Portuguese bubbly

Saturday night I went to a fun, new eclectic French cafe in my friend'’s neighborhood. At first I was annoyed with the short and pricey list of champagnes and California sparklers offered by the glass. But my mood picked up when I spotted a 2005 vinho verde by Alianca. I'’d never tasted this softly sparkling and inexpensive Portuguese wine, so I decided to take a $5 gamble. It's called vinho verde because it's bottled while young and "green." The wine was pale and clear with a golden green tinge and citrusy floral aromas. The first sip was startlingly tart, but the wine mellowed as my tongue warmed up to it. The vinho verde added a needed shot of acidity to salad with grilled and fried calamari and was brilliant with my main course of mussels with herbed frites. I had thought all vinho verde was white, but learned there are red ones too after reading a website by an association that represents the winemakers in this designated wine region. For a thorough primer on the subject of vinho verde, visit http://www.vinhoverde.pt/en/