Spring is in the air! While I drink all wines all year, there are a few specific wines that I crave during the spring season. These wines tend to be light-bodied with earthy and floral notes. From a rainy spring walk through the forest to a sunny May picnic in the garden, these types of wines all evoke a sense of springtime to me. Try one of my favourite wines for spring and get a taste of the new season!
Pinot Noir
I love Pinot Noirs that have all the earthy mushroom flavours! Especially during the early spring, this is probably the top kind of wine that I crave. I recently tried the Oak Bay Pinot Noir 2016 and it’s a great example of an earthy Pinot Noir. It’s made by the St. Hubertus & Oak Bay Estate Winery in the north Okanagan Valley, British Columbia. The Oak Bay Pinot Noir is like a walk through a spring forest. You’ll find flavours of wet soil, mushroom and oak with a floral finish of rose and violet. It’s available in the LCBO vintages for $19.95.
Gewurztraminer
A warm spring Sunday afternoon on the patio with a light cheese plate and chilled glass of Gewurztraminer….sounds perfect to me! Gewurztraminer originates from Germany but is now produced in other cool climate wine regions, like Ontario. It’s an aromatic white wine that is typically on the sweeter side because of the medium-low acidity levels. I especially love the LOLA Gewurztraminer for it’s floral flavours of rose, jasmine and honeysuckle! A glass is like beautiful fresh bouquet of flowers. Your can find the LOLA Gewurztraminer for $13.95 at the LCBO.
Beaujolais
Ah, there’s nothing quite like a glass of Beaujolais in the spring. Beaujolais is a region in France that makes Gamay wine – a light bodied red. There are many different types of Beaujolais wines, based on the sub-region, but the type you want for spring is Fleurie. You can read in detail why I love Fleurie here. Fleurie wines are very light in style and tend to have soft fruit flavours and lovely floral notes like rose, iris and violet. Basically like a picnic in a beautiful French garden! If you can find a bottle of Fleurie Beaujolais, grab it! Unfortunately, I can’t find any currently available at the LCBO.
Torrontés
When it comes to the end of spring, when the weather is warm and flowers are in full bloom, it’s Torrontés that I love to drink! From Argentina, Torrontés is a white wine made in a dry style with sweet floral aromas and bright fruit flavours. A chilled glass of Torrontés is like visiting a fresh local farmer’s market. In one of my favourites, the Susana Balbo Crios Torrontés, you’ll taste a bouquet of wonderful aromas and flavours – white flowers, peach, lemon, grapefruit, green apple, apricot, honeysuckle and lemon. Find the Crios Torrontés at the LCBO for only $14.95.
Sparkling Rosé
A spring wine list wouldn’t be complete without Rosé! With the spring season comes lots of celebrations and there’s no better way to celebrate than with a bottle of pink bubbly! As you probably know by now, I LOVE the Lily Sparkling Rosé all year round. But I especially love it for spring because of it’s delicate flavours and creamy textures that pair perfectly with springtime sweets. The Lily Sparkling Rosé is like an afternoon high tea celebration. High tea isn’t complete without a glass of pink bubbly, right?! The Lily Sparkling Rosé is widely available at LCBO locations for $17.95.
Cheers!~GDW
Girl Drinks Wine 