Arinto: Portugal’s Timeless White Grape

Arinto (also known as Pedernã and Cerceal) is one of Portugal’s most celebrated indigenous white grape varieties, cultivated for centuries and prized for its freshness and age-worthiness. While it thrives in several regions, it is particularly renowned in Bucelas, in the Lisbon region, where the cooler microclimate preserves its vibrant acidity. You can also find it in Tejo, Vinho Verde (often blended with Albariño, Loureiro, and Trajadura), and even in warmer areas like Alentejo (blended with Antão Vaz) and Algarve, where its natural acidity helps balance the heat.

Arinto is renowned for its lively, crisp acidity, which brings both freshness and structure to wine. It tends to be light to medium-bodied, with styles ranging from still to sparkling and even late harvest wines.

Its flavor profile often includes citrus fruits, green apple, stone fruits, subtle minerality, chamomile, beeswax, hints of roasted nuts, and herbal notes. This versatility makes it a natural partner for food and a strong candidate for skin-contact winemaking, where it develops additional layers of depth. Perfect food pairings include grilled fish, oysters, shellfish, salads with citrus-based dressings, soft cheeses, and roasted chicken or turkey.

A late-budding grape that usually ripens at the end of summer, Arinto is highly resistant to heat and drought, which is a rare and valuable trait. It also ages gracefully, evolving from bright, citrus-driven notes into richer, honeyed, and nutty complexity.

For me, Arinto is more than just a grape; it is a link to Portugal’s winemaking heritage. In Sorvo Orange, Arinto’s natural acidity and structure carry the extended skin contact beautifully, allowing us to craft a wine that is both vibrant in youth and capable of maturing with elegance.

Savor the sip,

Zeynep / Lisbon