Vinho Verde and Working Out: Perfect Together

I work out. I have been doing so since I was 16. To put it simply, several decades have passed since then, and I have made staying in shape a part of my daily life. This does not mean I wake at 4 a.m. and hit the gym like more dedicated folks. Still, I always try to plan at least four workouts each week regardless of where I happen to be in the world: On vacation, traveling for work, or just visiting family, I will find a way to get the heart beating at a higher rate than normal for at least 20 or 30 minutes (in New York, I ran the steps in my hotel from 1 to 58 three times each morning for a week!).  

With my workout creds established, I will now share with you my enthusiasm for always getting in my evening drink. Whether it’s an ice-cold beer or a couple of glasses of wine before dinner, I will never let my habit of working out interfere with my passion for enjoying a glass of something nice.

Nonetheless, as you age (like from 25 on!), the calories from those little glasses of after-work joy start to stick more stubbornly. That is why I so love a nice glass (or two) of Portuguese Vinho Verde — in this case, Lucky Sardine. 

Made with grapes from the lush, green Northern Portuguese region known as Vinho Verde, the little-known wines of the area are crafted from Loureiro, Arinto, Azal, Avesso, and Alvarinho, often blended with a small amount of Trajadura. Hand-picked, the grapes are transported to the winery quickly to preserve their full aromatic character. The wines are delightfully fruity and fresh with a pleasant dryness that makes the hints of spritz really something special. And, most importantly, the average glass of not-sweet Vinho Verde is roughly only 100 calories. 

Lucky Sardine’s white and rose wines are both not sweet and tend to be a bit drier than most Vinho Verdes you will find in the United States—that said, they are not excessively dry either.

Another pleasant benefit of Vinho Verde is that, thanks to its low-alcohol content, Lucky Sardine is 10.5% ABV, an hour or so after a couple of glasses, you feel almost as if you hadn’t drunk a drop. You could even pop out for an after-dinner run or do a light workout.