I Drink This “Crisp” $8 White Wine All Summer Long (It Tastes Fancy!)

If I’m not asking my guests to bring wine to dinner, I’m serving Vinho Verde. It’s vibrant, delicious, and best of all: You can get a good bottle for around (or even under) $10.

I love a glass of wine, and I’m known to shell out for a nicer bottle, but then I see Vinho Verde on the shelf and I’m like, “Why?” The quality reaches way beyond the pricepoint, and it will satisfy any wine drinker at your table — unless they only drink full-bodied reds, in which case, sorry, this won’t help you.

“Vinho Verde” translates to “green wine,” but in a young way, not the actual color. It’s bottled much sooner after harvesting than other wines and consumed right after. This means it has a slightly lower ABV than your average bottle (about 8 to 11% compared to the usual 11 to 13%), and the shorter production time contributes to a lower bottle cost. All of that makes it convenient to serve a crowd, but beyond that, it’s actually delicious. 

Vinho Verde isn’t a specific type of grape, it’s a DOC — a designation of origin in the same way Champagne can only come from the Champagne region in France. The majority of Vinho Verde wines are white, but you can also find rosé and red bottles, and they are all made with a blend of regionally grown grapes. 

While it varies a bit from bottle to bottle, there are a few flavor notes you can expect to taste in a bottle of white Vinho Verde:

• Tart: The grapes used in Vinho Verde are more acidic, yielding a wine with juicy citrus and green apple notes. It’s not going to make your mouth pucker, though!
• Slightly bubbly: The wine is lighter-bodied and slightly effervescent — not enough to taste fizzy, like prosecco or Champagne, but enough to add a little extra crispness to every sip.
• Dry: Even though it’s tart and juicy, it isn’t going to be sweet. You can expect some minerality, too. I liken it to a little bit of salty sea air in every glass.

This all translates to a crisp white wine that is juicy without being too sweet, easy to drink, and full of flavor. Plus, I can usually grab a bottle at any normal shop. It’s a great wine to pick up when you’re buying for a crowd or trying to save money without compromising on quality. Most bottles will run you somewhere from $10 to $15 (sometimes less — I spotted this one for just under $8!) while still delivering the same balanced flavor.

Apart from the taste, the price, and the availability — there is so much going for it — I love Vinho Verde’s versatility. I would feel confident serving it with just about anything I’d serve with white or rosé wine, but there are some dishes that really make it shine. 

I think the fruity notes are a good balance to spicy food like peri peri sauce, shrimp aguachile, or Korean fried chicken. And if I’m really honest, I treat Vinho Verde like my all-purpose house wine. When in doubt, I bring it out.

Buy: Casal Garcia Vinho Verde, $7.99 for 750 ml at Total Wine

What’s your go-to white wine for summer entertaining? Tell us about it in the comments below.