Wine of the Week 03/18/24

Quinta da Raza
Raza Vinho Verde

Normally $12.99 / Now on Sale for $10.96
50% Arinto, 35% Azal, 15% Trajadura (Basto DOC)

The Vinho Verde wine region sits in the northwest corner of Portugal bordered by the Minho River to the north and the Atlantic Ocean on the west. It’s Portugal’s largest DOC (sharing, interestingly enough, the same area as the Minho region, their wines only being distinguished by their grapes).

It’s a land of rivers, and thousands of vineyard plots (some, no larger than an American suburban backyard) cluster around them along their winding valleys. Though growers grow both red and white grapes, most people think “Vinho Verde” and think “white” … for good reason. 

“Vinho Verde” literally translates to “green wine,” as in “young” wine, as most of the region’s production is designed to be enjoyed immediately rather than aged. There is almost nothing more refreshing than one of these spritzy whites, such as this wineshop favorite — the Raza Vinho Verde from Quinta da Raza.

Quinta Da Raza’s Teixeira Coelho family has been making wines on their estate in the Basto sub-region since the 17th century, and their current winemaker, José Diogo Teixeira Coelho, has been working the vineyards since he was seventeen. Situated near the Tâmega River, the property gets more sun than almost anywhere else in the region, allowing for an enviable ripeness in the grapes. The Raza Vinho Verde is 50% Aristo, 35% Azal, 15% Trajadura, hand picked and fermented in stainless steel to be 100% zippy, ripe, fresh fruit and 110% delicious.