A cheerful, translucid, lemon-yellow and slightly pétillant white wine, Vinho Verde literally means ‘green wine’ and is named after the northwest Portugese region from which it originates. The ‘green’ in the name refers to the youthful state in which the wines are customarily released and consumed, not the color of the wine.
Casal Garcia was born in a year in which the vintage was particularly good. Returning by train from the grape harvest in the Douro, the French oenologist Eugène Hélisse decided to interrupt his journey to Oporto after passing the vines of the Quinta da Aveleda, in Penafiel. Dressed in white, and with a straw hat to ward off the heat of the end of summer, he began to walk towards the property’s cellar. He went in, introduced himself and insisted on speaking to the owner, Roberto Guedes.
The Vinho Verde region is an area rich in viticultural history. Roman literature has made reference to grape vines growing between the Douro and Minho rivers. The first records of wine being exported from the region are dated back to the 12th Century.
Pairs well with shellfish, vegetarian dishes, appetizers, and snacks.