A mineral wine is a wine with high minerality. Minerality is a word that has been used a lot in recent years to describe sensations that are not very easy to understand.
For wine lovers, it is generally pretty simple to detect when a wine is fruity, floral or herby, but when it comes to a mineral wine, the subject becomes complex, since the descriptors associated with a mineral wine are not aromas or flavours that are commonly savoured. To further illustrate, white stone or waterfall are some examples of mineral aromas.
A mineral wine is that which has its origin in areas where the type of soil or climate gives the wine of stone and fresh water character. The Azores and Bairrada wines are easily recognisable as mineral wines. In the case of the Azores wines, the proximity to the sea gives them an oyster-shell like style, and in the Bairrada wines, the granite soils give them purity and a white stone aroma.
To choose a mineral wine, you should consider wines such as: vinho verde, Azores wines, Rieslings de Mosel or Chablis, to name a few. Look for cool areas with granite soil types or cool, Atlantic climates. In our online shop you can also find mineral wines from high altitude vineyards, such as Gouveio by Joaninha, a Douro wine from a 700 m altitude vineyard in the Baixo Corgo subregion.