Fruitful Spring drinking

A quick word association.

SPRING.

For most people: flowers, t-shirt weather, baby animals, hayfever.

For me: Pinot Gris, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Gamay… I could go on.

Of course I love the other hallmarks of Spring as much as anyone – I can’t walk past a cherry blossom without a happy sigh. But for me, the reemergence of the lighter wine styles signals the end of Perth’s notorious Winter hibernation – and the start of the party season. Everyone wants to be at soirees, picnics, BBQ’s, weddings…anything, as long as they’re in the great outdoors with a glass of light, crisp, fresh white wine or lighter red. So, as I do at the start of each season, let me run you through a few delicious wines to get your Spring started in style.

Let’s start with some lighter reds because we really are still in a transition period from the heavier Winter wines. Pinot Noir is not currently taken very seriously, but personally I try not to dismiss wines based on the depth of their colour. There are two different expressions of this grape variety, the fruit driven and the more savoury style: both are worth a taste. The fruitier examples hail predominantly from the new world, New Zealand and Tasmania, for example. Europe produces the more earthy, savoury Pinot Noirs. If you have an open mind about Pinot Noir, another medium-bodied red worthy of your attention is Gamay. This is a highly regarded noble grape variety from the region of Beaujolais and there are actually a few notable Gamay producers in Victoria, Australia. Gamay is fruity and juicy, with flavours of blackforest fruit and cherries – spring in a glass!

Now the go-to warm weather wines – clean crisp whites. Let me admit straight up that many people in the wine industry are bored of Sauvignon Blanc! It’s Australia’s biggest selling wine and people haven’t been able to get enough of it for a good many years now. There is a reason for this: the grapefruit, gooseberry and passion fruit flavours are fresh, fruity, flavoursome and versatile. If you like Sauvignon Blanc but are looking for something a bit more complex, can I suggest Grey Wacke Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc? Produced by Kevin Judd, former winemaker at the highly regarded Cloudy Bay Winery in Marlborough, New Zealand, this is a Sauvignon Blanc with richness and structure. Being fermented with natural yeast gives the wine a unique quality and the result is a palate with more substance and texture than your regular, upfront SB. Speaking of fashionable wines, Viognier was all the rage a few years ago, with producers flooding the market with this new grape variety. Today it keeps a low profile but I believe it’s worth seeking out. Like Chardonnay, Viognier is clean and crisp but delivers a bigger, richer experience, with flavours of apricot, peach and blossom. Finally, can I cast a vote of confidence for Pinot Gris. Lightly aromatic and fruity (and by ‘fruity’ I mean an exuberant bouquet rather than sweetness), with a noticeable acidity, this wine brings elegance back to clean, crisp white wines. Whichever light meal you’re thinking of cooking on a warm Spring night, from stir-fry to seafood, I promise Pinot Gris will go beautifully.

This is but a glimpse of the wine delights approaching with the warmer days. What are your picks for Spring 2014?

Spring Blog Mixed 6 pack offer – Please note his offer has now ended, please see our latest blog post for the current offer.

My Spring blog offer is a selection of wines that represent the grape varieties discussed in the blog. This includes one bottle of the very special Grey Wacke Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc.

The mixed half dozen is made up of:

1 x Grey Wacke Wild Ferment Sauvignon Blanc.

1 x Victor Berard Beaujolais

1 x Gherardi Viognier

1 x Ocean Eight Pinot Gris

1 x Deep Cove Pinot Noir by Wild Earth

1 x Domaine de Bellene Bourgogne Rouge

I am offering this 6 pack, worth $188, for only $165. This offer will be available for the next 3 weeks only.

You can order more than one case, but the selection of wines is fixed as listed above. Order by opening the Wine order form below and once you have submitted your request, I’ll be in touch to arrange payment and delivery.

Spring Blog Mixed 6 pack offer – Please note his offer has now ended, please see our latest blog post for the current offer.