9 to 11.5 percent, crisp and citrussy with green apple, lemon and a floral lift, it often carries a faint natural spritz that makes it one of the most refreshing and food-friendly whites in the world. It is built from indigenous Portuguese grapes — chiefly Alvarinho, Loureiro, Trajadura and Arinto — either blended or, increasingly, bottled as single varieties.