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82 SEPTEMBER 2019
2018 ANSELMO MENDES
3 RIOS VINHO VERDE ($15)
For anyone accustomed
to simple, spritzy Vinho
Verde, Anselmo Mendes’
wines are eye-opening.
This zesty white is ridicu-
lously inviting, full of lime
and grapefruit flavors.
2017 RAMOS PINTO
DUAS QUINTAS DOURO
WHITE ($15)
This supple wine from
longtime port producer
Ramos Pinto is a blend
of the Portuguese variet-
ies Rabigato, Arinto, and
Viosinho and suggests
ripe pears with a touch of
marzipan.
2018 VILA NOVA
ALVARINHO ($18)
This estate has been
owned by the Lencastres
since the 12th century,
though they’ve only been
making their own wines—
like this fresh, flinty,
grapefruit-y white—since
the 1970s.
2017 ESPORÃO RESERVA
WHITE ($20)
Portugal’s sunny Alentejo
region produces wines
with abundant fruit
flavors. This blend of
Antão Vaz, Roupeiro,
and other varieties is no
exception: It’s tangerine-
scented, with sweet citrus
fruit and a creamy texture.
2018 SOALHEIRO
ALVARINHO ($20)
Soalheiro was one of the
first Portuguese wineries
to concentrate on varietal
Alvarinho. It’s still one of
the best, winning you over
with fresh, tingly citrus
notes then lingering on
rocky minerality.
1994 CAVES SÃO
JOÃO POÇO DO LOBO
ARINTO ($60)
In 2013 the owners of
this idiosyncratic winery
in Bairrada decided to
start rereleasing older
vintages from their cellar.
This lemony Arinto, with
its aged notes of toasted
almonds, is the current
library release.
UT OF ALL THE major wine
countries in Europe, why is
Portugal so lost to us? The
average American wine lover
can reel off a bevy of French
regions, touch down in Italy for Chianti and
Barolo, recall a glass of Rioja or sherry, and
even note that Germany has its Rieslings. But
mention Portugal and the result is a puzzled
look. Then, wait: Isn’t that fizzy pink stuff
Portuguese? In the funny bottle? Mateus?
Right. That one.
No shade on Mateus; if you’re after cheap,
fizzy, pink, and sweet, it’s as good a choice as
any. But it no more defines Portuguese wine
than Bud Light defines beer. This fascinating
country’s wines span a vast range of styles,
and, in the hands of the current generation
of ambitious winemakers, quality has soared.
Consider: Do you think of Vinho Verde as a
WHITES
O
super-simple white to drink ice-cold in the
summer? That may be, but try Anselmo
Mendes’ versions. There’s complexity and
deliciousness to be had in Vinho Verde you
might never have guessed. Holding onto
memories of chunky reds from the hot plains
of Alentejo? Try Catarina Vieira’s vivid bot-
tlings from Herdade do Rocim. Or look to
Bairrada or Dão, regions you may have never
even heard of. I’d say it’s time to fix that
situation.
In the past few years, Portugal has become
one of the most popular travel destinations
on earth, so my hope is that a little of people’s
newfound love for the place rubs off on its
wines, too. Plus, Portuguese wines are often
wildly underpriced for the amount of flavor
they offer—and even at their most expensive,
they’re far less than the price of a round-trip
ticket to Lisbon.
