Spring Wine Picks: Sip These Seasonal Wines

The Best Wines To Try This Spring

Winter is on its way out, and spring is on its way soon! With the end of winter comes a brand-new beginning: flowers blossoming, trees budding, and, of course, new (lighter-bodied) wines to try! We’ve put together a few of our favorite spring wine picks to sip as the weather turns warmer. You’ll recognize some, like Pinot Grigio, but others, like Viognier, may be less familiar. Whether you’re looking for the perfect spring wedding wine or just want a refreshing new bottle to try, there’s something here for every occasion. Read our picks below and drop us a comment with your go-to spring wines!

Easy Drinking White Wines

Sauvignon Blanc

Meaning “wild white,” Sauvignon Blanc originates from the Bordeaux region of France. When drinking a French Sauvignon Blanc, look for bright, fruit forward notes full of green apples, guava, and peach, balanced by hints of herby green grass, wet stone, and smooth minerality. New World Sauvignon Blanc is commonly from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. These wines are known for their acidic citrus punch- think grapefruit, lime, orange, and lemon. Beautifully bright and flavorful, Sauvignon Blanc is a must have for any spring wine selection!

Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio, a mutation of the Pinot Noir grape, typically falls into two categories: dry and minerally, and dry and fruity. Historically hailing from northern Italy due to the dry and cool climate, the drier Pinot Grigios are high in acid and have an almost saline quality. They are typically stainless steel aged, with no hints of oak.

However, fruit forward Pinot Grigios are more commonly found in New World countries such as Australia, South America, and the United States. The vineyards in these countries typically receive more sunlight, which bring out the flavors of apple, peach, pear, and lemon. Whichever you prefer, Pinot Grigio is always a beautiful white wine to have on hand.

Chardonnay

Oaked or unoaked, Chardonnay grapes are the most widely planted white grape varietal in the world, leading to an expansive range of styles and making it a crowd pleasing favorite. Unoaked Chardonnays, hailing from various parts of France, Chile, and New Zealand, have a zesty, crisp, mineral mouthfeel due to the stainless steel barrel aging. Their zippy and acidic fruit flavors are similar to those of a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, which has notes of tropical fruits; pineapple, mango, and citrus.

Oaked Chardonnay is most found in the Burgundy area, California, and even Australia. This is the bolder of the two, showcasing a rich, full body and holding flavors of vanilla, baking spices, and hints of butter and brioche. From Sparkling Blanc de Blancs to crisp and acidic Chablis, to rich, creamy, buttery wines full of oak, there is a variety of Chardonnay for just about everyone.

Lesser-Known Varietals

Viognier

A rich, full bodied white wine that originated from the north Rhône region of France, the Viognier grape has started popping up in the United States, South Africa, and Australia. Intense floral notes on the nose mix with honeysuckle and creamy vanilla.

Typically low in acid, Viognier boasts flavors of peach, tangerine, mango, and ripe orchard fruits. Due to the low acidity, this wine is drier, and known for the ‘oily’ feeling left on the tongue. If you enjoy Chardonnay, Viognier should be on your list of wines to try!

Chenin Blanc

Over 50% of all Chenin Blanc grapes come from South Africa, but you can now find them in the United States, Argentina, and France. A very adaptable wine, Chenin Blanc can be lithe and dry, but also deep, oaky, and buttery, and always offering heavy fruit notes on the palate.

This wine is typically high in acidity, but offers a lovely buttery, oaky tone. Look for notes of butterscotch, marzipan, baked apple, and lemon curd, as well as yellow apple, pear, passion fruit, honeydew, and jasmine.

Light Red Wines

Pinot Noir

High in acidity and low in tannins, Pinot Noir has historically been an easy drinking, every day red wine. Adaptable to many flavor profiles and food pairings, this wine can be enjoyed at room temperature or slightly chilled. California Pinot Noirs tend to be more fruit forward, while South American and European grapes have a sturdier, earth forward palate.

Red Blends

Red Blends are the most versatile red wine out there. One can find heavier, more robust red blends when specific varietals are blended together, such as a GSM- Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. The Bordeaux region is also famous for their blends.

Additionally, there are thousands of simple red blends available. California is known for nice, light, fruit-forward blends.

Sparkling Wines

Prosecco

Made from Glera grapes, Prosecco is originally from Veneto, Italy. There are 3 categories of Prosecco: Brut, Extra Dry, and Dry. Brut is the driest, with up to ½ a gram of sugar per glass. Extra dry contains just over ½ a gram, and dry can contain up to a full gram of sugar per serving.

Prosecco will almost always seem sweeter than Champagne due to the fruity flavors of pear, honeydew, cantaloupe, and honeysuckle. Sparkling wine is not only for special occasions; always keep a bottle chilling in the refrigerator!

Crémant

Crémant refers to a group of sparkling wines that are made using the same technique as Champagne (just without grapes from the Champagne region of France). Crémant is the closest to Champagne as one will get, without the technical name. Both have a similar flavor profile: dry, high levels of acid, yeasty richness, and green orchard fruit.

Typically using Pinot Noir grapes, the Crémant sparkling wine can also be made with a variety of grapes including Chardonnay, Gamay, Chenin Blanc, and Merlot.

What Cellar Collection wine are you currently drinking? Share your photos with us! Tag @thewinecellargroup and use #TheWineCellarGroup for a chance to be featured on our page. Join our email list for more fun wine tips, deals, and upcoming events!