Adega do Mato Escolha White Blend 2025
A beautifully fresh and aromatic white from the mountainous eastern edge of Vinho Verde, bringing together three traditional Portuguese grapes in a wonderfully balanced blend of citrus, delicate florals and refreshing minerality.
Adega do Mato Escolha White Blend comes from Ribeira de Pena, where the lush green landscapes of Vinho Verde begin to meet the rugged mountains of Trás-os-Montes. Made from Arinto, Azal and Loureiro, this elegant white celebrates three of northern Portugal's most distinctive indigenous grape varieties.
Each grape brings something different to the blend. Arinto contributes vibrant citrus and refreshing acidity, Azal adds a crisp mineral character, while Loureiro brings beautiful floral aromas and delicate stone fruit notes. Together, they create a wonderfully harmonious wine that captures the freshness and aromatic personality of Vinho Verde.
Expect lovely notes of lemon, green apple, white flowers and subtle stone fruit. On the palate, it's dry, crisp and beautifully balanced, with lively acidity, delicate fruit and a clean, refreshing finish. At 13% ABV, it has a little more body than many people expect from Vinho Verde, while remaining wonderfully fresh and easy to enjoy.
Meet Arinto, Azal and Loureiro
Three indigenous Portuguese grapes, each with its own personality, working together to create a beautifully balanced white wine.
Arinto – The Freshness
Arinto is one of Portugal's most celebrated high-acidity white grapes, known throughout Vinho Verde as Pedernã. Its ability to retain refreshing acidity, even in warmer growing conditions, makes it particularly valuable in Portugal.
Expect bright lemon, lime and green apple notes, often accompanied by a distinctive mineral character. In this blend, Arinto provides the crisp, refreshing backbone that keeps everything beautifully balanced.
Azal – The Crispness
Azal is one of Vinho Verde's lesser-known indigenous white grapes, particularly associated with the inland subregion of Basto.
Historically, Azal was one of the region's most widely planted white varieties, but today it's more commonly found in blends. It's prized for its naturally high acidity and vibrant green apple and citrus character.
In this wine, Azal contributes an additional layer of freshness and structure, giving the blend its wonderfully crisp personality.
Loureiro – The Aromatics
Loureiro is one of Vinho Verde's most distinctive aromatic white varieties, particularly associated with the Lima Valley.
Its name comes from the Portuguese word for laurel, a reference to the bay-leaf-like aromas sometimes found in the grape. Loureiro is also celebrated for its beautiful floral character, often showing orange blossom, rose, citrus and delicate stone fruit.
In this blend, Loureiro provides the fragrant, expressive aromatics that complement the freshness of Arinto and Azal.
Put simply, Arinto brings acidity, Azal brings crispness, and Loureiro brings the aromatics—three wonderful Portuguese grapes working together.
What does Escolha mean?
Escolha translates to "Selection" or "Choice", but in Vinho Verde it's more than just an attractive word on a label.
It's a regulated quality designation used for wines that meet additional sensory quality requirements, distinguishing them from standard wines within the appellation.
Importantly, Escolha doesn't necessarily mean the wine has been aged in oak or that the grapes were harvested later. Instead, it indicates that the wine has achieved the required level of quality through the region's certification process.
What makes this part of Vinho Verde different?
Adega do Mato sits near the eastern boundary of the Vinho Verde wine region, where Atlantic influences begin to meet the warmer, more continental conditions of Portugal's mountainous interior.
Unlike the cooler, wetter coastal vineyards, inland areas can experience warmer summer days and greater temperature variation, allowing grapes to develop expressive fruit flavours while maintaining valuable natural acidity.
This makes the region particularly interesting for varieties such as Arinto and Azal, which naturally retain their acidity even as temperatures rise.
The result is a wine that combines the bright freshness of traditional Vinho Verde with a little more body and concentration, offering a wonderful introduction to the diversity of northern Portugal's white wines.
About Adega do Mato
Adega do Mato is a family wine project revived in 2012 by Vitor Magalhães, who set out to restore a century-old winery and bring his family's dream of producing Vinho Verde to life.
Located in Balteiro, Ribeira de Pena, the winery sits close to the Tâmega River, surrounded by dense pine forests and the wild vegetation of northern Portugal's mountainous countryside.
The estate works with approximately four hectares of vineyards, carefully selecting traditional Portuguese grape varieties to create wines that reflect this distinctive corner of the region.
Even the name tells a story. Adega do Mato roughly translates to "winery in the scrubland", a reference to the surrounding landscape and its position between the green Atlantic-influenced vineyards of Vinho Verde and the rugged interior of Trás-os-Montes.
It's a fitting name for a winery that celebrates the local landscape, traditional grape varieties and the wonderfully diverse character of northern Portugal.
Aroma: Lemon · Green Apple · White Flowers · Stone Fruit
Palate: Dry · Crisp · Light-to-Medium-bodied · Vibrant Acidity · Mineral · Refreshing Finish
Pair with: Grilled shrimp · Oysters · Clams · Fresh salads · Grilled white fish · Sushi · Soft goat cheese
