The Landing of a Chinese Green Bond in Portugal

In a little restaurant in the midst of a foggy day, Talita served me chicken, rice, salads and a glass of local wine. She said I was the only customer, the only person around. The mountain area in the Viseu region in northern Portugal usually attracts tourists for its special landscape; the granite and slate of the mountain as well as the lush flora, interlaced with moss and lichens. But with the lockdown during the COVID-19 crisis people stopped coming. There are not many other industr­ies here, the only other ones are the wine and the wind businesses, the latter of which is huge. Talita points to the turbines on display on the top of the cliffs, surrounding us —an infrastructural crown that towers over the valley. “You see, we have so much wind here, it is our secret resource.” Talita explains that wind is the special, often unknown ingredient of Portuguese wine. It plays a role as a natural antibiotic, preserving the integrity of the vineyards without the need for preservatives and it dries out the plants after it rains. “You can feel it in the wine.” I sip from the glass, seeking the taste of the wind. It is not just a sensorial attempt.