Another popular grape from the Vinho Verde region is the Trajadura grape, originally located in the Monção subregion.

This large, white grape is found in medium to full-bodied clusters containing 9 to 10 percent alcohol. Although often used to give Vinhos Verdes more body, it is used more frequently as a mono-varietal wine.

If not picked early enough, the grape loses its acidity quickly, but giving “alcohol and weight” to other acidic Vinho Verde wines. This “disease-resistant variety” has an aroma reminiscent of apricot/tropical fruit, a refreshing drink for a hot day.

Prominent wines from our portfolio with Trajadura are:

Aveleda Casal Garcia

Vidigal Vinho Verde

The Loureiro grape is one of the most commonly grown grapes in the Vinho Verde region, along with the Trajadura grape, which is found to the south of Monção in the subregions of Lima, Braga, Penafiel, and Basto. Best produced along the coast in cooler regions (such as in Braga), the Loureiro grape is found in white, medium to full bodied clusters.

This small grape produces “fresh, floral, aromatic wines” from the terpenes in its skin, creating an aroma of a “bay leaf and spices”. Originally produced to blend with other grapes, the Loureiro is now being produced on its own to make a mono-varietal wine. A well-made Loureiro Vinho Verde will have a high acidity and low alcohol content, usually around 9 to 10 percent, a common trait for wines produced in the provinces south of Monção.

Prominent wines from our collection with the Loureiro grape:

Aveleda Fonte Vinho Verde

Aveleda Follies Alvarinho – Loureiro

Located in the provinces of Monção and Melgaço, the Alvarinho grape stands out as one of the most sought after Vinho Verde varietal.

Grown in the northern region of the Vinho Verde, the Alvarinho grape is found in medium to full-bodied clusters, producing a wine with an 11 to 12 alcohol percentage, two to three percentage points higher than most other Vinho Verde sub-regions.

Its thick skin and low-yield has more body than most Vinho Verdes, producing an intense, fruity aroma, an “apply” taste, and little sparkle. A bottle of this wine can be expensive when considering the “rarity” and low production levels of the grape.

To taste the wine at its best, you will have to wait 18 months after the harvest. As one of the best of the “Green Wines,” the Alvarinho has spread in fame and should be considred a first choice among wines from the Vinho Verde region.

Check out Aveleda Alvarinho, which won 92 Points from Wine & Spirits.

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Earlier this year, Portugal renamed the “Estremadura” wine region after its capital, officially naming it the Lisbon wine region, or the região de Lisboa.

The Lisbon region is home to our wineries Vidigal Wines and Caves Bonifácio

In April, the Ministry of Agriculture published a decree stating that wines from the former region of Estremadura will be given the Geographical Indication “Lisbon” . The Regional Wine Commission (CVR) proposed the name change in order to boost the region’s economy, hoping to increase foreign wine sales. The 30,000-hectare region produces an estimated 18 million bottles per year, of which about half are exported.

Not only do the CVR want to increase the ‘image and quality of the wines’, but they also want to increase the ‘percentage of certified wines’. Studies have concluded that changing the name to Lisbon would give the wines more notoriety and would give consumers a better reference as to where the wines are located. They also hoped that by renaming the region, there would be less confusion between the wine regions of Portugal’s Estremadura and Spain’s Extremadura .

The region has been making great strides towards world-class wine production and we are proud to say that many of our Lisbon wines, such as Vidigal Reserva and Senhor do Alto have garnered numerous international awards in recent years.