DRINKS WITH CHEESE 202 3 culturecheesemag.com 45
P R A R I E F R U I T
F A R M S & C R E A M E R Y
F L E U R D E L A P R A I R I E
V I N H O V E R D E
T H E L U S H , G R E E N H I L L S O F
northwestern Portugal have two things in abundance: grape vines and goats.
So, it's no surprise that the locals often pair cheese made f rom area milk with
the homegrown wine, Vinho Verde. It's just that no one ever talks about it.
Vinho Verde, for the most part, is a simple wine: Its name means "green wine,"
an allusion to its f reshness, as it's typically drunk young, sometimes so much
so that it has a little effervescence. It's made in the cool, Atlantic Minho region,
mostly f rom alvarinho—the same grape as the albariño on the Spanish side
of the border, but lighter, crisper, and saltier in this clime—often blended with
loureiro, another local grape, for a fillip of florality, or trajadura for citrus and
steel, and arinto for minerality. Typically vinified in stainless steel rather than
oak barrels, it's one of the most ref reshing wines in the world, which makes it
a perfect summertime sipper.
TA R A Q . T H OM A S , C heese+ 2 015
CHAPEL HILL CREAMERY
DAIRYLAND FARMERS
CHEESE +
Casal Garcia Vinho Verde
SERRA DA ESTRELA DOP +
Antonio Lopes Ribeiro Casa de
Mouraz Biotite Vinho Verde
PRARIE FRUITS FARM &
CREAMERY FLEUR DE LA
PRAIRIE +
Quinta de Gomariz Loureiro
PHOTO:
Wine:
kubais,
Adobe
Stock;
Cheese:
Adam
DeTour;
styled
by
Kendra
Smith
