Antão Vaz is one of Portugal's top white-wine grape varieties. Grown mainly around the hot, dry region of Alentejo, it is usually used in the production of varietal wines, which exude ripe, tropical fruit flavors with citrus and honey overtones.
In the vineyard
The variety is of particular use to growers as it is ideally suited to the Alentejo terroir. Antão Vaz berries are loosely clustered and thick skinned, giving them good disease resistance, and they are also able to cope with drought-like conditions.
Even ripening and good productivity are also attractive prospects for growers.
Wine styles
Like Chardonnay, Antão Vaz is a versatile variety, giving a wide range of wine styles. Harvest time is an important consideration in this respect: if berries are picked early, they will give light, citrusy wines with good acidity, but if left on the vine for longer, they will give a rounder, plumper wine that can be barrel aged.
Most are produced for immediate consumption, but some of the best examples can be aged for several years to allow the fruit characters to evolve.
Blending partners
While Antão Vaz wines are usually varietal, they often benefit from the addition of other local grape varieties, namely Roupeiro and Arinto. These are used most commonly when levels of acidity are particularly low, as they give the wine more of a backbone.
Uses in Port and international spread
Antão Vaz is also permitted (and often used) in the production of white port. It is not found in commercial quantities outside of Portugal.
Synonyms
Synonyms include: Antonio Vaz
Food pairings
Given Antão Vaz's versatility in terms of flavor profile, think seafood and Atlantic/Mediterranean cuisine here. Food pairings for Antão Vaz can include fish, especially oily fish such as grilled tuna steak for wines with more acidity.
Other pairings could include a more Mediterranean dish such as stuffed red peppers. Even the likes of a hearty, white-meat based dish such as burritos with chicken could work well here.
