Verde Green
Verde Green
Vinho Verde - Portugal's Best Kept "Secret"
Vinho Verde is a unique Portuguese wine, known for for being a light and fresh wine. It makes up a whopping 15% of Portugal's total wine production. This interesting little wine gets produced in the Minho Region, which is situated in the north of the country. This area has been described as "Portugal's best kept secret" for it's great wine and traditional lifestyle. Well worth a visit, if you're ever in the area and want to get to grips - in the most practical sense - with Vinho Verde wine!
Even though this wine is literally translated into "green wine" - this does not refer to the physical colour, but rather its freshness. This is not the type of wine that you age for years. It's best to drink and enjoy within the year. When this wine is produced, it does not reach high sugar levels, which is why a long aging process is not required for Vinho Verde. The wine has a slight "fizz", but can't be classified as sparkling wine, or even semi-sparkling for that matter.
Despite its light and fresh taste, most of the varieties still have 9% to 11% alcohol, with the Vinho Alvarinho having 11.5 - 15% alcohol. The white wines tend to be the most popular, however there are some great reds from the region. The red wines are made mainly from Vinhão, Borraçal and Amaral grape varieties.
Best enjoyed with dinner - fish or spicy food work well for the whites. I'd recommend a nice chilled bottle of
Aveleda Follies Trajadura Loureiro to go with you next Thai Curry.
About the Author
Luso Walsh
www.vinhoweb.pt
Portugal's Premier online wine shop
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I Love Touring Italy - Springtime In The Piedmont Region
In the northeast corner of Italy you'll find the Piedmont region, which is home to many of Italy's finest wines. You get an idea of its weather when you remember that Piedmont's capital and largest city, Turin, hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics. But towards the end of March or the beginning of April, with a little luck spring will be knocking at the door.
We start our virtual spring tour of Piedmont at the village Monastero Bormida, population 1000, situated some 45 miles (70 kilometers) southeast of Turin. In early March they have a Polenta (cornbread) festival honoring the openhanded Marchese Rovere who provided polenta and frittata (omelets) to ravenous coppersmiths who were trapped by a sudden snowstorm. Now, more than 180 years later, this village celebrates with a huge onion frittata, polenta, and salami cooked and served in the town square, accompanied by a band and allegorical floats. On the Sunday closest to March 19th the town of Castiglione d'Asti, population 6000 some 8 miles (13 kilometers) south of Asti commemorates the signing of a peace treaty between city nobles and the Church in the year 1200. Some forty traditionally dressed townsfolk on foot and on horseback replay the signing ceremony with medieval music played on antique instruments. This ceremony is enhanced by white chestnut cakes and hazelnut cakes soaked in Barbera wine. Talking about fine Piedmont wine, the village of Quaranti, population 200, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) southeast of Turin holds a Chickpea and Barbera Festival on the 3rd Sunday of the month. As far as I'm concerned they can hold the chickpeas and bring on the Barbera wine.
Polenta festivals really seem to be the order of the day in this part of the world. In the third week of April the village of Bubbio, population less than 1000, some 40 miles (sixty kilometers) southeast of Turin holds a Polenta festival that involves over 1300 pounds (600 kilograms) of free polenta plus sausages, onion omelets and local wine. Some of the polenta contains gold items and it's finders keepers. Even if you don't find any gold in your cornbread you may still enjoy the medieval costume parade. The Ponti Polenta Festival held in a village of 700 about 45 miles (70 kilometers) southeast of Turin also involves hungry coppersmiths and a generous Marquis. This time there's a giant copper pot and the omelet contains fish.
Towards the middle of May the city of Asti, population 75 thousand located some 35 miles (55 kilometers) east of Turin hosts Ancient Popular Games pitting one neighborhood against another. The month ends with the Sagra dell'Asparago Verde (Green Asparagus Festival) in the village of Valmacca, population 1000, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) east of Turin. You haven't eaten asparagus until you come to this festival. Enjoy the live music, the other activities, and even a dry Italian white wine to accompany the asparago.
For a change of pace attend the "Roman Fest" in the city of Alessandria, population 90 thousand about 55 miles (90 kilometers) southeast of Turin. This includes a "Slave Auction", gladiator combats, and a chariot race, festive meals, and activities for children.
About the Author
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but prefers drinking fine French wine with the right foods. He teaches computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his Italian travel website
www.travelitalytravel.com
and his global wine website
www.theworldwidewine.com
with a weekly column reviewing $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines.