Tiffany Chen was suffering from Bell's palsy, a neurological disorder that can produce sudden weakness or paralysis in the face

To beat summer heat, wine lovers often turn to vinho verde, a light, refreshing wine from northern Portugal that has enjoyed a boomlet the past few years. One sign of its popularity – several local wineries are producing their own “verde-style” wines with the hallmarks of sharp acidity and slight carbonation. But what exactly is this “green wine”? Here are five things to know about this popular summer sip. 1. The name There’s no agreed on explanation for the name, which apparently evolved around the 17th century when the wines were first exported to Britain. It could be a reference to the “green” underripe flavours of tart apples and lime blossom in the very fresh, raw wine. It could also refer to the lush green landscape of the Minho region in northwestern Portugal, where the Atlantic Ocean’s maritime influence produces a climate and terroir starkly different from the parched Mediterranean lands in the Algarve to the south. The Portuguese pronunciation is VEEN-yo VER-da, with the last syllable all but swallowed. If, like most people, you pronounce it VEE-no VERD-ee, the Portuguese winemakers will not complain. They will smile politely, pocket your cash and be happy you are enjoying their wine. Green wine comes in white, pink and red (sorry, I couldn’t resist). Very little red is produced. Both the whites and rosés are notable for tart acidity (those green flavours) and a slight spritz of carbonation, which combine to make them refreshing, especially in hot weather. They are intended to be enjoyed, not aged. In fact, many are not even vintage-dated because they’re not expected to last long enough for the year to be relevant. So drink up! 2. The region and the grapes Vinho verde is Portugal’s largest demarcated wine region, or appellation (though the administrative region is called Minho). There are nine subzones which generally do not appear on wine labels but may become increasingly important as winemakers explore different expressions of vinho verde. The main grapes are alvarinho (familiar to us as albariño) and loureiro, a crisp white often compared to riesling. There are several other varieties that are even harder to pronounce and noteworthy only if you are keeping track of varieties you’ve tasted. Alvarinho dominates the blends in the north (where the Minho borders Spain’s Rias Baixas region), and loureiro is more prominent further south. 3. That spritz Vinho verde has been exported at least since the 17th century. Back in the day, the wine’s signature spritz resulted from a little bit of sugar remaining as the wines were rushed into bottle before fermentation had finished. Today, the bubbles are added artificially by carbonation before bottling. The level of carbonation is up to the producer – some vinho verde can be quite fizzy, while others gently tickle the palate. 4. You can use it in cocktails Vinho verde’s fizz and still relatively low price make it an ideal foil for your summer mixology efforts. An ice cube, slice of lime and a splash of gin make a nice spritzer. It can also be a great base for sangria. 5. New styles are evolving While we think of vinho verde as a simple, enjoyable starter wine for a summer repast, some winemakers are producing more serious versions. These are usually made from a single variety (such as alvarinho or loureiro) and labelled with the vintage. Some producers are bottling single-vineyard wines to highlight a site’s granite or schist soils. “The wines are changing and moving forward with an international, incredibly bright and pure style,” says Eugénio Jardim, the brand ambassador for Wines of Portugal. He cited Anselmo Mendes and Quinta da Soalheiro as pioneers of this new style. “This is a region in flux, with the quality of wines soaring in recent years,” Jardim tells me. “This is not a one-note region.” © The Washington Post Read More Sierra Nevada lakes change more in past 100 years than three millennia How the climate crisis played a role in fueling Hurricane Ida Against the odds: The fight to save sea turtles in Ras Baridi The Norwegian sparkling wine aged at the bottom of the sea The curious history of sauvignon blanc – and what to drink if you hate it The Independent Wine Club best cases 2023: Wine from small growers

Set in the "very near future," Sundance Film Festival standout The Pod Generation visualises a

Hundreds of thousands of British vacationers face potential disruption to their travel plans at the start of the school summer holidays after almost 1,000 workers at London’s Gatwick Airport voted to strike in a dispute over pay

Hardest Geezer has shared an update while running the entire length of Africa, revealing that he’s facing a long delay after being robbed at gunpoint. The YouTuber, real name Russ Cook, is attempting to become the first person ever to complete the feat as part of “Project Africa” for charity. However, Cook and his team are facing “frustrating circumstances” while the group has to wait to get new visas. On the 64th day of his journey, he revealed he and his crew had been robbed at gunpoint by two “desperate” men. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Cook wrote at the time: “Nothing like a gun being pointed at your face to let you know you’re alive. Lively one today.” He added: “A couple lads popped open the side door and demanded everything we have. Desperate blokes with guns pointed. Infamously bad situation to find yourself on the end of. Proper spot of bother. Damage limitation.” Why I was forced to LEAVE Angola www.youtube.com Cook also said: “None of us got killed or injured. We didn’t let them march us out the van. But we did lose a lot of our gear. Couple cameras, 2 iphones, all of our cash, passports + few other bits.” Losing the passports and documentation means that they’ll now face a significant delay while they wait for new documentation. Cook revealed that the group has been forced to drive back to Windhoek in Namibia which is 1,281 miles in the wrong direction in order to get their new visas. “Most importantly, they took my passport, which had a visa for Democratic Republic of the Congo and Republic of Congo in it,” he said about the passport [via BBC News]. “Logistics in Africa is especially difficult. We were in Luanda for six days trying to get the new visa, sweet talking every man and his dog. But ultimately, we left with our pants pulled firmly down.” He also said: “We can’t go anywhere until we have the visas.” Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

It may be the calm before the Barbenheimer storm, but there's an ample amount of

TL;DR: As of July 14, get a refurbished HP Elite Desk with mouse, keyboard, and

To watch Theater Camp as a theater kid is to feel seen and lovingly attacked

TL;DR: As of July 14, get an InfoSec4TC Platinum Membership: Cyber Security Training Lifetime Access

WHO’s experts stated that the recommended daily consumption amounts of aspartame should not change in light of the contradictory findings

TL;DR: As of July 14, get the Write Bot AI content creator Lifetime Pro Subscription

Every second counts. That mantra appears more than once in Season 2 of The Bear.