Wine Review: Vinho verde - Telegraph The wine trade loves to sell us the 'perfect' or the 'quintessential' summer white, and that can be muscadet, pinot grigio, English bacchus or unoaked chardonnay - anything that smells fruity and tastes relatively fresh and mouthwatering seems to qualify for the title sooner or later. Last year picpoul de pinet - the grapefruity dry white from the Languedoc - was having its moment; this year sees the turn of Portugal's vinho verde, the industry buzzing with news of a revival. It needed one. My first experience of cheap vinho verde - many summers ago, while visiting a friend in Lisbon - was glum. It came in one-litre Tetra Paks and tasted like dilute, old lemon squash. Most vinho verde on British shelves was, until recently, decidedly downmarket, tasting sweetish and pear-droppy with a prickle of gas. But there are much better wines around now, mainly because viticulture in Minho in north-west Portugal (the vinho verde region), has greatly improved. Today local grapes alvarinho, loureiro and others deliver more distinctive, clear and juicy flavours, typically citrus, pear and peach. Modern examples are usually dryish and less spritzy. The timing is spot-on, as we seek out refreshing whites with lower levels of alcohol than, say, Californian chardonnay or New Zealand sauvignon blanc, which can be up to 14 per cent ABV. Vinho verde (verde means 'young', by the way) achieves 8.5-12 per cent. Drier versions pair up nicely with white fish, sardines and seafood, green salads, tomatoes and sushi. The perfect summer white? Oh, all right, then. Tapada de Villar 2012 (Marks & Spencer, £6.99) Green apples and tangerines burst out of this sunny, summery white, which makes a fine partner for barbecued seafood and fish (including sardines). Just 10.5 per cent Quinta de Azevedo 2012 (Majestic, £7.99 or £5.99 when you buy two or more until 2 September) Filigree-light, dry white with pure, clean flavours of pear, apple and lemon, and a delicate hint of spritz. Lovely summer apéritif. 11 per cent Casa da Senra Loureiro 2012 (leaandsandeman.co.uk, £10.95) A more intensely flavoured vinho verde, made from the fruity loureiro grape alone, with juicy, bright lemon, mango and pineapple flavours. Pour with sea bass and tomato salad. 12 per cent TIPPLE TIP from pans to vins I've road-tested Le Creuset's set of wine accessories - pourers, stoppers and aerators - and love their sturdy but elegant design and efficiency. There's an excellent lever-pull corkscrew in scarlet and black too. From £10, from John Lewis or lecreuset.co.uk