Vinho verde

Vinho Verde, a DO that both represents the region and describes the wine, is a district in the gentle hills of northwest Portugal. The name literally means ‘green wine’, referring to the fact that it is a ‘young wine’ and not to its color. The grapes are picked relatively young and Vinho Verde may be a white, rose, red or sparkling wine called Espumante. Because it is fermented quickly and bottled very young, Vinho Verde is often lightly sparkling even in the non-espumante versions.

Vinho Verde is the largest appellation in Portugal contains a total of nine sub-regions and a wide variety of soils and microclimates, but is generally mild and buffered by the nearby Atlantic.

Most of the region lies on a granitic substrate, with the exception of two narrow strips that cut across it from the north-west and the south-east.

The primary grape varieties used for white Vinho Verde are Trajadura (rich, lower acidity and Loureiro (fragrant, higher acid), sometimes with Alvarinho (elegant and fragrant, often bottled as a pure varietal), Arinto (light, very high acidity) and lesser amounts of the dozens of other permitted varieties. For the reds, the most common varieties are Amaral, Azal Tinto, B, Espadeiro, Padeiro, Pedral, and Vinhão. Dozens of others are also permitted, including Touriga Nacional, one of the truly great red varieties of Portugal.

Vinho Verde is characterized by numerous small holdings with over 30,000 wine growers farming a total of 35,000 hectares of vineyards (2005), although the number of growers has been reduced by half since the early 80’s. Vines often are trained high off the ground, on poles, pergolas, edges, trees and fences. Below the vines, vegetables and other crops are grown. This method allows for grapes to get more sun exposure, better ripening conditions and avoid rot due to the cool and wet climate conditions from the Minho region. Winters are fairly cold while summers are usually humid and relatively hot at times. The average rainfall is the highest in Portugal with 1 500mm a year; when the rest of the country is fairly arid.

The Wine

Gateway Vinho Verde Rosado is produced from selected vineyards within the Amarante sub-region, higher altitude than in the other parts of the Vinho Verde apellation. The soil in this district is mainly granitic.

The wine is a blend of 80% Espadeiro and 20% Touriga Nacional. Harvested at optimum ripeness to achieve greater concentration of fruit aromas, the grapes are pressed at low temperature, the must is then clarified and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks at a chilly 12 to 14º Centigrade. The wine is filtered and cold stabilized before bottling.

Color: gorgeous bright coral.

Nose: fresh pink flowers with red and dark currants.

Palate: well balanced with good acidity and fresh fruity notes, young and crisp. Cranberry zest and pomegranate result in a refreshing and thirst quenching style, with a slight fizz on the tip of the tongue.

The wine’s relatively low alcohol makes it the perfect refreshing partner on a warm summer day. Makes a great spritzer with soda water!

Douro

The Douro Denominação de Origem Controlada (DOC) is the oldest in Portugal, and in fact the oldest legally designated wine denomination in the world, first established in 1756. While the region is primarily associated with Port wine production, Douro produces just as much table wine as it does fortified wine.

There is archaeological evidence for winemaking in the region dating from the later Roman Empire, during the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D. In the 17th century, the region's vineyards expanded, and the earliest known mention of "Port wine" dates from 1675. Following the establishment of many British Port lodges in Porto from the 1700’s, Port wine became the primary product traded from the region.
While table wine has always been produced in the region, it was solely consumed locally until the 1950’s when wine began to be traded outside the area. By the 1990’s a large number of quality table wines made their appearance outside the Douro border. A contributing factor was Portugal's entry into the European Economic Community in 1986.
In 2001, the Douro wine region was declared a World Heritage Site in 2001.

The Douro wine region is situated around the Douro river valley and lower valleys of its tributaries Varosa, Corgo, Távora, Torto, and Pinhão. The region is sheltered from Atlantic winds by the Marão and Montemuro mountains. The climate is Mediterranean, with hot and dry summers and cold winters. Vineyards dedicated to Port production are usually planted on schist while areas with granite-based soils are used for table wine production.

The main grape varieties found in the Douro region include red grapes with Bastardo, Mourisco tinto, Tinta Amarela, Tinta Barroca, Tinta Cão, Tinta Roriz (the same as Spain's Tempranillo), Touriga Francesa and Touriga Nacional, and white grapes with Donzelinho Branco, Gouveio, Malvasia Fina, Rabigato, and Viosinho.

The Wine

Gateway Douro Red is a blend of 50% Touriga Franca, 30% Tinta Roriz and 20% Touriga Nacional.
Harvested at optimum ripeness the grapes are de-stemmed and crushed on arrival at the cellar.
Fermented in stainless steel, temperature controlled tanks to preserve the fresh fruit aromatics. The wine is bottled without aging in oak.

Color: bright ruby-purple.

Nose: rich ripe fruits with some raspberry.

Palate: fruity and pleasing with a spicy character and soft tannins.

Gateway Douro will pair well with grilled meat and pasta, pizza, roast chicken, grilled vegetables…