Santa Virdina Vonho Verde

Santa Virdina Vonho Verde is a Massachusetts wine from Esplanda made in the Vinho Verde style, which is light, bright and meant to be drunk young. The listing doesn't name the grapes, the alcohol level or the vintage. What follows is what wines in this style usually deliver, not a measured profile of this bottle. Expect pale straw color, citrus and green-apple fruit, and perhaps a touch of pear or white flowers. Wines like this tend to be light-bodied, with high acidity and little to no oak or tannin. Many examples carry a faint spritz, so a light prickle on the tongue wouldn't be unusual. The finish is typically short, clean and tart. That acidity and low weight suit salty, briny or fried food. Oysters, steamed clams, grilled sardines, shrimp with garlic and lemon, and fish tacos all work, since the wine cuts through richness the way a squeeze of lime would. It also handles fresh goat cheese, green salads with vinaigrette, and mildly spicy dishes such as Thai or Vietnamese noodles. Heavy cream sauces and red meat would overwhelm it. Serve it well chilled, around 42 to 46°F (6 to 8°C), which keeps the freshness and any fizz lively. About two hours in the refrigerator or thirty minutes in an ice bucket will get it there. Decanting isn't needed, and a decanter would only let the spritz fade. A small white-wine glass or a standard tulip-shaped glass with a modest bowl works best, because it concentrates the citrus aromas without letting them dissipate. Treat this as a drink-now bottle. Wines in this style are made for freshness and seldom improve with cellaring, so the best window is within a year or two of the vintage. Once opened, it holds for a day or two with a stopper in the refrigerator, though the spritz will soften.