'I love spring for its green shoots, both metaphorical and deliciously edible and abundance of new-season produce to lift and recalibrate the palate. The same goes for my wine rack. Here are just a few of the styles I have on hand to match the fresh new flavours, with a little food inspiration for each.
Floral and herbaceous whites
With their lively hedgerow and gooseberry characters and balancing citrusy cut, English whites like The Society’s epitomise this style. Pair it with English asparagus, the ultimate green shoot whose season officially starts on St. George’s Day, steamed or chargrilled and dunked indulgently in melted butter or hollandaise, or layered in a quiche or frittata. Dry muscat and sauvignon blanc make great alternatives. Such zesty whites are also gorgeous with shimmeringly beautiful Cornish mackerel, fished at its best from May. Simply grill and ramp up the seasonality with a rhubarb sauce.
Recommended wines
Muscat Réserve, Trimbach 2020
Gentle, fragrant off-dry whites
If spring makes you crave mouthwatering lemon-and-lime lift, the touch of gentle sweetness, racy acidity and modest alcohol delivered by a traditional German riesling make for delightful drinking. The sweetness sings with something piquant, like a spice-rubbed salmon fillet. Szechuan, Vietnamese and Thai dishes, or light seafood curries with a little heat are good matches too and Alsace or Kiwi pinot gris are excellent alternatives.
Ripe, round, aromatic whites
The crab season gets underway in April and the sweet flesh, especially dressed with mayonnaise, demands something more rounded. Stalwart Rhône varieties, notably viognier, with plenty of ripe stone-fruit flavours, come into their own here, balanced with a freshness that will both carry the sweetness of crabmeat, lobsters, langoustines and similarly luxurious crustacea and slice through any rich, buttery sauces served alongside. Rhône wine and South African white wine blends shine here.
Richer, full-on oaky whites
For chardonnay lovers who relish a touch of oak, I recommend the abundant charms of California, with a little barrel-ageing adding notes of nutmeg and vanilla to the peachy, lemony fruit. Marry this style happily with chicken in a mushroom, cream and dry sherry sauce, a twist on a French classic that deploys spring’s delightful morel mushrooms. Saint George mushrooms obligingly appear on this side of the channel around the saint’s day, but other fungi will be delicious. A simple roast chicken with spring greens and Jersey Royals will love this too.
Sherry with laser-like focus
Every fridge should contain a bottle of palate-invigorating fino or manzanilla sherry for whetting appetites and easy food partnering. Pale but very interesting indeed, its fragrant, zingy, whistle-clean edge, alongside all kinds of tapas recreates the Costas. A mouthwatering foil for batter, it’s brilliant too with fish and chips or tempura spring vegetables. I like to pair it with hake fillet coated with finely chopped almonds, lemon zest and parsley in a garlicky white-wine sauce. Palo cortado sherry is a nuttier, darker but equally gorgeous alternative.
Recommended wines
Lustau La Ina
Hidalgo Pastrana Manzanilla Pasada
The Society's Fino
Alegria Manzanilla
Juicy, full-flavoured rosé
Rosé wines are a year-round joy, but are perfect for spring: fresh, neither too heavy nor too light and brilliant with food. Bold, deeply coloured and full-bodied Tavel, a Rhône appellation specialising in pinks, is just made for the table with its hint of peach and red fruits. Marvellous with spicy dishes it’s wonderful too with bouillabaisse and punchy fish stews. Reach for it too when those delectable spring lamb chops appear on the grill. Less weighty or drier rosés are brilliant with niçoise or other seafood salads.
Light, bright reds
Cabernet franc, the signature Loire red grape, makes wonderful drinking in spring and summer, especially in a ripe vintage like 2019. Its freshness, juicy red-berry fruit and digestibility is as brilliant with simply seared steaks, or tender spring lamb as with grilled salmon or tuna. No wonder it’s a French brasserie staple. Spring vegetable stews like the Roman speciality vignole, a riot of greens, beans and fresh herbs, suit it too. Chianti, Beaujolais and lighter-style pinot noir perform in a similar way.
Ripe, rich oaky reds
I find it impossible to overplay the spring lamb hand, especially with its soulmate, Rioja, in mind. Still a beacon of good value, its charming red-fruit flavours typically overlay a well-judged sheen of oak that lend discipline to a garlic-and-rosemary-studded leg. Add braised lettuce and peas for an extra vernal touch. Tapas like meatballs, chorizo and Jersey Royals in the spicy patatas bravas style are gorgeous here too. The reds of next-door Navarra are an obvious alternative.
Great all-rounders – versatile, easy-going red blends
They may not trip easily off the tongue, but Portuguese reds slip effortlessly across the palate. A brilliant wine-rack standby for spring, these pleasingly priced and dazzling multitaskers are bang-on with bangers fresh off the barbie and gorgeous with grilled purple-sprouting broccoli tossed in gorgonzola and finished with toasted pine nuts. Pork is a classic partner too, whether a simply roasted loin with dark, full-flavoured spring greens or a thick chop rubbed with smoked paprika. Côtes-du-Rhône and Sicilian reds make good alternatives.
Juicy rich reds for the first of the barbecues
Malbec is a must-have at any time of the year but comes into its own when the barbecue is taken out of mothballs. Step forward Argentina, and The Society’s in particular, with plummy fruit and chocolatey spice that make short work of tangy, spicy chimichurri sauce for slathering on charred steaks, combine joyfully with smoked brisket and lend heft to smoky aubergines from the grill. California zinfandel, southern Italy’s aglianico and Aussie shiraz can all deputise here, with a few party tricks of their own.
