Soalheiro, Vinho Verde Monção e Melgaço DOC (Portugal) Alvarinho 2022

 João Anintónio Cerdeira planted a few vines of Alvarinho grapes in 1974.  He called this tiny vineyard ’Soalheiro’, which means sunny.  In 1982 he converted his garage into a place to make wine from these grapes.  Today, his son, António Luís Cerdeira is the winemaker. Pale yellow color, infused with aromas and flavors of Meyer lemon and grapefruit, plus peach laced with dusty mineral notes.  The citrusy fruit is lean and crisp in the  mouth.  Alvarinho is the Portuguese name for the Albariño grape.  Vinho Verde is the largest wine region in Portugal.  Its northern border is the Minho River dividing Vinho Verde from the Rias Baixas region of Spain and home of Albariño.  Its southern border is the Douro River.  On the western side is a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean, which has a major effect on the region’s weather conditions.  Vinho Verde means “green wine,” and green also describes the region.  It is divided into nine subregions.  The soil is mainly granite, some places with shist, but it is mainly granite, which reinforces the impression of acidity and freshness.