Honestly, I don’t know why I even bother to review vinho verde wines, because I’ve never met one I didn’t like. But today’s trip to the liquor store (as I am on VACATION and will be until next Monday, and thus will spend the whole time drinking and playing video games) revealed that Astor had a new vinho verde in stock! One I had never had before! Naturally, I snapped it up. It’s at a slightly higher price point than the general vinho verde stock, but still under $10.

Casa de Sezim is not nearly as bubbly as many of the other vinho verde wines I’ve tried; I have a suspicion this has something to do with its higher alcohol content. Most vinho verdes run between 9-10% alcohol; this one is 12.5%. But, this lack of effervescence does not make it any less of a wine. It’s a little heavier on the tongue, and doesn’t have the strong lemony, citrusy flavor that a lot of other vinho verdes have. This, instead, has a strong scent of peach! I would call this one a more serious vinho verde, better suited to go with food–it sort of begs for seafood, or something a little spicy–than the usual light sippin’ wine that is other vinho verdes.

I really have no idea what the proper way to pluralize vinho verde is. Forgive me, I don’t speak Portuguese. But if I keep loving Portuguese wines this much, I’m going to have to learn.

BUY IT AGAIN: Of course!

IT’S SO HOT UGH HELP IT’S SO HOT NEW YORK IN SUMMER IS SO GROSS HELP HELP HELP.

Uh. By which I mean, it has been a while since I have posted, especially with any reviews! Don’t worry, I’m still drinking! Drinking so much I can’t be bothered to write! But time to break the drought with some more vinho verde. I’m sorry, red wines, I love you, but I don’t think I can drink you until like October, because you make me sweat.

Fâmega is, as all vinho verde wines, light and fantastically refreshing. This one is bubblier than most, with a light citrus flavor, and also some hints of actual green flavors… sort of crisp and almost vegetable. Celery? I don’t know, I feel like that sounds like a bad thing to say that wine tastes like, but people say wine tastes like all kind of stupid things. The bubbles are really at the forefront, sharp and pleasing on the tongue, and the wine is only a little sweet. This wine is crisp and refreshing, and perfect for disgusting hot New York nights.

Damn it, I moved up to the north to escape terrible weather! No one told me that New York summers were basically as bad as Nashville summers! Son of a–!

Anyway, Fâmega rosé to follow! Possibly. Depends. You know how it is.

BUY IT AGAIN: ALL SUMMER LONG.

Discovering vinho verde was basically what kicked me over into being a serious wine drinker. Sometime last summer, I stumbled into the much-spoken-of Astor Center, and saw they had a display of Portuguese wines. Vinho Verde, they were called. “Green wine?!” I thought, and bought the one in a green glass bottle, with a vague hope the liquid inside would actually be green. It was not, but it was delicious.

Here is your required spiel behind vinho verde: it is called “green wine” because they are extremely young wines, aged only a year or less. The word “verde” is pronounced as only one syllable, because this is Portuguese, not Spanish.

I freaking love vinho verde wines. There is no better summer wine. They are across the board light, crisp, and delicious, perfect for a hot summer night. You have to seriously try to find one that costs more than $10. The average price on bottles I have had—bottles of wine that was seriously good— is about $6. Portuguese wines in particular seem to go for pretty cheap. I believe I have read that this is because Portuguese wines (other than port) don’t yet have the importing clout in America yet. So take advantage of this while you can, before people catch on to this fantastic secret.

Ouro Verde is my favorite of all of the many, many vinho verdes I have had, and it makes me sad that I can only find it through the delivery service that brings me my groceries (news flash: living in New York City is incredibly awesome). It is bright and crisp on the tongue, with very clear citrus notes, and just enough sweetness to make me happy. This wine is just slightly effervescent… not enough to be called a true sparkling wine, but with enough bubbles to feel fantastic when going across your tongue. Vinho verdes are lower alcohol wines, this one in particular being only 9.5% alcohol, so you can comfortably drink it and get a pleasing buzz, instead of totally knackered.

It’s not summer weather yet here in NYC at all, and thank God for that, but when it is, I will go back to drinking nothing but these perfections of white, the vinho verdes.

BUY IT AGAIN: Yes, yes, a thousand times yes.