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Home > News > What To Drink In Spring?

News > What To Drink In Spring?

What To Drink In Spring?

Some taste-bud tingling wine suggestions for Spring

March has arrived, and some scientists would say that Spring has arrived also. It doesn’t feel like it, although we have now seen that the sun and the rain has stopped. I still think my Spring haircut was a tad premature, however.  But at least we are now geared up for new growth, the green shoots of recovery even, so perhaps it is time to turn our attention to a change in wine style for the coming months.

 

Some lighter style reds perhaps?

Light Gamays from Beaujolais- Brouilly or Fleurie, or the un-oaked Navajas Rioja is a lighter fruity style and the Borgate  Montepulciano d’Abruzzo will work, with just a dash of Sangiovese thrown in for a bit of spice. The Loire produces some lively light reds, particularly from Bourgueil, Anjou- Villages and Chinon. Some Old world Burgundies, for example a Volnay, will do very nicely too.

 

Light & white

On the lighter and whiter side this Spring, representing New Zealand, try our Maori Bay Sauvignon Blanc, a classic example from Marlborough, Fresh and dry with electrifying bright fruits. Austere Chablis & Pinot Blanc should be pleasing, along with a lighter dry style Argentine Chardonnay from the foot of the Andes, and a Gavi di Gavi, Morgassi, with peachy & apricot sensations and a richly flavoured & elegant palate — such a stylish wine!

 

Rosé wines

We have a strong and varied range of Rosé wines, not least Eric Fabre’s Chateau d’Angles. We have chosen a couple of soft, light style Rosés from Provence and the Libron for our Spring selection cases, The Ferrages & Cabrials.

 

 

Serving wine

Serving wine at the correct temperature is one of the most difficult aspects of wine preparation. Get it wrong and you might as well swap your expensive bottle of estate wine for some cheap old plonk from the supermarket. It may sound absurd, but the fact is it's true.

Wine loses much of its taste if served too warm or too cold. This is true for both red and white wine. The ideal temperature for a wine will depend on the actual wine you're drinking and, to some extent, your preferences. Red wine that is served too warm will taste flabby -- conversely serving the same wine too cold may result in it being too acidic, possibly too tannic, and certainly dull. For some wines, just one or two degrees can make a huge difference in how you will judge the wine. So next

time a wine disappoints you, just check that you're serving it at the correct temperature.

 

Whites:  

Light, sweet……5 to 10°C 

Light, dry……….8 to 10°C 

Rosé…………….8 to 12°C 

Reds: 

Light, dry……...10 to 12°C  

Med-bodied……14 to 17°C

 

Decanting

Decanting is optional, but is a good way of aerating the wine. Young red wines often need a helping-hand in order to release their future qualities. Oxygenation encourages the aromatic qualities reminiscent of flowers and fruits to rapidly develop. Ideal decanters for young red wines ensure that a significant surface of the wine is in contact with the air, and so are either of a flattened shape with a broad base, or horizontal, of "Duck" style. White wine aromas are often quite subtle and maybe reluctant to reveal themselves. Your aim should be, therefore, to oxygenate the wine in order to release its aromas, but also to protect them from evaporating too rapidly.Decanting also presents the wine in a glass or crystal receptacle, which highlights its red or amber colour.

 

Goodbye to all that snow & ice

So lets be positive. If we believe Winter is behind us, then let it be so. Perhaps it is time to lighten the mood and lighten the style of wine we are drinking. The Budget is in two weeks time and of course there will be no hike in Wine duty will there Darling? So bring on the warmer temperatures and we can celebrate or drown our sorrows after the General Election result with a lighter style of wine.

 

Try this wonderful Rosé this Spring