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WINES OF PORTUGAL
89
Portuguese Grape Varieties
White Grape Varieties
Alvarinho
| Al-Var-Een-You |
— Most often seen in the sub-region of Monção and Melgaço
in Vinho Verde, these grapes have thick skins and a low juice yield. They produce wines
with a rich, intense, mineral base structure, overlaid with fruity notes of peaches, citrus, and
sometimes tropical fruits and flowers. This is the same grape as Albariño in Spain Compare to
dry Riesling.
Arinto (a.k.a. Pederna)
| Ah-Rin-Too / Ped-Er-Na |
— Most often seen in Vinho Verde, VR
Lisboa and other regions, Arinto is a late-ripening white grape with marked acidity even in hot
conditions. It’s usually blended with other grapes and makes lemony, mineral whites that gain
complexity with age. Compare to dry Riesling, Pinot Blanc and dry Chenin Blanc.
Bical
/Bee-cahl/
— Important in the Beiras (Bairrada and Dão), a grape with fresh acidity
and good peachy-floral flavors. The wines are good when young, but age well to exhibit
increasingly toasty complexity.
Encruzado
| En-Kroo-Za-Doo |
— This is a main white grape of the Dão region that deserves
to be more widely planted. It makes balanced, full-bodied, aromatic wines, both unoaked and
oaked. Compare to white Burgundy.
Fernão Pires
| Fer-nah-o(N) Pee-resh |
— Also called Maria Gomes, Fernão Pires is Portugal’s
most cultivated white grape. It is grown more or less everywhere, especially down the western
coast in Bairrada and Lisboa. Floral and fruity, it’s at its best in sparkling and light, fragrant
whites. Compare to Rousanne and Torrontés.
Gouveio
| Goo-Vey-Yoo |
— Grown across all of Portugal, Gouveio is particularly popular in
the Douro. It produces fresh, lively wines with good acidity and body, citrus aromas, and notes
of peach and anise. For years it was known as Verdelho in the Douro, which led to confusion
as Gouveio is unrelated to the Verdelho grape of Madeira. Rather, Gouveio is the same grape
as Godello.
Loureiro
| Loo-Ray-Roo |
— This is a seriously aromatic white grape from the sub-region of
Lima in the Vinho Verde known for its citrus and floral aromas. It is vinified alone or used to
add aroma to blends. It performs best in cooler climates, making wines of good acidity that are
attractively low in alcohol.
Rabigato (a.k.a. Rabo de Ovelha)
| Rah-Bee-Gah-Too/ Rah-Bow Deh Of-El-Ha |
— Planted
throughout the Douro Superior, this thick-skinned grape is one of the Douro’s best white