Despite the fact that college football starts in about a week (my harbinger of fall), it is definitely still summer. Here, temperatures swelter in the upper 90s most days. Add to that 98% humidity, and the air feels so thick and muggy you almost have to swim through it. (Seriously, I’ve made breaststroke gestures when walking outside, and bystanders simply nod in agreement.)

Now normally, I’m a 100% bourbon girl (and I’ve found some ways to summerize my beloved drink), but I’ve recently switched to the perfect sipper for these hot days: vinho verde wine. Translated as “green wine,” vinho verde wines come from Portugal, and they’re made to be enjoyed young (hence the “green” moniker). Bonus: That means they’re quite inexpensive.

I’ve never been a white wine person (see above, bourbon love), but I absolutely adore this wine. It’s spritzy, crisp, tangy, juicy, and fresh, with a hint of effervescence. You can even find vinho verde rosé, which has all of these characteristics plus the most delicate whiff of strawberry—yum! While you can certainly drink it with food, you don’t have to. It’s a lovely casual, social wine—meaning it’s ideal for long, lingering conversations with friends. This has become my go-to beverage this summer, and I’ve introduced lots of my friends and family to it, toting along a bottle to every get-together I attend. And everyone who tries it is a convert. It’s the perfect antidote to a steamy summer day or one of those too-hot evenings that defies logic.