Wine Bargain No. 6: Aveleda Vinho Verde

Written by on in General Wine

What white wine can you pair with both fish or bacon?

A cool, crisp, clean white wine with a sparkling taste.
A cool, crisp, clean white wine with a sparkling taste.

It might amaze you — as it did me — that the Portuguese have a clean, crisp wine that you can drink with a breakfast meal — bacon and eggs — then pack it away for the evening hours and serve it with a light fish dinner.

Aveleda Vinho Verde won’t disappoint. It’s No. 6 on my Wine Bargain list and for good reason: The wine is vibrant and vivacious (notice all the V-power in Vinho Verde) and makes for easy summer drinking. The acidity in this cool, medium bodied white makes it perfect for seafood dishes, paella, and soft cheeses like goat cheese.

Recently, I paired this with fish and chips and cole slaw and found out that the light-egg batter on the cod wasn’t a great fit with the Vinho Verde. It was acceptable, but the apple, pear and melon flavors were muted by the batter’s oily texture. So I improvised by taking off the batter and – Voila! — it was superb. The taste was even better when I squeezed fresh lemon juice over the fish. The dry, citrusy wine really kicked in.

So never say never with your food-wine experimentation. The next mid- morning, a Sunday, the Wine Goddess cooked up bacon and eggs. I tried it with a bit of what was left of the bottle and once again, the bacon flavors and the bubbly Vinho Verde combined for a nice brunch.

Here’s an excerpt from my  review n the August 8 edition of WhatdoUwannado.com magazine that is published in The Sun.

No. 6: Aveleda Vinho Verde, Portgual, $8.99 — The Aveleda Winery is one of Portugal’s best and their Vinho Verde (“green” wine) is a top seller in the United States. It’s a straw-colored white wine best described as a cross between Pinot Grigio and Riesling. Made to be consumed young, hence “green wine”, it features tiny bubbles which produce a nice, clean tingling sensation on the tongue. It’s a low-alcohol, high acidic wine with expressive pear, apple, melon aromas and flavors. Chill this wine to 45-50 degrees and serve it on a hot, lazy day on the patio with cheese and crackers and other light fare. It’s effervescent presence also makes for a nice aperitif.