Six wines to get your taste buds hopping this spring
With green scents in the air and Easter on its way, TWBM’s Drinks Editor James Viner shares his vinous recommendations for spring-time dining
With a couple of bank holiday weekends approaching, this time of year presents a wonderful opportunity to indulge in various traditional dishes – and it’s also a great time to refresh your wine rack!
Whether you’re enjoying a classic Good Friday fish supper, a leisurely spring brunch accompanied by sparkling wine, or a magnificent roast on Easter Sunday, there’s a winning wine pairing for every occasion.
Try these…
1. 2022 Asda Wine Atlas Côtes du Roussillon Villages, France (Asda, £6.97, buy 6 save 25% until 5 May, 14.5%)
Asda’s enticing, budget-friendly own-label ‘Wine Atlas’ range showcases wines from lesser-known regions. With masses of seductive black and red fruits, this juicy black grape blend from Roussillon’s sunny Eastern Pyrenees is a gratifying match for slow-roasted lamb shanks, roast chicken, and Provençal daubes.
2. 2023 Filos Estate Greek Chardonnay, PGI Florina, Greece (Aldi, £8.49, 12.5%)
Sapid, perky, medium-bodied, softly pineapple and stone fruit-spiked Chardonnay from Greece’s coolest wine region on the north-western slopes of the Vermio Mountains in northwestern Macedonia, near the Albanian border. I’d accompany it with a hearty fish pie on Good Friday, or roast chicken, salmon steaks and veggie curries. Usefully quite low in alcohol too. Kalo Paschay!
3. 2023 La Bien Plantá Biodynamic Garnacha, Bodegas Atalaya, Gil Family Estates, Spain (Aitken Wines, D Byrne & Co, Moreton Wines, £13.95-£14.99, 13.5%)
Still hankering for reds? Perfect for spring, this is Jumilla-based Gil Family Estates’ first-ever Demeter-certified biodynamic wine made at its high altitude Atalaya winery with organically grown Garnacha grapes grown at around 700m in Almansa, the easternmost wine region in Castilla-La Mancha. Unoaked with low grape tannins and laden with bright, flyaway red fruits, it’s spot-on with all kinds of grilled/roast meats (hello roast ham with Cumberland sauce), cheeses, Thai beef salad or grilled trout/salmon. Joyous, fresh, vivid, planet-friendly drinking for the here and now.
4. 2022 Berry Bros. & Rudd New Zealand Pinot Noir, Greystone Wines, New Zealand (BBR, £20.95, 13%)
Nab this polished, appetising, savoury and gastronomic rosehip tea and red fruit-stashed own-label Kiwi Pinot Noir if you’re after a superior pairing for a classic roast leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic (whether using locally sourced meat or not). Greystone is a star producer from Waipara Valley, North Canterbury, around an hour’s drive north of Christchurch on the central east coast of South Island. It delights at every turn, leaving a great imprint on the palate. Choosy claret lovers with big pockets seeking a special treat will relish the impeccably balanced, developing 2014 La Dame de Montrose, St Estèphe (£46 at BBR).
5. Henriques & Henriques 10-Year-Old Malmsey, Madeira, Portugal (Majestic, £22 mix 6, 50cl, 20%)
This fortified wine is a ravishingly rich, mouthwatering and seamless amalgam of dried fruits, caramel, walnuts and truffles from the middle of the Atlantic. It has brisk acidity and pairs egg-stremely well with milk chocolate Easter eggs, pecan pie and (of course) Madeira cake. Scintillating length! It’ll keep in peak condition for months once opened. Serve at the ‘old fashioned’ room temperature (14–16°C).
6. Les Pionniers Brut NV Champagne, France (Co-op, £20.50, down £1, 2-22 April, 12%)
Celebrate Easter by scooping a pound off this already bargainous, deeply-flavoured, lip-smacking, own-label (made by on-song Piper-Heidsieck) Pinot Noir-led NV champagne. It’s a fresh, dry and elegant statement aperitif with lively orchard fruit, floral and sourdough pizzazz. Aldi’s biscuity Veuve Monsigny Champagne No. III Brut NV (£14.99) meanwhile is the top option for tighter budgets/larger congregations. Try this with smoked salmon or sushi and you can thank me later.
CHEERS TO THE SPEARS! A LOCAL BACCHUS FOR SEASONAL ASPARAGUS
2023 Chapel Down Bacchus, Tenterden, Kent (Waitrose, £12.50, was £15, until 6 May, 12%)
The short British asparagus season begins around St. George’s Day (April 23). Pair crisp, light-bodied, hedgerow-herbaceous-scented Bacchus – a wonderful alternative to dry Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc – with the season’s vibrant green spears. This lively, unoaked, relatively low-alcohol, local gem bursts with flavours of nettles, melon, elderflower, and pink grapefruit. Enjoy it alongside simply prepared Kent asparagus from Groombridge Farm Shop, or with Thai dishes, goat’s cheese, oysters, trout, or fish and chips. Step into spring! Great offer at Waitrose.
Follow James on Instagram @QuixoticWines
