I’ve had the quintessential Portuguese vinho verde (green wine) almost every day since I arrived to Lisbon, in some shape or form. Either it’s a glass slowly savored with dinner or it’s used for cooking various stews my man has been whipping up. It’s my little obsessão do dia so I decided to investigate this young light wine that has been my meal companion for a few weeks now.

Wikipedia claims it is “a pétillant Portuguese wine from the Minho region in the far north of the country. The name literally means “Green Wine”, referring to its youthful freshness rather than its colour – in fact about 60% is white and 40% red, with a little rosé.”

If you want a no-frills bottle of vinho verde, go for the true-and-tried Casal Garcia. It may be snubbed by oenophiles but this staple tastes pretty damn fine and can be picked up for as little as €3 per bottle. It’s also considered the most sold brand of vinho verde, available in 60 countries on five continents.

To find out more about the history of vinho verde, different brands and distributors, here’s a great resource: www.vinhoverde.pt. Do you have a vinho verde favorite? Please do share!