Key wine regions of Portugal

Vinho Verde

Vinho Verde (literally ‘green wine’) refers to Portuguese wine that originated in the historic Minho province in the far north of the country. The modern-day ‘Vinho Verde’ region, originally designated in 1908, includes the old Minho province plus adjacent areas to the south. In 1976, the old province was dissolved.

The designated area for Vinho Verde is a large zone of the northernmost part of Portugal facing the Atlantic.  This zone accounts for 14% of the total area of Portugal covering the Minho region located between the northern bank of the Douro River and the Spanish border. The northern area bordering with Spain in the north and with the Trás-os-Montes region in the east is surrounded by the mountains of 1,000m altitude while the western side benefits from the Atlantic.  This area has a cool summer and a mild winter with abundant rainfall while the north’s rolling hills have a mild temperate climate.  Soil is dominantly granite. There are 9 sub-regions of Monção, Lima, Cávado, Basto, Ave, Amarante, Sousa and Baião Paiva from the north to the south.