“Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy.” – Ben Franklin

Hi lovely people!

I tried a new wine recently that I’ve added to my spring/summer winelist. After a nice day at Oleta River State Park , the hubby and I were walking around at Whole Foods picking up dinner for a lazy, no-cook evening and we headed to the chilled wines and both pairs of eyes were drawn to the same cheapie ($6.99!) bottle of white wine with the gorgeous and happy springy label that we had never seen before. Well, it was beyond white really—unlike Chardonnay and Pinot grigio and other popular whites, it’s practically clear. We actually both murmured “Ooooh” simultaneously. So cheesy, I know. My husband and I both love and appreciate all kinds of wine but I more often seek out whites, champagnes and rosés, while he’s heavily into reds. Even with our respective preferences though, we almost always find a wine that makes us both happy.

This particular wine, ‘Opala Vinho Verde,’ is from Portugal. “Vinho verde” translates directly into “green wine,” so called because the grapes are picked young, and the wine is meant to be drunk within a roughly a year of bottling. The label promised a “crisp, refreshing, light white wine.” It has a lower alcohol content than most wines—just 9% by volume, as opposed to the average 12-13%.

Dinner was a fillet of flounder lightly breaded, along with a light orzo. It was just a bit warm outside. Opened the bottle and noticed right away that the wine was slightly fizzy. I was happy already. The wine was deee-lish. Kind of citrusy and grassy. A perfect balance between dry and subtle sweetness. It’s perfect for warmer weather and for lighter food. But truth be told, I won’t discriminate—I could drink this with brunch, lunch or dinner, during an August evening or a December afternoon. This bubbly vinho verde goes down easy. REAL easy. And a nice, easily-likable wine for under $10! In this day and age, how great is that?

Happy wine-ing all!