Vinhão, Inky and Delightful
These wines should be on your must try list for 2023.
The grape with many names
I am going to start with what some people will call the boring facts. The Vinhão grape is called many names inside the Vinho Verde sub-regions as well as outside of the region. Let me break down what Vinho Verde is and what I mean when I say sub-regions.
In the northwest region of Portugal lies the Vinho Verde Denominação de Origem Controlada, usually shortened to DOC (see visual below). Vinho Verde is the name of this entire region, it is like saying Napa Valley or Bordeaux, we know that there are other areas inside these broader wine areas, well, those other areas are called sub-regions. To put it in a short and sweet way, a DOC is a region, protected by a set of laws. This means the winemakers may have regulations on the grapes they plant, the way the wines are made, etc.
In the Basto subregion (light purple) the grape is called Espadeiro de Basto, near Monção (yellow at the top) the grape is called Negrão. Then when you leave Vinho Verde and go to the Douro region, it is called Sousão or Souzão. Don’t worry, you do not need to know any of this to enjoy these wines.
What makes it so unique
Vinhão is a dark red grape, but that is obviously not unique, what is unique is the fact that it is one of the few red grapes with colored pulp. This gives the wines a beautiful inky dark color. In fact, these grapes are used in Port to add color to the blend and used in Douro red blends to add color, acidity and tannins.
Traditionally these wines are served in white porcelain mugs or small bowls to be able to see the dark inky color of the wine. I also learned they are served in porcelain to keep the wine cold and help give off more intense aromas rather than being served in a wine glass where some are lost. You will often find the wine being poured from a pitcher into the mugs or small bowls as well (see photo below).
Another unique thing about Vinhão wines are that they used to be served as breakfast or with breakfast in the winter for kids and adults, it warmed their bodies up for the day. This was typically the case in poorer areas in northern Portugal where food was sometimes scarce.
My first Vinhão was in November
I only just learned about this grape in November on a trip to Portugal, while staying at Monverde, a wine hotel and vineyards that is part of Quinta da Lixa. Up until my recent trip to Portugal, I had never had a Vinho Verde Tinto, a red Vinho Verde wine. They are hard to come by in my area, there is not a market for them, yet, as no one around here seems to really know much about Portuguese wines. Believe it or not, even in all of my wine studies, Portugal is really just glazed over and the focus is mainly on port wines. I hope to change all of this.
Love at first sip
My first Vinhão was the Quinta da Lixa Vinhão at Monverde’s restaurant. The sommelier paired it with the lamb chops I ordered, it delivered on every level. I was not taking notes as I was enjoying the meal, so keep reading to find out more about the wine. The best food and wine advice I can give to you when you travel is to always ask the sommelier for their pairing advice, don’t be shy. They know their wine list, their food and this is their job. Use them as your resource to making all your food and wine experiences the best they can be, this is why they have jobs, trust in them.
Later that week I tried this wine again during a wine tasting where I was taking notes. It was paired with a dark chocolate truffle filled with kiwi and topped with bee pollen. The wine had a lot going on, a slight spritz, high acidity, tannins, black fruit and herbal notes all bursting at once in my mouth. It was unlike any wine I had ever had. I never would have paired it with a chocolate truffle, but hey, I love being wrong, I love it so much. It was a completely exciting and unexpected pairing. It smoothed out the acidity and tannins in the wine, because the kiwi was not too sweet, it was still quite tart, it elevated the black fruit aromas and flavors of the wine and left me feeling like I knew nothing about pairing chocolate and wine. I loved that feeling, getting to be wowed by an unexpected food and wine pairing from a chef who knows the regional cuisines, the terroir and the wines inside and out, of course I am excited to learn from them.
Pairing this wine is so fun
These are wines that may stump you a little bit at first to pair, because they are lighter bodied, dry, effervescent red wines that has some solid tannins and lots of acidity. You now know you can pair them with dark chocolate truffles and lamb chops, but you can also pair them with other flavorful fatty meat such as goat, even with white fish like cod and fatty and stinky cheeses. The wine can hold its own paired with many dishes, so explore away.
I recommend pairing it with slow roasted goat and potatoes (see below photo), we had a Vinhão with this dish and it was fantastic. The fat and salt made the wine smoother, less acidic and tannic and brings out the bright fruit aromas and flavors. A Portuguese dish recommended to me to try with these wines is Cabidela, a rice dish made with game or poultry cooked in animal’s blood and vinegar. This is a traditional dish found in northern Portugal, I have not yet made it but it is on my list.
Sopas de cavalo cansado
One of the most interesting things I learned about Vinhão wines while in Portugal was that it was used to make sopas de cavalo cansado, tired horse soup. In a lot of remote villages in the north of Portugal, where agriculture was the primary source of income, many faced food shortages and starvation. In order to cope with this issue, families had to live off what they could grow on their land, things such as bread and wine. Even in a bad year, farm work still had to be done and it was grueling work, so they needed to fill up on something at breakfast to get them through the day. Sopas de cavalo cansado was born out of necessity, it was a mixture of cornbread, wine and if they had it sugar, honey, or brown sugar and possibly eggs. The dish was served hot for warmth but also giving them antioxidants, carbohydrates and energy for the days work.
A final note
I have since been shipping all the Vinhão wines I can get my hands on and I have yet to have one that has disappointed me. I am a firm lover of this wine. I have been learning from various people around Portugal, that Vinhão wines have a stigma to them as being what poor people drink. Some of the stigma may be because these wines are meant to drink young, they are not aged in oak and do not cost a lot to produce or buy. I am a firm believer price does not dictate quality, especially with Portuguese wines. This wine is phenomenal, you cannot compare it to any other wine you have ever had and that makes it so special. It is one I think you should definitely put on your must try list for this year.
