Drinks Atlas: Vinho Verde, Portugal

July 01, 2026

The wines of Vinho Verde undoubtedly meet the moment. Both in the context of the summer season as well as the bright and quaffable styles that consumers are seeking more and more, the region hits the mark. Even the name itself—translating literally as “green wine”—conjures the idea of freshness. “Many Vinho Verde wines burst with freshness and crispness, and are low ABV, which makes them perfect for sunny summer days,” says Doreen Winkler, New York City–based sommelier, consultant, and founder of online wine shop Orange Glou. “And while many people continue to associate Vinho Verde with inexpensive, fizzy wine, in reality, it is a renowned wine region that produces a wide variety of high-quality wines.”

The Vinho Verde region was demarcated in 1908, but didn’t receive official status as a denomination of origin until 1984. However, its viticultural history stretches back millennia to the various civilizations that inhabited the northwest Iberian Peninsula, from the Phoenicians to the Celts to the Romans. Today, as the largest denomination in Portugal with an area around 24,000 hectares, Vinho Verde is divided into nine subregions. “They range in climate from cooler coastal zones to warmer inland areas, producing diverse styles: light, effervescent whites; various styles of sparkling wines, such as Pét-Nat and méthode traditionnelle; rich, dry white wines; orange wines; vibrant rosés; and deep-colored, tannic reds,” says Winkler. “I especially urge everyone to explore their light reds, crafted from a blend of white and red grapes. Palhete is a historic, often rustic style in which these grapes are co-fermented to create a uniquely vibrant wine.”

Leaning significantly on native grapes, Vinho Verde allows the use of 45 varieties. However, the majority of wines are made with about a dozen grapes, including white varieties like Alvarinho, Azal, and Trajadura, and red varieties like Vinhão, Espadeiro, and Padeiro. Over the past decade, through research from the Regional Wine Commission of Vinho Verde and the efforts of dedicated producers, native varieties such as Borraçal have been brought back from the brink. The aim is to preserve the region’s genetic heritage, continue to create distinctive wines with a sense of place, and to broaden and strengthen grape diversity in a changing climate. Proving, yet again, Vinho Verde knows how to meet the moment.

4 to Try

Soalheiro Primeiras Vinhas, 2024

From renowned family-run estate Quinta do Soalheiro in the Melgaço subregion, this Alvarinho comes from the property’s first vines, planted in 1974, and offers a prime example of the varietal. “It’s got tropical notes; a viscous, textured body; and notes of toasted hazelnut and brioche on the finish,” says Winkler. $36.99, wine.com

Aphros “Phaunus” Palhete, 2023

An example of Vinho Verde’s unique Palhete style, the Phaunus from biodynamic winery Aphros in the Lima subregion is made from 80 percent white Loureiro and 20 percent red Vinhão. The grapes are co-fermented in clay amphoras lined with beeswax, and the wine ages on the lees for seven months. “It’s light-bodied with notes of sour cherry, white plum, and black pepper,” says Winkler. $24.94, saratogawine.com

Bojo do Luar “Do Bojo” Vinho Branco NV

Harvested from a 30-year-old plot of Azal and Arinto grapes in the Amarante region, this organic orange wine from Bojo do Luar is macerated on the skins for nine months with chestnut flowers (a sulfur replacement) before being sealed in clay amphoras to age. “It’s a medium-bodied wine with bright citrus, mandarin zest, smoke, and mushroom notes on the palate,” says Winkler. $19.99, unionsquarewines.com

Casal de Ventozela “Pseudonimo,” 2024

From family estate Casal de Ventozela in the Ave subregion, this fizzy Pét-Nat is made from Loureiro and Trajadura grapes, gently macerated before pressing and slowly fermenting in cool tanks. “Bottled before fermentation ends, it captures lively bubbles in the ancestral method, remaining untouched by filtration or disgorgement,” says Winkler. “The result is a delicate sparkling wine with hints of Meyer lemon, fresh thyme, and a whisper of ocean breeze.” $22, plummarket.com

Penelope Bass

Penelope Bass is the Managing Editor at Imbibe, working from Brooklyn. You can find her drinking freezer Martinis in the summer, Boulevardiers in the winter, and way too much coffee all year.

Fast Facts

According to historical record, the first Portuguese wines exported to European destinations came from the Vinho Verde region, as early as the 16th century. Wines from the Monção e Melgaço subregion were particularly prized by the English, who would trade codfish for the wine.
While Vinho Verde’s reputation was historically built on its red wines, today the vast majority of its exports are white wines—about 85 percent. The region’s reds are primarily consumed within Portugal.
Vinho Verde has long been recognized for its unusual techniques in the vineyard, such as the more historic enforcado method—when grape vines were relegated to the edges of fields growing more profitable crops, and were trained to grow up trees and hedges—to the more modern use of pergolas orcruzeta (cross-shaped structures).