Declaring Spring... sprung

Time to spring clean your wine rack with some ideas for sunnier drinking

My French teacher declared to me on March 11th that March 15th was the start of Spring in the Rhône and I willingly believed her as temperatures rose to 24*c and I discovered that pregnant ladies are more susceptible to sunburn…

I’m not sure where she got the date March 15th from. Since then we’ve had enough rain to come through our roof (again!) and a sand storm so ferocious from Northern Africa that our skies turned beige for two days and I felt like I was living an alternative reality as a bit part in the blockbuster film Dune.

But some things have certainly signalled Spring. Leaves already scatter the trees here bringing welcome shade. Many of the vines (unless delay pruned in the last couple of weeks) have bud burst so excitedly and vividly it’s hard to remember what they looked like without their green gemstone finger tips. And, with the clock change this morning, my husband is ceremoniously patrolling the house in his dressing gown installing and checking smoke detectors. (Prompted by a meeting on how to prevent vineyard and forest fires we were invited to by the Mayor this week - more on that to come!)

Incoming sandy skies above the glittering green of new buds

So, although I’m enjoying some recovery time to heal my pink cheeks whilst the weather hasn’t fully committed to sunshine yet, I’m already thinking about my transition to Spring wines.

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Fresh and fruity styles

Whilst it doesn’t have to be exclusively fruit (herby characters also extremely welcome), I undeniably move away from tertiary aged characters and powerful oak to focus on fruit forward varieties and styles.

For white, it’s ‘Gruner’ season for me. This sneaky little Austrian variety (full name Gruner Veltliner) might already be on your radar, it’s certainly shot up in popularity over the past decade and for very good reason. The best pack orchard fruits of pears and apple by the punnet load and usually have a twist of something savoury like rocket leaf, white pepper or dried spring herbs (think tarragon and celery salt). You don’t have to spend a fortune for delicious, though if you do - you will be rewarded handsomely with something more like a peppy Burgundy.

For food, it’s one of the only wines I find actually works with salads, as well as white meats or fish where lemon or herby sauces are order of the day. A chicken kebab skewered amidst charred lemons and Provençal vegetables with a glass of Gruner would epitomise a simple pleasure.

Weingut Wess Grüner Veltliner, Kremstal 2023, The Wine Society £11.50

Consistency and quality with plenty of personality, you can’t go wrong with Rainer Weiss wines championed at The Wine Society.

Weingut Wess Grüner Veltliner, Kremstal 2023, Waitrose £21

This single vineyard example from Bründlmayer is an elevated example, will age beautifully too (if you can resist drinking it all!)

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Lower alcohol

Long afternoons spent in the garden usually means that I either move on to long drinks or need something with lower alcohols to quench my thirst.

For the last five years or so I’ve been a huge advocate for this quirky little sparkling wine from Portugal.

Hortas do Caseirinho White Frisante, The Wine Society, £6.89 (Yes you read that correctly)

It’s not designed for complexity, it’s not designed for food pairing, for me - it’s designed for groups of friends and family to knock back whilst the coals of the BBQ reach heat and to fuel silly games all afternoon. Not a poor man’s Prosecco; a class all of its own but more in that style than Champagne.

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Lighter reds

Since the food I eat is lighter and leaner, my red wines shift from fuller to fresher.

Of course, fail safes such as Pinot Noir and Gamay (the grape of Beaujolais) are always welcome in Spring, especially younger vintages packed with cherries and strawberries.

But if you fancy trying something new, why not reach for Nerello Mascalese? With less 8,000 acres planted and most of that in Southern Italy, you wouldn’t be alone in not knowing it. It is worth getting to know. Dried herbs, enough berries to make English amateur gardener weep, and a hint of something smokey and earthy that means it’s a BBQers dream.

Etna Rosso, Pietradolce, Sicilia 2021, The Wine Society £20

Try this cracker from The Wine Society for a beautiful premium expression that sums up spring to me.

Le Sabbie dell'Etna Rosso, Waitrose £14.99

Or this option, blended with Nerello Cappuccio, currently on offer at Waitrose.