Today we review a white wine from Portugal available at Trader Joe’s for the remarkable price of $4.
Let’s be honest, at this low price, a wine doesn’t have to do very much to achieve a recommendation. As long as it doesn’t suck, it should be recommendable. (In fact, this wine was featured in the “Cheap Wines That Don’t Suck” column in the San Francisco Weekly.) But this wine actually does some things very well.
Espiral vinho verde is perfect for a starter wine at a summer party. “Starter” meaning that the guests are just arriving, it was hot as a firecracker outside, and they are saying hello and getting comfortable. Why does Espiral work here? It’s light. REALLY light. And it’s fun, because it’s a little bit bubbly. Effervescent. Spritzy. It’s also fun because, as my foodie friends who introduced me to Espiral pointed out, it tastes like a green apple Jolly Rancher. Finally, it’s very low alcohol, so it won’t bog anybody down as they begin to enjoy your party.
On the downside, depending on your tastes, this crisp white wine is very simple, lacking depth and “oomph”. And it’s extremely dry. Some people want their white wine to provide some ooey-gooey sweetness. (Although I think some of these people will come around once you lay the Jolly Rancher comparison on them.)
Serve this one very well-chilled. Enjoy!
Wineguider wine reviews 
Where can I purchase this in Florida or who will ship a case?
Trader Joe’s had it in my neck of the woods, but I don’t know if they are even in Florida? If not, you would just have to call a local wine store and see if this wine can be obtained in Florida. Sometimes you will get a better price if you find a place that already carries it, rather than asking your local store to order it special. It’s just a question of how much time you’re willing to put in. Let me know what you find!
-Wineguider
I chilled the vinho verde and served it at s dinner party. We loved it. The only problem I have was that I had brought only one bottle. Nreded a lot more and I certainly will buy more because it is at the top of my list.
It’s a decent representation of a vinho verde: light, citrusy, a little minerality. Anyone who takes a vinho verde too seriously doesn’t get what they’re about. Especially for a 4 buck bottle. It’s nice, fizzy, light and refreshing–precisely what you want in a bottle of green.