Arinto - Floral and fresh

Profile

Flavours

White wines made from the Arinto grape have flavours of citrus fruits such as lime and lemon as well as green apple. However, they are rather rare on their own. The flavours of wines made from Arinto grapes also change depending on the blending partner. Blended with Loureiro and Trajadura, for example, notes of yellow fruit, melon, pear and apple dominate. When blended with Anta Vaz, notes of tropical fruits such as lychee and mango appear.

Dominant notes:

- lime
- lemon
- Green apple
- Beeswax

Possible notes:

- Herbs/flowers: jasmine, honeysuckle, vanilla, nutmeg, white pepper
- Citrus: lime, lemon, lemon peel
- Tree fruit/melon: green apple, pear, melon, nectarine, apricot, fresh peaches
- Tropical fruit: guava, mango, green papaya, star fruit, lychees
- Earth/Other: chalk, wet slate, beeswax

Harmonises with

The semi-dry Arinto wines with their well-balanced acidity and youthful freshness harmonise particularly well with vegetarian dishes, fish, seafood and white meat. Cuvées with Arinto wines go well with asparagus, tapas and quiche.

General information

Arinto, or Arinto de Bucelas, is one of the oldest grape varieties in Portugal. The white grape variety is mainly cultivated in Bucelas, a small growing area near Lisbon, and is therefore also known as Arinto de Bucelas. The name suggests that it originates from the Bucelas region north of Lisbon. In the Portuguese Vinho Verde region, the Arinto vine is called Pederna.

Arinto was first mentioned in Portugal in 1712, and its similarity to Riesling gave rise to a legend about its origins. German pilgrims are said to have brought the grape variety from the Rhine to Portugal in the Middle Ages. However, a relationship to the German Riesling grape variety could not be proven. However, Arinto is closely related to another long-established grape variety in Portugal, Trajadura.

Arinto is widespread in Portugal. It is mainly found in the Bairrada and Vinho Verde regions, but is also widespread in the Alentejo, Beira Interior, the Douro Valley, Ribatejo, Rios do Minho, the Setúbal peninsula and the Azores. Around 5,500 hectares of Arinto vineyards have been designated in Portugal. This puts the vine in 107th place in the global grape variety ranking. Outside of its country of origin in Portugal, Arinto can only be found in Spain.

The Arinto vine is known for its ability to adapt to different climatic conditions. It copes well with heat and drought and prefers to grow on granite, slate or sandy soils.

The late sprouting and late ripening Arinto with its compact bunches and small berries produces good yields. It can also preserve its acidity well in warm climates. It produces acidic white wines with beautiful citrus notes and floral aromas.

Arinto wines are rarely vinified as single varietals due to their high acidity. The grape is therefore more likely to be included in cuvées, where it lends the desired acidity to other varieties. The white grape is also used for Vinho Verde, among other things. Arinto wine makes up at least 75 per cent of the white Bucelas, which is produced in the area of the same name near Lisbon. Sparkling wine is also produced from Arinto grapes.