Terroir - Vinhos Verdes
We've all, at some point in our lives, heard someone use the expression terroir.
But what is the actual meaning of this word?
Terroir is a French word with no direct translation, but to put it simply, it means 'sense of place.'
And now you might say: 'Well, that doesn't clarify much.'
Stay calm, we'll get there!
As a professor of oenology I once had used to say when someone asked about a topic that would be covered in the next semester.
Sense of place" is the combination of several factors, which I'll list:
- Soil
- Climate
- Sun exposure
- Altitude
- Tradition
- Human footprint
The terroir in the Vinho Verde region is not uniform, which is why the region is divided into 9 sub-regions. Here, we'll try to simplify things as much as possible.
Soil
The soil in the region is predominantly granitic, with some areas of higher altitude also containing schist, although not significantly.
Granite is a rock with low water and heat retention, which results in wines that are fresher, meaning they have high acidity and notes of green fruits such as lime, lemon, or green apple.
It's also responsible for that striking mineral sensation!
Climate
The entire region is strongly influenced by the maritime currents of the North Atlantic. These cold currents help the grapes to achieve calm, steady, and prolonged ripening.
This factor contributes to retaining acidity, which, combined with the minerality, is responsible for the distinctive characteristic of wines from the region.
In the region, it rains more than in London or even Liverpool. This factor is essential for keeping alcohol levels low.
Sun Exposure
Sun exposure varies depending on each vineyard, but to give you an idea, vineyards facing south typically receive more hours of sunlight, resulting in grapes with higher sugar content, which during fermentation will transform into alcohol, resulting in lower acidity. Conversely, with north-facing exposure, it's the opposite.
Sun exposure is more specific to each vineyard rather than the region as a whole.
Altitude
The higher the altitude, the lower the temperature. When temperatures are lower, ripening occurs more slowly, which, as mentioned earlier, allows the grape to retain its natural acidity.
The Vinho Verde region is not as influenced by altitude as, for example, the Dão or other regions.
Tradition / Human Footprint
Traditions and human intervention are constantly evolving. The Vinho Verde region was well-known for its high trellis vineyard system, where the vines were trained high off the ground to protect them from humidity.
However, this technique is not capable of producing wines of high quality. Thus, the region has been improving in quality as it has moved away from this practice.
This practice was used not only to protect the vine from humidity but also to make the most of the land by allowing the cultivation of other plants, such as corn, by elevating the vine.
Of course, nature is not linear, and Portugal is a champion in microclimates, so there are exceptions to the rule.
The most well-known exception in the region is Monção and Melgaço, the bastion of Alvarinho. In contrast to typical Vinho Verde, Alvarinho can achieve higher ripeness. Therefore, it's not unusual to see Alvarinho wines with higher alcohol levels and longer wood aging than would be expected for the Vinho Verde region.
This is because Monção and Melgaço are located in a valley that protects them from the maritime currents mentioned earlier, making this sub-region warmer than the rest of the region.
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