This year the commission aims to boost exports further, including in new markets such as Russia and Japan.

“We ended 2016 with our record year for exports and achieved 50% of sales for the external market, which was an objective that we had been pursuing for many years," said Manuel Pinheiro, president of the vinho verde regional commission, the CRVV.

Recalling that in 2000 exports of vinho verde accounted for just 15% of total sales, Pinheiro said that last year represented an “enormous development” on this front.

For this year the CRVV foresees “investment of about three million euros above all in export markets with great strength in the United States of American and in Germany", which Pinheiro identified as the “main markets” for the product.

In addition, the CRVV will be investing this year in two new markets, Japan and Russia, with the latter never having been targeted by producers.

According to the CVRVV, which has 63 associates, vinho verde is the second biggest-selling wine in Portugal, with a 16.8% market share. Of the vinho verde sold in Portugal, 86% is white.

The vinho verde region is Portugal's largest demarcated wine region, covering the whole north-west of Portugal, between the River Minho in the north and the River Douro in the south. It has nine subregions: Amarante, Ave, Baião, Basto, Cávado, Lima, Monção e Melgaço, Paiva and Sousa.