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Spring Wines

Might spring finally be here……. the sun is shining, there is a lovely blue sky but a chill in the wind reminds us of the need for keeping warm at least for a bit longer.

May is just round the corner and with two bank holidays within its thirty one days thoughts often turn to barbecues if only the weather was warm enough. Maybe it’ll be ok to cook outside and eat indoors………these thoughts entice us away from winter warming casseroles to lighter fish and chicken dishes accompanied by salads that can be matched equally well with reds and white wines. Its worth seeking out some new flavours in the wines too to revive the taste buds that have become used to robust reds and full whites..

If you like Sauvignon Blanc (and haven’t yet joined the Sauvignon is yesterday’s wine club) why not try a leafy Loire Valley Sauvignon from Touraine or South Africa such as that from Kleine Zalze which is crisp, citrussy with melon and green pepper notes not full of gooseberry flavours like those from New Zealand. Alternatively try a Gruner Veltliner from New Zealand with a lovely crisprefreshing ripe fruit flavour such as that from Seifried Estate in Nelson. It makes a great alternative to Sauvignon or Pinot Gris.

The south of France is a great source of distinctive white wines that won’t break the bank. Look out for some of the latest unoaked Chardonnays – no longer the oaky styles nor the broad slightly earthy wines but fresh tasting wine with pure fruit flavours that have a lovely mouthfilling texture such as the ‘Les Volets’ Chardonnay. Aromatic varieties such as Viogniers and the almost trendy Picpoul de Pinet have fresh peachy light flavours with a hint of rounder notes that are great with food. The Godello is a Spanish grape that is breaking new ground with a lovely mouthfilling texture and will match many flavours as it is often drunk with tapas in Spain.

There also examples of unoaked wines from the Southern Hemisphere that fit this bill – look out for Viu Manent from Chile and some appley fruity Chenin Blancs from South Africa that are also often blended with other grape varieties and offering great value from circa £6 per bottle.

Always on the look out for new wines to try I have become a fan of the red Mencia grape grown in Bierzo in Spain amongst other regions and produces vibrantly fruity wines that are a really good match to chorizo and other cured meats and tomato based dishes. It also ages well. Look out for Carignan too, another long established variety in France that has often been used in blends with Merlot etc but can now be found making up 100% of the wine for example the beautifully full rounded wine from Mont Rocher in the Languedoc.

These reds are great with char grilled meats and barbecued dishes and are a great alternative to the plethora of Merlots, Cabernets and Shiraz though they too are delicious. Old favourites are the Aussie Opportunist Shiraz, Chilean Merlots from many producers and the Kleine Zalze Vineyard Selection Cabernet form South Africa not forgetting the Pinotage which in its modern guise has lots of rich ripe fruit and traditionally rusticity making it a great match with the above recipe ideas.

If you’re spring cleaning at home why not have some fun giving your recipe book shelves and your wine racks the same treatment and finding new tastes to enjoy!