Portugal's White Wines

Few countries can deliver on that like Portugal. It helps to have a history of winegrowing that dates back thousands of years. After visiting in October, one of my revelations was the quality and diversity of white wines. Here are five reasons to consider knowing more about Portuguese white wines.

(1) Today's Vinho Verde is a long way from what your parents used to drink.

We can see two styles coming from Vinho Verde. The first is what we commonly associate with Vinho Verde: low alcohol, off-dry, and lightly sparkling. But that story is beginning to change, and this is where the second style emerges. The region is investing significantly to premiumize the category, with an increasing focus on dry, still wines. Although there's a range of permitted grape varieties, alvahrinho is arguably the most exciting – and the most familiar. The wines follow in the footsteps of albariño from Rías Baixas, further north in Spain, but are often leaner and zestier. Perfect food-and-wine pairings for seafood. These wines are made on the Atlantic coast, after all.

(2) Portuguese white wine ages just fine.

Alvarinho may be an easier sell, but loureiro can be equally as compelling, especially with bottle age. Trying the Aveleda 2011 Loureiro & Alvarinho (91 points) was eye-opening. It is a modestly priced wine – about $15 per bottle for current vintages – that appears to have followed the same path as high-quality Hunter Valley Semillon. Toasty, honeyed, and complex, with real freshness. It's difficult to imagine many other wines at this price point being as ageworthy. A fantastic option for starting a small wine cellar on a budget, and easy to find, too.

(3) Douro whites are becoming increasingly popular.

White grapes are in high demand in the Douro as producers continue shifting from Port production to dry wines. Typically, white wines are blends of indigenous varieties, often planted at higher elevations to mitigate the Douro's extreme heat. You'll find a range of styles and quality levels, but Niepoort is one of the leaders. Tasting the cult 2023 Coche (94 points), it felt like I could've been in Puligny Montrachet. It's not cheap at $150 or so, but, well, neither is Puligny Montrachet these days, either. The good news: the more affordable options in the portfolio, like the 2023 Redoma Reserva White (92 points), are just as compelling.

(4) Don't overlook Lisboa.

Lisboa may not have the critical acclaim of other regions in Portugal, but it is producing impressive white wines. They have a marked saline, sea-spray quality (it's hard to dissociate yourself from the proximity to the sea) from a range of different grape varieties. But for me, there's a distinctiveness to the wines that transcends any single grape. I was particularly impressed by the Baias e Enseadas 2023 Sercial and Murgas 2022 Bucela (100% Arinto).

(5) Encruzado is the future

The most significant revelation for me was encruzado, which feels like it could be the future signature white grape of the Dao. Or just grape period – it's that good. Sorry, touriga nacional and jaen. You know a grape variety has potential when it performs at seemingly every winery. But it also reaches incredible highs in the right hands. It's produced in a range of styles, but most often tastes Chablis-like (or chardonnay-like) in many ways: bright, citrusy, and linear, with a saline minerality. There aren't many (yet) in the BC market, but one worth trying is the Vinha Paz Brano, which is 60% encruzado, 30% malvasia fina, and 10% gouveio.

Don't let the language and grape names scare you; there is much to embrace in Portuguese wine, and there is no better time to start than now.