What to Drink Now

> Vinho Verde

Hot enough for you? Then now’s the perfect time to crack open some Vinho Verde from Portugal. Light in body and color and often enlivened with a slight fizz, Vinho Verde is a white wine meant to be consumed while still youthful and fresh (hence the verde, or “green”). Served well-chilled, its light, clean impression on the palate is—like all of summer’s delights—highly pleasurable yet fleeting, with a finish that’s as crisp and bracing as a dive in the pool.
 

With gas prices rising along with the mercury, you’ll be happy to know that you can pick up a bottle of Vinho Verde for less than a Hamilton. And you don’t have to worry about pesky vintages—most Vinho Verde isn’t vintage-dated. (However, check the fine print on the back label. It’s best within a year of bottling.)

The Wine Market’s two locations have laid in a good supply of Pavão Vinho Verde for the summer. At $8 a bottle, it’s a lot cheaper than air conditioning.

Pavão Vinho Verde, $7.99 at the Wine Market, 755 Bielenberg Dr. #104, Woodbury, 651-730-9463; 720 Main St. #101, Mendota Heights, 651-452-9463