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PORTUGAL<br />
EXPORT<br />
VINHOS VERDES AND WINES FROM THE DOURO ARE PARTICULARLY POPULAR<br />
INTERNATIONALLY<br />
detail. Both in the vineyard and the winery, every<br />
task is meticulously handled from gentle pressing<br />
to low-temperature fermentation for example,<br />
with a hands-off approach favoured. The entire<br />
business is run sustainably and the environment<br />
treated respectfully by preserving biodiversity and<br />
terroir integrity, for instance.<br />
In fact, concern for quality is at the root of Portuguese<br />
wines’ success in global markets today,<br />
claims Monteiro. “They offer value for money<br />
which is highly valued internationally”, he adds.<br />
They perhaps lack some exposure still – due to<br />
fairly low production levels and their mostly<br />
off-trade positioning overseas – but clearly a new<br />
trend is emerging”. A noticeable increase in the<br />
number of Portuguese wines entered in major<br />
international competitions underscores this.<br />
Aveleda, which helped secure awareness for Vinho<br />
Verde beyond national borders, was awarded a<br />
gold medal in the latest Gilbert & Gaillard International<br />
Challenge for one of its wines from the<br />
famed appellation. With its notes of white flowers<br />
and citrus fruits, it displays the kind of freshness<br />
that is sure to make it a crowd-pleaser.<br />
ADEGA COOPERATIVA DE<br />
GUIMARÃES OR THE CHARM<br />
OF ‘GREEN WINE’<br />
LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN TIP OF PORTUGAL, THE CO-OPERATIVE IS SITUATED IN THE<br />
MINHO REGION<br />
Although the historic town of Guimarães – once<br />
the capital of Portugal – is listed as a Unesco<br />
heritage site, there is another reason why it now<br />
attracts increasing numbers of visitors. People<br />
travel to see its surrounding vineyards, home to<br />
the Vinho Verde appellation. Nestled amidst the<br />
lush countryside in northern Portugal, it is the<br />
birthplace of mostly white wines that are dry with<br />
faint beading. Their name stems not from their<br />
colour, but from their youthfulness. Produced<br />
from early-harvested fruit, the wines are also<br />
bottled early and should be drunk quickly.<br />
Traditionally favoured by a local audience, over<br />
the past few years the wines have successfully<br />
established a reputation worldwide due to efforts<br />
by the region’s winegrowers – spearheaded by the<br />
38 AUTUMN 2023 • GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE
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