Producers have recently brought new wines to market from a grape that has been gaining attention among wine lovers: Avesso.
If you haven't come across Avesso yet, don't worry. Portugal is home to some 250 native grape varieties and, given how field blends have shaped Portuguese winemaking, you may well have tasted Avesso in white Vinho Verde blends from the north of the country without knowing it.
Historically, Avesso was grown mainly in the Baião sub-region, which borders the Douro. Baião's schist and granite soils were ideal for Avesso's bright, fruity acidity and lower alcohol levels. Recently, however, producers in many other parts of the Vinho Verde region, including Amarante, Paiva and Sousa, have started planting more Avesso.
Winemakers used to treat Avesso purely as a blending grape, adding fresh acidity to the region's two most widely used varieties, Alvarinho and Loureiro. With its lower alcohol, Avesso was the perfect grape for keeping Vinho Verde blends easy-drinking.
Since 2020, though, more winemakers have been showcasing the grape on its own. Avesso makes a style of wine that is very much in demand today: low in alcohol, fruity, with prominent acidity, very clean and easy to drink — a fashionable summer wine. Yet while many people associate Vinho Verde with summer, Avesso's aromatic complexity can also make it an ideal white for winter.
If you enjoy fresh, unoaked whites, you're very likely to love Avesso. We've picked a few suggestions for you to try:
