REGION: Vinho Verde

Anselmo Mendes is one of Portugal's most revered winemakers, and his serious take on Vinho Verde earned him the nickname “Mr. Alvarinho.” The wines are all unoaked and see long, slow fermentations with indigenous yeasts – resulting in crisp, lively wines with concentration and varietal character.

Aphros, helmed by Vasco Croft, was the first ever certified-biodyamic wine producer in Portugal. Located in the Lima river valley of northern Portugal, Aphros' signature grape is Loureiro, but they produce a wide array of pristine natural wines of many colors and styles.

Pessoa Wines was born in 2009, when winemaker Jorge Gonçalves combined his passion for Portugal with his oenological know-how. From an early age, he was already attracted to the country where his parents were - being able to produce in Portugal means more than just work, but also fulfilling a dream.

Quinta da Lixa began life as a cellar-door vendor of what locals lovingly called 'o tal vinho da Lixa' – ‘that Lixa wine.' The family had great foresight in acquiring estate vineyard land early on, producing textbook Vinhos Verdes at an unimpeachable level of quality at a very modest price-point.