Friday Happy Hour — Casal Garcia Vinho Verde

I tell you what, this is a fitting post for a Friday because this week about drove me to drink.  I’ve been struggling with a computer problem that was only fixable by a clean install of windows 7.  Twice.  Plus 168 updates.  Twice.  I’m so tired of technology!  Let’s unwind over a cold, refreshing glass of Vinho Verde.

Thats right, I said cold!   Vinho Verde (VEEN-yoh VER-deh) is a light, tangy, very slightly effervescent white wine from a specific region in Portugal (like real “champagne” only comes from Champagne, France). This is a super casual, hang-out-on-the-patio wine, and it’s not unheard of to serve it over ice. It’s a very pale yellow, and some vintners capitalize on the “verde” by putting it in slightly blue-tinted bottles so it almost appears green.

Vinho-verde

It’s semi-sweet and very crisp.  I’ve seen it described before as “lively” and “zingy.”  A couple years ago, Bon Appetit said, “If it were soda, it’d be Mountain Dew,” and that we should “Stick a couple of bottles in your cooler next to the beer; it’s a perfect waiting-for-the-grill-to-heat-up barbecue wine.” I couldn’t agree more.  The fizziness alone is enough to make me happy!

It’s called “green wine” because it’s a young wine, a new wine.  This is one you shouldn’t drink if it’s over two years old.  The younger the better, actually — it will feel more fruity and cheerful and happy if it’s a new vintage.  There are stickers on the bottles from the Portuguese government, certifying that it came from the correct region and when it was bottled.

Casal Garcia is one of many winemakers that produce Vinho Verde.  Some are sweeter, some are dryer.  Some are spendy, some are inexpensive.  If you’re lucky enough to have a good liquor/wine store that carries some, get a few different bottles to try and have a tasting by the grill in the sunshine.  With a cooler and ice.  And red solo cups.

This bottle set me back about $9, but as I’ve said before, anything boozy costs more here.  My research shows it at about a $6 price point on average for the US.  You can afford to try it on for size.

Vinho Verde can’t be more than 11.5% alcohol per Portuguese law, and the Casal Garcia is 10% ABV.

Should we get another round?  I haven’t heard a thing yet about how your week went.  We should totally get some appetizers!  To all of us!  *clink*

 

 

1 comment

  1. That’s a fantastic analogy! When you taste it later, you’ll have to tell us if it holds up!

Comments are closed.