Ciconia Vinho Verde `10 DOC $7.99 (Not TJ's) ****

If I had to give a star for each time we drank a bottle of this Portuguese DOC Vihno Verde, it would be a 7 star wine.  Even though this is a wine that we have been drinking all summer long, I seem to only have two pictures of it. Here it is with tamari glazed bluefish, fresh corn on the cob and white rice.

Ciconia Vinho Verde is a bright, light, grapefruity wine with a hint of sweetness on the finish.  VERY REFRESHING and low in ETOH (12.3% according to their tech sheet, it says 10% on the bottle).  Made from strains of the varietals  Antão Vaz, Verdelho and Viognier, it has a minerality that makes it almost effervescent. And you know what?  Opening a screw-top wine bottle in the summertime makes it even more refreshing. (Instant gratification, you don't have to go running to get the corkscrew!)

This wine is a hit; we've had it well chilled with a variety of meals:  grilled fish, a spicy southwestern dinner, fresh morel and asparagus risotto (right), as well as a stand alone sipping wine, with a handful of salted pistachios. What a great summer find.

I wrote about Portugal's Herdade SÃO Miguel when I reviewed their Ciconia Touriga Nacional Syrah Aragones NV $7.99 (not TJ's) ***(*).  They are a huge producer which made me leery, but so far, both of their economical screw top wines that I have tasted were fantastic for the price point.  Really great, inexpensive wine.

It has taken me weeks to review their Vihno Verde because I am in the middle of a very busy summer.  I am off to the Wine Bloggers' Conference in a few days and there will be a flurry of posts.

Until then, here are the sunflowers 

that were bringing summer right into the kitchen 

when I returned home from Maine on Monday: