I do love a good black and
tan on St. Patrick’s Day! But really,
what’s a wine geek to do on this beer-drinker’s holiday??
Drink green wine, of
course!
That would be Vinho Verde
(literally, green wine) to which I am referring. It comes from the coolest and wettest part of
Portugal, the northwestern corner. This area is very lush and green, but the
“green” actually refers to the youthfulness of these wines.
The wines are released
just 3 – 6 months after harvest and are known for their bright fruit, low
alcohol and refreshing spritz.
Loureiro is the grape
variety commonly used for these Vinho Verde wines, but Alvarinho, the same as
Albarino in Spain, is the better quality grape variety that is used as well.
So after downing my Harp
and Guinness, followed by a wipe of the chin and a good beer belch, I was happy
to move on to my wine and regain my sense of refinement. Better than finding a four-leafed clover, I
was lucky enough to find the Octave Vinho Verde on my shelf.
The color is pale yellow
with obvious carbonation. The nose is
filled with minerality and melon. On the
palate it is so lovely and light with more mineral character, followed by sweet
peach, fresh herbs, and lemon. The
slight spritz keeps the wine lively and leads to a clean, fresh finish.
Oh yes, with a wine this
light and quaffable, I was able to keep up with my beer guzzling friends, gulp
for gulp!
The nice acidity of the
Vinho Verde makes it extremely food friendly too. We successfully paired it with
prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, that most-difficult to match vegetable. The wine’s herbal minerality was a nice
combination with the vegetal character of the asparagus, while the slight
sweetness was great with the salty prosciutto.
Green wine, green
asparagus, a green pinch-proof shirt… it was a lucky St. Patrick’s Day celebration
for this wine drinker!
