Springtime Wines

In this 4 part series "The Seasons of Wine", I find it fitting to begin with spring wines. Spring wines are almost exclusively white and I was told at Trader Joe's that any time the sun shines it is appropriate to drink white wine. The main characteristics of a good spring wine are described as being crisp, clean, woodsy, floral and above all dry. The white wines of spring are sometimes the driest of the white wines.

Perhaps the most popular spring wine is chardonnay. This is a wine that has quite a range of taste and if oak casks are used in aging the result is a very crisp, dry wine. Oak fermented Chardonnays are considered the best and this produces wines can have the aroma of lemons, peaches or apples. Chardonnay that is aged in a stainless steel cask will have a slightly sweeter taste.

The Chardonnay grape also is used in making some of the finest champagnes. One of the regions that produce many fine Chardonnays is Chablis, this is the reason many Chardonnays come under the label of Chablis. While there are many other whites, when you are in the grocery store you might find that Chardonnay is the predominant white wine offered. It would seem sometimes that the only white wine most of the more uninformed consumers have tasted is Chardonnay. So listen up folks, walk on the wild side and try something different.

In the Pinot family of grapes you will find Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. These are frequently confused with Chardonnay and this is sometimes due to the fact that some vintners plant the grapes together. Pinot Gris is also known as Pinot Grigio courtesy of the Italian version of this wine. The Pinot's common characteristics are a light floral taste as well as having a fruity and sometimes buttery taste.

Another wonderful white wine that is good to drink in the spring is the Riesling. Also referred to as Rhine wine, this is a wine that is typically German and has been in production since the early 1400's. There are many excellent Rieslings that come from a variety of places, but a true Riesling is German. Tastes associated with the Riesling are flinty, mineral, and the herb Woodruff. Reisling is also my personal favorite to use in cooking. It goes well with chicken breasts and in shrimp scampi.

Chenin Blanc is considered one of the most versatile of grapes to be used in wine production. It is a hardy plant that grows in less hospitable soils for example sandy loam or clay loam. For this reason approximately a third of South African wines are Chenin Blanc. South America produces this wine under the name Pinot Blanco in; Argentina, Chile, Mexico and Brazil. Australia and New Zealand produce their own Chenin Blanc as well.

Chenin Blanc, when produced with care, can yield a truly amazing wine with honey characteristics and a hint of floral. One drawback to Chenin Blanc is that over-cropping and over-irrigation can create a bland wine that becomes an average table wine found on the shelves of your local grocery store.

One of my personal favorites is Gewürztraminer. This is a wine that is difficult to pronounce but also difficult to produce because it has a tendency to bear fruit in the early spring leaving the plant open to problems with frost. However for all the vitacultural difficulties, the Traminer grape produces a wonderful wine that is slightly sweet with rose/honeysuckle, peach, and oak flavors.

My final wine for spring is May Wine and it is more a wine drink or wine cocktail. May Wine is served during May Day celebrations in Germany. It is white wine served with infusion of Woodruff and it may also have a bit of spritzer. A garnish with a Strawberry or a few raspberries completes this wine drink. On occasion you will be able to find a bottled version of the May Wine and these can be delightful to sip on a sunny May 1^st.

If you have any questions as to what wines are available refer to anyplace in your town that sells fine wines, or even better if you have a Trader Joe's in your town they are great for selling wine for reasonable prices. They have a reputation of providing food and wine to the public at a reasonable price.

If you are having a spring wedding or function and need to buy wine by the case, Costco has excellent prices on some of the better wines. I know it sounds crazy to use Costco for fine wine but they have a very rigorous test process to determine the best of any of their products and any recommendations have consumer approval.