White grape variety
Antão Vaz
A heat-tolerant Alentejo white producing full-bodied, tropical wines.
What is Antão Vaz?
Antão Vaz copes well with Alentejo heat and drought, producing full, ripe whites usually blended with the higher-acid Arinto.
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue, maintained by the Julius Kühn Institute, holds this variety as accession 493 under the prime name ANTAO VAZ, with berry skin colour blanc and country of origin portugal, and the pedigree "CAYETANA BLANCA X JOAO DOMINGOS". Checked 2026-08-17.
What it tastes like
This is the envelope across every expression of Antão Vaz, not a description of one bottle. Wide ranges are the honest answer.
| Dimension | Typical | Range | Variation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | low | Consistent | |
| Acidity | medium | Some variation | |
| Alcohol | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Body | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Fruit intensity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Aromatic intensity | medium | Consistent | |
| Oak influence | low | Consistent | |
| Savoury character | low-medium | Consistent | |
| Floral character | low | Consistent | |
| Herbal / green character | low | Consistent | |
| Spice | low | Consistent | |
| Earthy character | low | Consistent | |
| Perceived freshness | medium | Consistent | |
| Texture | medium-plus | Some variation |
Common flavours
Where it grows
- Alentejo — Portugal
If you like Antão Vaz, try…
Every suggestion says why it is connected and what will be different.
Closest matches
What is most like this?
Pošip
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more oaky.
Malvasia
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be sweeter, and more aromatic.
Avesso
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be fresher and more acidic, and lighter.
Similar but lighter
Something like this, but lighter?
Avesso
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be fresher and more acidic, and leaner and more cutting.
Auxerrois
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more restrained in fruit.
Treixadura
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and leaner and more cutting.
Similar but lower in alcohol
Something like this, but less alcoholic?
Bical
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be fresher and more acidic, and lighter.
Xarel·lo
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be fresher and more acidic, and lighter.
Altesse
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be fresher and more acidic, and lighter.
Similar but fuller
Something like this, but richer?
Pedro Ximénez
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect it to be sweeter, and fruitier.
Condrieu
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect it to be more floral, and more aromatic.
Viognier
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect it to be more floral, and more aromatic.
What to eat with it
Ranked by WineHQ's pairing engine, which reasons from the structure of the dish.
Fillet steak
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Asparagus
Works because bitterness in the dish and tannin in the wine accumulate rather than balance.
Trout
Works because low tannin avoids the metallic interaction with fish.
Turkey
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Artichoke
Works because bitterness in the dish and tannin in the wine accumulate rather than balance.
Cauliflower and brassicas
Works because bitterness in the dish and tannin in the wine accumulate rather than balance.
What to avoid with it
Dishes the pairing engine scores badly, and the principle that explains why. A short list: most things are fine.
How to serve it
Temperature
10–13°C
50–55°F · Lightly chilled
About 45 minutes to an hour in the fridge from room temperature, or take it out of the fridge about an hour before serving.
Decanting
No need to decant
Nothing about this wine suggests it needs decanting. Light, aromatic and sparkling wines generally lose more than they gain.
Glass
Universal wine glass
A medium tulip-shaped glass handles almost everything well. If you own one set of glasses, this is the set to own — the difference between a good universal glass and a grape-specific one is far smaller than the difference between a good glass and a bad one.
Ageing
Wines made from this grape are generally at their best within a few years.
Alentejo’s reliable hot-climate white, ripening well and holding acidity better than most in that heat. Generally blended with Arinto and Roupeiro and made for early drinking; a few barrel-fermented versions hold longer.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) — Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof