I was looking for gummi grapefruit in World Market the other day and came upon a bottle of this stuff. It looked intriguing, and after a few hours in the fridge, it didn’t disappoint. It was my first experience with vinho verde, and as introductions go, it was certainly less awkward than the Saturday morning 19 years ago when my mother took me to Burger King to meet the daughter of one of her church friends. My recent dinner of curried chicken (made with Spice House vadouvan) and this bottle of Aveleda Fonte Vinho Verde was a much better match than me and…I wanna say, Harriet? Let’s say Harriet. I mean, we could say the name of any woman I knew during the first 18 years of my life and the statement would still be true, but that would get tiresome – and wouldn’t you rather be drinking some Portuguese wine and talking about Souter’s replacement instead?

Vinho verde’s flavors are delicate and moderately fruit-forward, but not overly sweet. It’s also just a touch fizzy. I think you’ll like it.

In the Chicago area, Aveleda Fonte Vinho Verde can be found at In Fine Spirits, and in some of the other places you usually look. It should average around $8 – which is good, since it goes down smooth. And fast.

Enjoy.

-Theo