Ramiro Gabriel Posted on June 13 2024

What Does Vinho Verde Go With?

The Vinho Verde region has several expressions, which has led to its division into 9 sub-regions.

But they all have something in common: minerality and high acidity.

Typically, sommeliers refer to wines with high acidity as wines with a lot of freshness because 'acidity' can be seen as something negative, but in reality, it is something positive.

Acidity is very good when it comes to food pairing, as it makes us salivate, stimulates the appetite, and prepares the taste buds for the food.

Furthermore, acidity cuts through any excess fat that the food may have.

Therefore, Vinho Verde is a region with great gastronomic aptitude, especially with seafood, due to its minerality.

What to Eat With Vinho Verde?

The Loureiro grape Vinho Verde wines are smooth, with aromas of lime, green apple, and hints of laurel, hence their name: Loureiro = laurel in Portuguese!

Dishes that pair very well are also smooth seafood dishes that are not too rich.

Try to match the intensity of both: if the wine is smooth, choose a dish that is also smooth.

A perfect example is Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato (Clams Bulhão Pato style).

Another important thing to mention is that things that grow together usually go well together.

Another great grape variety from the region is Alvarinho.

This grape variety has found its sweet spot in Monção and Melgaço. Here, it is protected from the excessive maritime influence that affects the region, allowing it to ripen and reach its full potential.

Alvarinho wines have more structure and even a higher alcohol content than Loureiro, for example, reaching up to 13% alcohol by volume. Additionally, Alvarinho reacts much better to oak.

Let's divide the grape variety into two categories: with oak and without oak!

Alvarinhos with oak shine brilliantly with Portuguese seafood rice, a richly flavored dish that pairs very well with the body and structure of the wine.

Alvarinhos without oak also pair very well with seafood rice, but in this case, I'll recommend a Valencian paella from our Spanish neighbors!

A grape variety that is sometimes not placed on the pedestal it deserves by the Portuguese is Avesso.

Avesso is typically more associated with the sub-region of Baião and its surroundings, on the borders with the Douro.

This means that it is also not as close to the sea and has more structure than we might imagine for Vinho Verde wines. Another thing I want to mention is that it ages very well.

It is a misconception to think that Vinho Verde wines do not age well. False! They do age well. I've tasted some older Loureiros that could rival Rieslings.

But we are here to talk about which foods pair well with Vinho Verde wines. Sorry, sometimes I start to digress into other topics.

Avesso pairs very well with white fish such as sea bass or sea bream.

A recipe that I really enjoy pairing with Avesso wines, with a subtle oak aging, is sole meunière.

It's not a fish commonly found along the Portuguese coast, but it works very well in this case.

Be careful with the capers! They can ruin any wine.

Is Vinho Verde Red our White?

A common question!

Vinho Verde is the name of a region that produces wines:

Whites
Reds
Sparkling

Vinho Verde Sparkling wines are increasingly in vogue, and why is that?

Because the region has everything to make great sparkling wines!

The sparkling wines from the region pair very well with a typical Portuguese dish: bacalhau (codfish).

Portugal has more than 100 codfish recipes.

We recommend a recipe from the region: Bacalhau à Brás.

Bacalhau à Brás is rich in eggs. If you're a follower on our social media, you might have seen our post 'The enemies of wine'.

Eggs are one of them because they create a layer on the taste buds that prevents you from tasting the wine and are a very rich ingredient.

When this happens, the remedy is sparkling wines.

Sparkling wines, due to their freshness, AKA acidity and bubbles, are the perfect soldiers to combat the egg. And those from the Vinho Verde region are unbeatable for a rich dish like Bacalhau à Brás.