Spring Wines
Spring is a tricky old season.
The daffodils are in bloom and the weather shows signs of improving, teasing us with warm rays of sunshine and lighter evenings.
The problem with being in Britain is that this is usually balanced out with icy showers and bitter breezes.
I mean, British weather is temperamental at best but spring really is a rollercoaster of seasons. It can be bright and sunny one minute and chucking it down the next.
So which wines do you pair with unpredictable weather?
We no longer feel the need for massively bold, full-bodied wines to warm our bones like in the winter, but we’re also not ready for uber dry, crisp and refreshing wines to enjoy in the sunshine.
The answer?
Wines that aren’t too bold, or too dry, or too anything for that matter. They’re the Goldilocks of wines; just right in the middle of the extremes. Wines that can be enjoyed no matter which way the weather turns.
Here are some suggestions…
Verdicchio is a white grape variety found predominantly in Marche, central Italy. The sub-region Castelli di Jesi is a known for its calcareous, clay and limestone-rich soil and a relatively dry maritime climate. Gentle breezes provide ventilation for the grapes and vines planted at between 200 and 500 metres in altitude allows grapes to ripen slowly whilst retaining acidity.
The result is a dry white that’s relatively light in body with crisp acidity, notes of citrus and stone fruits and a slightly nutty aftertaste of almonds.
WHY VERDICCHIO?
This is the kind of white that easily quenches the thirst but is nicely balanced by the richer, nutty tones making it a great wine for those sunny but cold and crisp days. It also goes particularly well with pasta and risotto so you can still have a carb-heavy meal and enjoy a refreshing white wine.
Chardonnay is such a versatile grape variety that it can be made in a lean and crisp style or it can be bigger, fruitier and heavily oaked.
I’ve chosen a Chardonnay made somewhere in the middle. A wine with lovely fruit flavours and oak influences, but from a slightly cooler climate.
Patagonia is the most southerly wine producing region of Latin America and is fast becoming the country’s most exciting cool climate region. Wines produced here are generally more elegant than the heavier wines of Mendoza, made from cool climate varieties such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as opposed to Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon.
The vineyards benefit from constant sun and Atlantic breezes, producing grapes with good concentration and aromas as well as perfect levels of acidity.
The Alpataco Chardonnay, 2022 has lovely warming notes of vanilla from oak, tropical and stone fruits, plenty of citrus and a flinty streak of minerality.
WHY PATAGONIAN CHARDONNAY?
The oak influence adds necessary warmth on those colder, wetter days, but the lightness and brightness of the wine is better suited to spring weather than wines from warmer climate Argentina.
Pinot Noir is quite a fussy grape variety, favouring climates with long, cool ripening periods. It grows all over the world including in France, the US, Germany, New Zealand, Australia and even Wales!
Styles vary from earthy and floral to fruit forward and vibrant depending on the region but this is where you can get creative. The more savoury, spicy styles from Burgundy and Germany are great when you’re looking for a complex, serious red to enjoy over dinner, while the New World styles tend to be more approachable and fruity, often with vanilla oak flavours.
WHY PINOT NOIR?
Depending on your mood or the weather, you can easily choose a Pinot Noir that will hit the spot. Pinot Noirs are light enough to feel like a Springtime wine but they still have a warming, smoky or spicy element that feels like a nice hug from the inside when it’s chilly outside.
Chianti is a Sangiovese-based red blend from Tuscany Italy. They have quite tart fruit flavours like currants, raspberry and even cherry tomato and often notes of sweet balsamic. The younger styles have lots of red fruits, spicy and herbaceous notes and fresh tomato, while the older styles will have more tobacco, coffee and balsamic notes.
There are 8 subregions in Chianti, each with different ageing requirements, ranging from 6 months to 2.5 years, but as a general rule, a Chianti Classico will have aged for 12 months minimum, a Riserva for 24 months and a Gran Selezione will have seen a whopping 30 months!
WHY CHIANTI?
Chianti’s are great with tomato-based home cooked meals, no matter the occasion. Enjoy a bottle at home when it’s too wet to go to the pub.
White Port (which represents only around 10% of Douro’s Port production) is such an underrated tipple. It’s made in the same way as red Port, but using white grape varieties instead of red. While the wine is fermenting, brandy is added to kill the yeast, which stops the fermentation process, leaving residual sugar and therefore some sweetness to the final wine. With drier versions, the brandy is added later in the fermentation process.
WHY WHITE PORT?
While red Port is associated with the festive season, white Port can be enjoyed all year round. Rich, crisp and refreshing with fruity, floral and nutty aromas, white port is great as an apéritif to enjoy with juicy green olives or with some tonic and a slice of orange for a refreshing cocktail. It’s so versatile that you can make it however you feel on the day.