The Wine Of Summer: Vinho Verde

There is a wine that was made for summer. Vinho Verde, is a wine from Portugal that is perfect to sip on when the mercury rises. Not to mention, it is usually under $10 a bottle almost anywhere! Vinho Verde is a style of wine out of the northern most region of Portugal called Minho VR. Vinho Verde can be made into a red, white, or rose style of wine, because of the many grape varietals used in making this style. The grapes are all picked before they are ripe, hence the name “Green Wine.” Picking the grapes green give this wine a crisp,refreshing acid, and a very low alcohol content because of the lack of sugars that have developed on the vines. This wine is meant to be drunk young, so buy a bottle and pop that cork right away. Vinho Verde also has a slight effervescence that adds to the overall refreshing mouthfeel of this wine. The low alcohol content adds to the drinkability, especially in the hot weather. I tend to get a lot of fresh squeezed lemon and a lot of minerality on the nose and palate. Vinho Verde is excellent with an array of different foods. I love it with raw shellfish, spicy cuisine, and it is an excellent salad wine. Add Vinho Verde to your cooler for your next picnic in the park. It will be sure to please everyone's palate. I drink it chilled as cold as I can get it. Cheers!