Vinho verdes are under $10 and perfect for daytime drinking
This style of winemaking is extremely affordable, with many varieties under $10
Northern Portugal is a tiny region that produces two of the world’s most unique wine styles that are wildly different from one another. The most famous is syrupy-sweet red port, a dessert wine that is spiked with grape brandy during the winemaking process, adding a liqueur-like intensity that makes it an ideal winter warmer. The other is called vinho verde, or “green wine. Vinho verde should get more attention, because this brisk, refreshing style is one of the best summer quenchers of all time.
Technically, vinho verde can be white, red, or rosé, but the most popular are white blends based on local grapes like arinto, loureiro, and fernão pires. However, it is the Minho region’s uncommon climate and its effect on grape farming that make these wines so distinctive, not the grapes used or anything done at the winery. Vinho verde comes from low-lying areas along the cool Atlantic coast that have a moist and cloudy climate similar to that of Seattle. As a result, Minho grapes struggle to ripen and rarely succeed before the autumn rains come, leading vintners to pick their grapes while they are still “green” and under-ripe.
This results in wines that rarely crack 10 percent alcohol and that taste more like a refreshing mojito than like a buttery chardonnay. The citrusy tang and faintly herbal flavor of vinho verde can resemble sauvignon blanc, but their irreverent tickle of natural carbonation and flirty kiss of sweetness are what make these wines so easy to guzzle on a hot day.
Luckily for wine lovers, this style of winemaking is also extremely affordable, so terrific vinho verdes like this one can often be found for less than $10. Ideal for daytime drinking and muggy weather, this lovely lightweight tastes like a spritzer made with white wine and club soda, accented with lemons, limes, and sprigs of twiggy herbs like rosemary or thyme. Best of all, it even tastes great on ice.
Aveleda Vinho Verde Minho, Portugal
$7.99; 9.5% alcohol
PLCB Item #6163
Sale price through Aug. 1 – regularly $9.99
Also available at:
Canal’s in Mt. Ephraim, NJ, - $6.99
Joe Canal’s in Lawrenceville, NJ - $6.99
Canal’s Bottlestop in Marlton, NJ, - $7.09