Earthy

Inside the bottle: This little organic gem is raised only in stainless steel. It is refreshingly acidic with a surprising level of minerality, fresh citrus notes, salt and extremely subtle sweet grass notes. It is very charming and with a very low alcohol content (11%) so that you can drink many of them in one sitting! Indeed, great for a summer day with or without food, but with food, it is just perfect. As I went from restaurant to restaurant between Lisbon and Porto, I asked all of them about Quinta do Ameal. They all said without hesitation that it was the best producer in Vihno Verde. I believe it.

When I was last in Portugal, I drank Quinta do Ameal's wines with every type of food, from slow-roasted suckling pig, braised and BBQ'd octopus, and Portuguese sea bass that was caught about 15 miles from where this wine is made. Those three dishes were the very best examples of those meats that I have ever had in my life.

Terroir: The recipe here is very simple. Evening ocean breezes keep this area mild in the evening while keeping the daytime temperatures modest. The soil is made purely of granite and therefore imparts gentleness alongside of the intense acidity. The vineyards are organically farmed since the year 2000.