Sponsored Post: We’re celebrating Vinho Verde wines this season. These Portuguese bottles are young, fresh, vibrant, and affordable. It’s the perfect wine for all your favorite summer recipes, beach trips, and vacations. It truly is like no other wine in the world.
Celebrate spring with fresh air, fresh foods and vibrant Vinho Verde wines.
Spring has finally hit NYC so it’s time to store those heavy reds and get back to all things crisp and refreshing! Vinho Verde (pronounced veeng-yo vaird) are young wines released 3-6 months after harvest with vibrant fruit and crisp acidity. 
You may be asking yourself, “why does all of this matter?” Well it matters because when you combine fresh fruit, bright acidity, and low alcohol, you have yourself a low risk wine that will pair wonderfully with just about anything…especially in the springtime! When bringing wine to a party or hosting a spring gathering, versatility matters.
Ready to impress your friends? You can let them know Vinho Verde covers about 8% of the country’s landmass making it the largest wine region in all of Portugal…not to mention one of the oldest.
The truth is in the pudding as last week I hosted an intimate lunch on a friend’s rooftop. We started with a Camararo Alho e Oleo (Portuguese for shrimp and garlic oil) and transitioned to a traditional fan favorite- Grilled Chicken Greek Salad. The Vinho Verde wines were a perfect and classic match bringing out the food’s best qualities without overpowering them. To host your own spring gathering, I have included the recipes below!
1. Many, many bottles of Vinho Verde wines.
2. Camararo Alho e Oleo
Ingredients:
· 300g large whole shrimp
· 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
· ½ tsp salt
· 3 1/4 cloves garlic, well minced
· 1 lemon
1. Heat the olive oil in the skillet for 1 minute
2. Add prawns and stir frequently for 1 minute
3. Add minced garlic and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the shrimp become red and plump
4. Season with salt
5. Squeeze fresh lemon
2. Grilled Chicken Greek Salad
Ingredients:
· 1 ½ tsp olive oil
· 1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
· ½ red onion sliced
· 1 green pepper sliced
· 1 cup cucumber sliced
· 4 tomatoes quartered
· ½ cup feta cheese
· ¼ cup black olives
· 2 ½ tbsp. parsley
· 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
· 1 ½ tsp oregano
· 1 clove garlic finely chopped
· 1 lemon
1. Heat olive oil in skillet on medium
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook through approx. 4 minutes on each side
3. Slice chicken into equal pieces and squeeze fresh lemon over top
4. In a separate bowl, mix olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic and oregano
5. Toss together remaining green pepper, red onion, cucumber, black olives, tomatoes, feta cheese, and parsley.
6. Add dressing and chicken and toss again
There you have it! The next time you need to bring a refreshing wine to your next NYC party, bring a Vinho Verde and tell them Grape Chic sent you!
