From the land of green wines, a fresh summer taste

Yes, northern Portugal certainly is green. They get a lot of rain in spring, and the vineyards and fields quickly turn to emerald.

The giant bowl of mountains and valleys that sweeps inland from the Atlantic traps moist ocean air and is warmed by the hot sun to create a vast, lush garden.

That large area between the Douro river and the Spanish border is known as vinho verde, the land of “green wines.”

The reference also applies to the style of wine made here — vinhos verdes are fresh, crisp and lively, fruity but dry overall. Adding to the refreshing qualities is the slight prickly feeling it leaves on your tongue, caused by high acidity and a tiny bit of second fermentation that occurs naturally in the bottle.

Most important, they are charming wines for the summer. They are relatively low in alcohol (usually 8 to 10 per cent), they perk up when chilled down (actually, vinhos verdes are among the few wines that you can drink quite cold), and pricewise they are outstand- ing values, rarely costing more than $10.

These attributes have led to a boom in export demand. About one third of all the vinho verde produced is sold outside Portugal. That’s double what it was just a few years ago, and Canada is now the fourth-biggest market.

While there are red vinhos verdes, they are all drunk locally, so all the wines we get here are white.

The grapes in these blends are indigenous Portuguese varieties, the most common being Loureiro, Trajadura and Arinto.

However, the Alvarinho grown around the town of Moncao is a superb grape that is quickly establishing its own global reputation and is worth checking out (see the tasting notes below for one available in Vintages).

Vinhos verdes are versatile with food. The locals drink them with the famous caldo verde, a stew of kale, potatoes, spicy chourico sausage and olive oil, but the wines are a fine match for just about any raw or cooked vegetable dish, with poultry, and with fish, especially richer-flavoured ones such as grilled fresh sardines or mackerel.

There are currently five vinhos verdes in LCBO general list, so you’ll have no problem tracking some down.

Alianca Vinho Verde ($8.95, code 75663). There’s a lot of flavour for an inexpensive wine from a very large co-op. In addition to the apple and lemon flavours, I also get some ripe pear notes.

Aveleda Vinho Verde Fonte ($8.95, code 5322). From the biggest producer of vinho verde, the fruit was drawn from across the designated area. The wine starts with herbaceous notes — thyme and savoury — then turns to those lemons, limes and gooseberries.

Sogrape Gazela Vinho Verde ($8.95, discounted to $7.95 until May 26, code 141432). Very “juicy” feel here. The flavours come across as more grapefruit and cantaloupe. Very refreshing and full of flavour.

Gatao Vinho Verde ($9.95, code 204503). Citrus aromas predominate with ripe green melon and pineapple notes; this wine is a recent addition to the lineup in Ontario.

Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde ($9.95, code 89995). There is a small proportion of Alvarinho in this one, grown entirely on the principal Aveleda estate. The wine is more floral, like apple blossoms, then lean and fresh in the mouth, tasting of kiwi and sweet grapefruit, finishing with a note of sea-salt.

This last one is in decent supply in Vintages; you can ask any store to transfer some in for you if they don’t have it on the shelves.

Deu la Deu 2011 Alvarinho Vinho Verde ($19.95, Vintages code 40642). Here is pure Alvarinho, which has it own special regulations when it’s called vinho verde. The wine is a very juicy, lip-smacking drink with flavours of pomelo, a touch of green apple and a flinty mineral finish.