Aperitivo or dinner? Portuguese whites are always right

2026-03-26 - 13:20

The country’s light, crisp, fruity wines are giving its more famous styles a run for their money Portuguese wines have been making steady advances on British drinkers in recent years, and for good reason. The country is home to many delightful indigenous grapes (bom dia baga, encantado encruzado), as well as the sort of varied maritime, mountainous terrain that encourages personality. Its winemakers tend to be forward-thinking and climate-conscious, too, and there are lots of bottles of interest at the “midweek” price point – that is, £8-£13. Case in point: the “yellow tram wine”, AKA Porta 6 Lisboa, is now a ubiquitous presence on our high streets. While Portugal is often associated with sturdy reds and Christmassy digestifs, it also excels at light, crisp, appetite-whetting whites. As we all know, there is no finer moment in the day than aperitivo, that elusive hour when deadlines and bedtimes recede mid the pssscht of bottles and the crack and tinkle of ice (the fact that this almost never actually happens only heightens the pleasure when it does). And Portuguese whites are tailor-made for such moments; if you also have some pretty tins of Nuri sardinhas on the go, so much the better. Continue reading...