Spring Wines: Got a Favorite?

After a long winter, it was finally warm enough to open the windows and enjoy our three season porch. Gorgeous scent of honeysuckle wafted in from our yard, and we settled in to enjoy a glass of pinot gris along with some nibbles before dinner. This is going back about ten years, so I don't remember any specifics of the wine. I do recall it had a fresh, lively taste that seemed to match the world around us. That's what spring wine is all about!

What wine do you reach for when the buds start bursting and the world turns green again? I'll mention a few options here today, but really my goal is to begin exploring the topic over this season of renewal. I'd love to hear about some of your favorites!

I might not remember the specific bottle we enjoyed on our porch that day, but I remember well the freshness of it that matched the season. One more recent favorite that embodies those qualities is the Saint-Peyre Picpoul-de-Pinet, which at around $10 makes a great everyday wine in the spring. I've found it goes nicely with pesto and other dishes with fresh herbs, which I start featuring more come spring.

I've only tried it once, during this past winter, but I suspect the  2009 Whidbey Island Winery Madeleine Angevine Puget Sound would make a great spring wine. This wine made from an uncommon grape has a crisp, lively taste that really pops. More on this one here.

Gruner Veltliner is another flavorful white that comes to mind for the spring; in fact, I may pick up a bottle to go with the pork tenderloin I'm thinking about making tonight.

As much as serious wine pairing people extol the virtues of rosé as a great match for food in any season, both the taste and pinkish hue start coming more to mind for me around Easter time. I tend to gravitate toward rosés from Provence.

Hopefully I've whet your appetite for some good spring wine! I'm definitely ready to try some, and promise to report back soon on some of my best finds!