Man, I have made my find of the summer! With heat like we have had those last weeks, there is nothing like a well chilled down white wine. Even better if the people who make it know what heat means. And in vinho verde country, that is Northern Portugal, they sure do…I am even willing to forgo my riesling snobbishness for this.
I first came across vinho verde (literally green wine) through my good friend Nair, who comes from the beautiful town of Porto, and whose father happens to own a winery along the Douro river. Whenever he came to visit, he would bring bottles over bottles of vinho verde and his house red. All bottles unlabeled. He also brought gallons of olive oil that they produce, so Nair also distributed that among us, because she is a great friend! (And we threatened her if she did not give us some…)
Vinho verde is to be drunk young, and it usually is still a bit fizzy. It is dry, but remains fruity, usually lower in alcohol content which makes it easy to enjoy in the heat. Those memories made us pick a bottle from Trader Joe’s display two weeks ago. At $4.49 there is not much one can do wrong we thought. And nothing wrong with it there was!
We have made several runs to TJ’s in the last weeks to stock up because we are constantly running out of it. I think it is just what summer should taste like: In the glass you get a light colored, depending on the bottle more or less fizzy wine. The nose is full of fresh apple and pear and some fresh grass. When you try it, it is a dry wine, but not too dry. The fruitiness is amazing, but the acidity gives you that refreshing race over your tongue. At 9% ABV there is also nothing to worry about.
Simply put: It is delicious. And at that price, it is a steal! So, better pick some up while the heat lasts, and TJ’s supplies do as well…I for one am sure that I will make a couple more runs in the not too distant future….
If you’re not in Trader Joe’s country, go and pick up some other vinho verde. Chances are that it won’t be too expensive, fruity and fresh, and just be the right thing on a hot summer’s day! Just make sure you drink it well, well chilled.
the winegetter 
Intereesting thoughts
finally tried it. love it. obviously.
It’s SO drinkable!!! Throw in frozen raspberries, also great.
um, i may have had the whole bottle (minus a glass for Mark)…like the raspberry idea!
LOL, we usually have a bottle each…:)
Memories of a holiday in Portugal – freshly grilled sardines cooked in front of us at the doorway barbecue of the little family restaurant – and a bottler of chilled Vinho Verde – nothing could be nearer Heaven this side of the ‘Great-divide’.
I know exactly what you are talking about…always brings back great memories of visiting my friend’s family in Porto…
Haven’t tried Vinho Verde, but I’m going to find me some for the weekend. It sounds right up my alley. Thanks for the review!
Thanks!! Good luck hunting! And let me know what you think…:)
BTW, make sure it is THIS PARTICULAR Vinho Verde, the ESPIRAL. Just a few days ago I had another one at a very nice restaurant and it tasted like sour apples, very sour apples, no fizz like the Espiral.
Oh, that is sad to hear, Sylvia! I have yet to come across one I don’t like…no matter what maker…:)
[…] It also shows me the most frequent recent commenters (in order of appearance: Stefano, Tracy, Megan, Anatoli, Jeff and Julian, in case you were wondering!) and the most commented on posts (again from most down: About, The Wine Century Club, Sunday Read: Almaroja Pirita 2007 Arribes, Sunday read: Why you should be drinking cheap wine and Trader Joe’s Espiral Vinho Verde). […]
Hahaaa..you’re dealing with the heat and I’m just trying to warm up! Love me some good Vinho Verde though!
Oh no, trust me, it is way cold here right now, those Michigan winters are getting me…but, we still had a bottle of this wine last night. So good.
Good stuff. Been getting some of my recent selections from Trader Joe’s. Will have to look on their shelves as the weather warms for this one!
It is really yum and so affordable. They sell it year round, we actually drank some during the winter, too…:) Good hunting and thanks for stopping by!
Thanks again for liking my newest blog post. Love Vinho Verde! Cheers!
Ha, seems like everyone’s in love with vinho verde! :) Cheers!
Vinho Verde is one of my faves! A great ‘go-to’ for summer! Couldn’t agree more!
Thanks, and this is a steal, too!!
Love this and love your blog. Thanks for liking and following mine. Cheers!!
Thanks!!
[…] acidity. It was a really good vinho verde, probably one of the best I have had (better than the Trader Joe’s Vinho Verde Espiral, I think, because it was more rounded and less wild). I highly recommend this wine if you get a […]
Great article. I used to live in Madeira and every evening came with a bottle (or two) of vinho verde at the beach. Memories :-)
Thanks! Isn’t food and wine all about memories? Thanks for stopping by!
[…] to squeeze over it and a salad as a side. The wine was light and refreshing. It did resemble the Trader Joe’s vinho verde in its freshness (but without the fizz). The herbal aromas did give it a different feel, though. […]
[…] am huge fan of its sibling Espiral Vinho verde, so it seemed natural to give this one a try. Just as the vinho verde, vinho rosé is meant to be a […]
Dear Winegetter –
you will be pleased to know that after enjoying the first bottle of Espiral (bought at TJ) – just like you – we have become instant fans. Since I couldn’t recall where I had bought this wine, I googled it and found your blog. I used to import German wines into the US, and so I know a thing or two about wines – at a minimum I know it when I stumpled across a great find. I like your sense of taste. Maybe I can convince you to once and a while post your recommendations for your favorite German, Swiss or Austrian wines at http://www.GoRaRa.com under the “recipe” section. Obviously you know your stuff!
Thanks for sharing, and I will head back to TJs to secure a whole case of this Vinho Verde from our friends in Portugal.
Thank you so very much for that post, Sylvia! I am glad my post helped you find it…we just recently stocked up once more, who knows how much longer they last in the store?
I will send you an email regarding your website!
[…] find wines I love for $50+ per bottle, but I can also find wines I like (or even love!, like this one) for under $5. It’s all up to my […]
I agree. Vinho Verde makes great summer wine and the city of Porto is beautiful, fascinating and the people so welcoming. By the way,have you tried Vinho Verde red – a bit of an acquired taste, but give it a go if you can find some. Thanks for liking my blog. Ian
No, I have not had the red vinho verde. Will have to make that a priority. I loved Porto when I visited, and the great thing about Porto is its hinterland with the Douro valley…thanks for stopping by!
[…] over at friends, making burritos and catching up. After we were done with our by now obligatory Vinho Verde Espiral, we moved on to two other Trader Joe’s wines that I had not yet tasted. I was quite excited […]
Vinho Verde is a perfect summer wine, and Trader Joe’s is The place to buy great wines at great prices. This is the case of 1+1 = 3! Very nice write up, though.
Thanks!! Glad you liked the write up. And yes, TJ’s is a treasure trove…
Seems to be a great refreshing summer wine :) I’ll try to pick up a Vinho Verde next time I head to one of the Enotecas here since we don’t have Trader Joe :s
Please do. I think they’re just great. Wherever you pick em up!!
Huge fan of the VV! We served it at our wedding almost 11 (!!!) years ago. Very nice write-up and it reminded me I need to go out and get some more for the rest of the summer!
11 years ago??? You are that old??? No, let me rephrase: you got married THAT young??? :)
Thanks for the praise. Go get some.
Wow! I’m certainly going to try this!
Go for it! I think we have not pillaged all their stock yet…