Arios

The Minho

The Minho wine district is in the northwest corner of Portugal, bounded by the Atlantic to the west, the Minho River to the north, the Douro River to the south, and the Tras-os-Montes (“over the hills”) wine region to the east.

The climate is cool with strong maritime influences, making ripening a perennial challenge. Because of this, the region has become the land of the Vinhos Verdes- “green” wines made from slightly underripe grapes, in a bright, crisp and often lightly fizzy style. The Vinho Verde DO is coterminous with the Minho region, and is used for white, rose and even red wines.

The Minho is further divided into nine recognized sub-regions, largely by topography with river valleys forming the subregional boundaries. At the center, the Sousa district is some of the highest-elevation land providing respite from fog belts and allowing better ripening.

arios wines

Arios produces wines exclusively from parcels in the higher-altitude Sousa subdistrict of Vinho Verde. The wines are all single-varietal bottlings, each showcasing the unique flavors of one of the primary grapes used in typical Vinho Verde blends. In contrast to many Vinho Verdes, all are vintage-dated, and all are a bit higher in alcohol (11-13% instead of the common 9-10%), both testaments to these wines position at the top of the Vinho Verde quality range.

Arios Alvarinho: Bright with lemony citrus and bracing acidity and a pleasing effervescence- the classic backbone for many better Vinhos Verdes.

Arios Loureiro: lusher with more tropical flower and peach notes, a bit fuller on the palate, but still with that distinctive light fizz.

Arios Vinhao: Inky purple and intensely flavored- Vinhao is one of the few red grapes with red flesh allowing intensely colored wines with minimal tannin from skin-contact maceration. Lightly effervescent like the whites- a red that loves a light chill!