At an event held tonight at Alfândega do Porto, the Cícero Alvarinho 2021 and the Via Latina Grande Reserva Branco 2018 were awarded the Grande Ouro seal in the Grandes Vinhos com Estágio category, the Vila Nova Azal 2023 in the Grandes Vinhos Jovens category, and the Messala Alvarinho Bruto 2019 in the Vinhos Espumantes category.

"The Demarcated Region of Vinhos Verdes presents a great variety of grape varieties and wine profiles that allow, in each edition, to highlight the work of different producers in the various categories", said the president of the Board of Directors of the Comissão de Viticultura da Região dos Vinhos Verdes (CVRVV) at the event.

The official highlighted that "the participation in the aged wines category has been increasing", both in the competition and in the market, which, she said, is the "reflection of the integration of new categories of higher value in the portfolios of the Region's producers".

In addition to those awarded with the Grande Ouro seal, the following were awarded in the Grandes Vinhos Jovens category: Abcdarium Arinto 2023, Dona Paterna Reserva Alvarinho 2022, Pecado Capital Premium Alvarinho Avesso 2023, Portal do Fidalgo Reserva Alvarinho 2023, Quinta dos Encados Grande Escolha 2023, Quinta de Gomariz Colheita Seleccionada Alvarinho 2023, Quinta da Raza Colheita Seleccionada Alvarinho 2023, Vila Nova Azal 2023, Quinta de Balão Vinhão 2023 and Tapada dos Monges Vinhão 2023.

In the Grandes Vinhos com Estágio category, the following were distinguished: Cícero Alvarinho 2021, Marquês de Lara Reserva Avesso 2017 and Via Latina Grande Reserva Branco 2018, and in the Vinhos Espumantes category, the following were distinguished: Messala Alvarinho Bruto 2019 and Quinta da Raza Bruto Natural 2019.

242 samples were blind tasted, from which the jury highlighted those products in the Gold category and 55 in the Silver category.

The samples entered in the competition were evaluated by a jury composed of members of the CVRVV Tasting Chamber, Bento Amaral, Tim Hogg (Escola Superior de Biotecnologia -- Universidade Católica do Porto), Francisco Campos (Amorim Cork, S.A.), Isabel Afonso (Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo - IPVC), Daniela Costa (ViniPortugal), Maria João Rocha and Elsa Pires (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto - IVDP), Miguel Martelo (CVR Dão), Ana Miquelino (CVR Távora Varosa), Manuel Carvalho and José Augusto Moreira (Jornal Público), José João Santos and Marc Barros (Revista de Vinhos).

At the international level, Charles Metcalfe (UK), Sang Mi Kim (South Korea), Claudia Juarez (Mexico), Alexandre Takkei (Brazil), Brad Royale (Canada) and Laura Williamson (USA) participated, in addition to oenologists from the Region and the CVRVV Appeal Board.

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