Today we released the short list of the 30 best-selling white wines and, unsurprisingly, Casal Garcia, Vidigal Porta 6 and Aveleda Fonte are still in the top three, as they were last year.
In terms of whites, there has been significant growth, especially in the premium and super premium ranges, which shows that our members have realized that there are great white wines in Portugal that deserve their attention.
However, as our ranking of the best sellers is based on the number of bottles, it's obvious that the top 30 is essentially filled with entry-level wines and some in the mid-price range.
Surprise or not, Soalheiro Alvarinho came 15th. It's a wine from the premium price range that, although not for everyday consumption, has become a phenomenon of popularity among our members, either because it's always on the lists of the best wines of the year in leading magazines, or because the Alvarinho grape variety and the sub-regions of Monção and Melgaço produce great white wines.
In the top 10 we find some of Portugal's most iconic white wine brands such as Muralhas, Gazela, Gatão, Casal Mendes, Planalto, João Pires and Monte Velho.
These are brands with a long history that are undoubtedly safe bets for a less adventurous customer.
In terms of regions, Vinho Verde is undoubtedly the big winner with more than half of the places in this top 30. It is undoubtedly the region with the most notoriety in terms of white wines, although nowadays you can find wines with very different profiles to those of yesteryear, the slightly fizzy wines. Looking at the 17 wines in this list, many are single varietals or blends with the region's two favorite grape varieties, Alvarinho and Loureiro, and practically all of them are dry wines, with a fruity profile and good acidity, without any sign of natural or artificial carbonation.
There is still a lot of work to be done in terms of publicizing Portuguese white wines. The signs are encouraging when you look at the increase in consumption year on year and, above all, the increase in the average value of the wines sold. However, it is necessary to taste the wines at the various price levels and only then will you realize that there has been a radical change in the quality and profile of the wines and that it is increasingly time to give the great Portuguese white wines a chance.
