Vinho Verde White Sangria

There is no doubt that cosmopolitan cocktails of the 21st century have revolutionised the way liquor is visualised and consumed around the world, mixing historically significant vineyard products with exquisite far-reaching ingredients to create a finely tuned blend of flavour, aftertaste, and sublime intoxication. The Vinho Verde White Sangria is one such slightly frizzante concoction from the modern repository that combines two of the oldest wine preparations in a contemporary twist.

The recipe for this alcoholic delight brings together the Portuguese classic Vinho Verde, lemon seltzer, lemon vodka, sliced lemon, lime and cucumber, frozen white grapes, and mint leaves in a subtly fizzy, dry acidic, green-tinged cocktail that serves as the perfect beverage to quaff on, on a sultry summer day before a refreshing siesta.

Though there is no specific tale behind the conception of this modern concoction, the underlying ingredients of the cocktail possess a history as vibrant as it can get. The typically effervescent Vinho Verde originated in Portugal’s historic Minho province through malolactic fermentation and has ever since been available in white, rose, and red variants. Minho’s extensive vineyards, the birthplace of the drink, find mentioned in the Roman anecdotes of Seneca the Younger and Pliny the Elder. This Roman exclusive is believed to have been imported to Germany, England, and Flanders starting from the 12th century, though the first definite record of export to England is from 1788 found in wine merchant John Croft’s narratives.

As for the technique of mixing the wine with other syrups and fruit essences to create the Sangria, the tradition seems to have originated in the ancient Greco-Roman domain in a glass of Hippocras, the argued precursor of Sangria and mulled wine. The Sangria is believed to be a millennium-old custom, equally prevalent in Roman, Phoenician, and Spanish cultures. With the conquest of the Spanish peninsula by the Islamic Moors in the 8th century CE, mentions of Sangria understandably vanished, only to return with the end of the dynasty in 1492.

With the advent of the 18th century, variations of the traditional Spanish red Sangria began to appear in England and France with the substitution of peaches and lighter grape varieties, creating sparkling Sangria, white Sangria and Zurra. The drink became a cosmopolitan cauldron of exquisite liquor experimentations following the 1964 World’s Fair in New York City, giving rise to modern magics like the Vinho Verde White Sangria.