Cheap Wines That Don't Suck: 2008 Famega Vinho Verde

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The solstice says it's summer, but the fog hovering over the bay hasn't yet made up its mind. The sun will eventually peek out, and when it does you'll want the right wine: perky, light, clean, and cheap.

Vinho Verde, a Portuguese white that literally means "green wine," fits the bill. Famega makes one of the best, with bright acidity, crisp-apple freshness, and an ever so slight petillance -- and D&M Wines and Liquors in Pac Heights (2200 Fillmore at Sacramento) sells it for $8.99.

It's made from three grapes you've likely never heard of: Avesso, Azal, and PedernĂ£, all hyperlocal to the small Minho region in Portugal that produces them. It's low in alcohol (9.5 percent), so think about picking up a few bottles.

Tags: wine
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