Red Wine
Wine Red wines are produced from red grape varieties, with maceration (contact between the skins and the must). The difference in the tone of the wine depends on some factors such as the grape variety, the age of the wine, and the aging method.
Depending on the stage, they can be red for consumption young or red for aging.
The color palette of red wine ranges from bright red (ruby) or purplish red to brick. Bright reds and purples are usually typical colors of young wines. As they age, the wines lose coloring matter and the new color takes on brick tones.
In general, red wines intended for young people have fruity aromas, sometimes floral, depending on the region and grape variety. With medium body and balanced astringency, they are suitable to accompany pizzas, pasta, codfish or less elaborate meat dishes. They should be served between 14º and 17ºC.
It is common for guard reds, when young, to have good depth of color, complex and intense aromas, as well as good structure and persistent tannins. At their peak, which can take almost a decade to reach, they have delicate and subtle aromas, but of great complexity. In the mouth the wine softens but remains balanced.
White Wine
White wines are mostly produced from white grapes. However, they can also be obtained from red grapes, as long as the skins do not come into contact with the must.
With regard to color, it can vary between greenish yellow and golden yellow. The younger the wine, the lighter its color. The straw yellow, golden yellow tones apply to white wines that are already a certain age, or, if this is not the reason, it can be indicative that the wine is oxidized.
The white wines for young consumption are pale in color, with refreshing fruit (citrus and other tree fruits) and floral aromas, in the mouth they are balanced showing their youth. They are a good accompaniment to fish dishes, salads, and can also be drunk as an aperitif. They should be consumed at a temperature between 8º and 10ºC.
The aging whites have an aromatic intensity and good complexity, and generally ferment or age in wood, in these cases showing a golden color and toasted and tropical fruit aromas. On the palate they are full and persistent. They go well with fatty fish dishes, such as salmon or cod, and can also be served with chicken or rabbit, accompanied by mild sauces. They should be served at a temperature around 12º to 14ºC. They can be stored for a few years before consumption.
Rosé Wine
Pink, rosé or claret are possible names for this collection of wines.
Produced from red grapes, they can be produced in two ways: from a slight maceration of red grapes, which then follow the vinification process in open-spout (typical of white wines, and which consists of vinifying the must without the skins), or by mixing white and red wine.
As far as colors are concerned, the palette of rosés starts with pale pink, followed by peony pink, cherry, raspberry, strawberry, old rose, orange rose, apricot and salmon. As far as aromas are concerned, a rosé wine wants to be aromatic.
The aromas, of a floral or fruity nature, can lead us to feel orange blossom, peach blossom, vine blossom, rose, linden, iris, violet, carnation or heather, broom, dried flowers, all floral aromas. The fruity ones may suggest red cherries, currants, pomegranates, fresh almonds, strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, apricots, peaches, pears, apples, citrus fruits such as grapefruit, tangerines or oranges, exotic fruits such as lychee, pineapple, banana or fresh fig. In the mouth, they excite with their softness, sweetness and acidity.
They are great company for an aperitif in the summer, as well as combining perfectly with fusion and oriental cuisine, such as Japanese (sushi), Indian or Southeast Asian (Thai and Vietnamese). They should be consumed while young (1 to 2 years old) and served slightly chilled, between 10º and 13º C.
Green Wine
Vinho Verde, produced in the Demarcated Region of Vinhos Verdes, birthplace of the charismatic Alvarinho variety, is a still wine that, despite sometimes having a “peak”, does not have the gas like a sparkling wine.
Due to its accentuated acidity, which makes it unique in the world, it is considered a class of its own.
With low alcohol content, it can be red or white, but always light and fresh, fruity, easy to drink, and great as an aperitif or pairing with light and balanced meals: salads, fish, seafood, white meat, tapas, sushi, sashimi and other international dishes.
The blatant typicality and originality of these wines is the result, on the one hand, of the characteristics of the soil, climate, and, on the other hand, of the peculiarities of the region's native grape varieties and the ways in which the vines are cultivated. These factors result in a naturally light and fresh wine, different from other wines in the world.
All wines from the Vinho Verde region are called Verdes, just because they were made in the region and not because the wine is made from green grapes (in the sense of not being ripe!).
Liqueur/Fortified Wine
Fortified wines are those whose alcoholic fermentation is interrupted by the addition of wine brandy, at a given point in the fermentation process.
Depending on the time of interruption, and the grape being used, it will be more or less sweet. The final alcoholic degree of fortified wines is between 19-22% volume. In Portugal, Port, Madeira, Carcavelos, Moscatel from Setúbal and Moscatel from Douro are produced.
Natural sparkling wine is a wine whose characteristics and manufacturing methods were imported from France.
Of the natural sparkling wines, the most famous of all drinks is part, Champagne, whose name is the same as its region of origin, east of Paris. However, in Portugal we have good natural sparkling wines, in white, red and rosé variants.
By definition, a sparkling wine is any wine that undergoes a second alcoholic fermentation and whose carbon dioxide (the typical “bubble” and mousse) is naturally retained in the container. When the second fermentation takes place in the bottle, it is called the traditional or champagne method.
When the second fermentation takes place in other closed containers, it is called the Charmat method, when the fermentation takes place by passing the wine through different tanks (where the wine ferments and ages), it is called the continuous method.