Food and wine matching with Roving Sommelier
I’ve grown a bit of a fondness for Portuguese wines, especially the fresh and vibrant whites, such as Vinho Verde. This wine style is produced in the northern part of Portugal, in the Minho region, quite close to the Spanish border. The whites tend to be fruity, slightly petillant, pleasantly low in alcohol (hovvering around 10%) with prickly acidity and are best drunk young. They are perfect as an aperitif, on their own and delightful partners to light seafood dishes. Traditional Portuguese grape varieties such as Alvarinho and Loureiro, amongst others, are normally used to produce these fragrant and aromatic whites.
The vineyards of Ameal are referred to in the annals of the Refoios do Lima convent, which although undated, were written sometime before 1710. The ancient Quinta do Ameal is situated in one of the oldest parishes in Portugal, established even before the country itself (1143). Quinta do Ameal is produced in the sub-region of Lima, where the Loureiro grape is at its most aromatic and flavoursome. The wine is characterised by its freshness and youthful vibrancy, posessing a floral and fruity aroma.
We enjoyed this bottle with a delicious seafood risotto. At 11% alcohol it was very well balanced. The fresh and vibrant whites from Portugal are definitely worth discovering and offer great value too.
More wine reviews, blog articles, food and wine matching ideas and sommelier stories will follow soon. Follow my tweets and updates on Twitter @rovingsommelier
In the meantime the epicurean odyssey continues…
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