A trendy, nerve-tingling white from Portugal

This exquisite light white wine has plenty of zest and energy, and is utterly heavenly with or without grub, says Matthew Jukes.

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2008 Arca Nova Vinho Verde, northwest Portugal (£7.95, Vinoteca, 020-7253 8786; £7.75, Kensington Wine Rooms, 020 7727 8142; £6.30, www.slurp.co.uk ).

Nothing quite signals the start to the summer like a glass of ice cold vinho verde. This exquisite style of 'light' (it is only 10.5% alcohol) white wine is utterly heavenly with or without grub. Made from two massively underrated white grapes, loureiro and arinto, the zest for life and energy in this particular version is wild and untamed.

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But for a truly mesmerising food and wine experience, grab a handful of unpeeled prawns, rip them to shreds with your fingers and use your left hand to squeeze lemon juice and your right to marshal the glass turning yourself into a prawn chomping, vinho verde slurping hero.

You'll be in such bliss that you and your pals won't speak until every last morsel has disappeared! Bargain-priced and so much trendier than sauvignon blanc, get ahead of the scene with Arca Nova.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year.

Matthew Jukes
Matthew Jukes
Wine columnist

Matthew Jukes has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006.

He has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website.

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.