Vinho Verde Sangria for Summer
Hey, we get it. Rosé has been played out since the New York Times declared it the “summer drink to be seen with” for those damn hipsters a few summers ago, and you’re looking for a newer, fresher glug for your glass.
Allow me to introduce you to my longtime, semi-undercover summer love: vinho verde.
A Portuguese wine whose name translates to “green wine” for the fact that it’s bottled young, vinho verde is an effervescent white wine.
It’s heavy with tart citrusy notes–think lime, green apple, and nectarine–and sometimes lets a hint of summery melon sneak in.
(Reds and rosés do exist in vinho verde-land, although they’re rarely to be found in American wine stores.)
Best of all, it’s scary affordable.
Most bottles fall in the under-$10 category, making it a zippy alternative to Prosecco or Cava (both of which should not be bank-breakers either, but I’ve noticed their prices creeping up over the years).
Vinho verdo is a wine born for nights on the patio, backyard barbecues, and early al fresco happy hours–not something to hoard in your cellar for decades.
It’s young, it’s hip, it’s fun; take it out on the town for a spin!
Even Trader Joe’s has a version of vinho verde, a $4 bottle of Espiral, and my house brand is the widely-found Gazela. But by all means, check out the selection at your local wine shop to find some less-obvious bottlings.
And may I suggest cracking open a bottle or two to make an unusually refreshing vinho verde sangria?
This version plays up the wine’s fruity palate, while the slight effervescence means it goes down quickly. Maybe a little too quickly.
Vinho verde sangria pairs the usual grapes and apples with fresh peaches, all the better to embrace the in-season fruits of summer. Use Granny Smith apples to really play up the natural flavors of the wine.
Vinho Verde Sangria
Vinho verde, a Portuguese white wine whose name translates to "green wine," is a fizzy summer sipper and makes amazing vinho verde sangria!
Ingredients
- 2 peaches, cubed
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cubed
- 1/2 pound green grapes, sliced in half
- 2 750-ml bottles vinho verde
- 1 cup triple sec or Cointreau
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a large (3-4 quart) pitcher.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours to chill the wine and let the flavors meld.
- Serve over ice.
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Casey Barber
Casey Barber is the owner and founder of Good Food Stories LLC and a visual storyteller whose work often focuses on the intersection of food and culture. She is also the author of the cookbooks Pierogi Love: New Takes on an Old-World Comfort Food and Classic Snacks Made from Scratch: 70 Homemade Versions of Your Favorite Brand-Name Treats, and she couldn’t get anything done without the help of her executive assistant cats, Bixby and Lenny. Her favorite color is obviously orange.
LOVE vinho verde! nyc’ers having trouble finding it in their local wine shop can find a nice selection (broader than the two labels you might find in most places, and including a rose vinho verde) at lowery liquors in sunnyside :) (http://www.yelp.com/biz/lowery-liquors-and-wine-company-sunnyside)
I love Vinho Verde too. Gazela is great and Casal Garcia is another one I pick up. Great value and refreshing!