SPRINGTIME WINES

Spring is an amazing time of year.   Bringing joy to those of us that are weary from a long winter and giving us hope of beautiful days ahead. We're also lucky to be blest with fresh wines from the previous harvest that are just now ready to enjoy.

Sauvignon Blanc has recently become a much more favored wine by consumers than the previously popular chardonnay. Well that's great because the new Sauvignon Blancs have arrived and they are crisp and clean with lots of grapefruit and pear flavors. The most flavorful Sauvignon Blancs with big bursts fresh fruits are found in New Zealand.  Our recommendation for this spring is Lawson`s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc from Marlboro. This is a well balanced wine with more citrusy notes than grassy and pairs exceptionally well with scallops, oysters and shellfish.  Add a little to your saucepan and let the seafood absorb the flavors.

Some people have a difficult time finding their perfect wine: Chardonnay too dry, Riesling too sweet, Sauvignon Blanc too tart. Why not try something a bit more interesting like Vouvray?  Domaine Sylvain Gaudron is a remarkable wine for springtime menu planning. It is a demi-sec, slightly sweet, lightly floral with stone fruit undertones. Grown on the left bank of the Loire in France, the limestone in the soil gives the wine a soft minerality that complements and offsets the sweetness. Vouray is 100% pure Chenin Blanc and it's sweetness it's determined by the amount of sunshine the grapes are exposed to in August, near the end of their growing season. More sunshine produces a sweeter grape. Of course, not all Vouvrays, or Chenin Blancs, are demi -sec. There are many very dry Chenin Blancs produced not only in Loire, but in other parts of the world, such as South Africa. However, the French grape, Vouray, pairs well with stronger fish as well as chicken or fruit salads with goat cheese. It is also perfect for Asian dishes with a sweet and sour flair.

Rose' wines from France are always a big hit in the Spring. While there are many styles of Rose's, Provence produces the best for early Spring. Les Agaves is a fresh Cotes de Rhone 2015 and it's beaming with fresh strawberry and floral notes. It's pale pinky salmon color is typical of Rose's from Provence as is it's dry acidic texture. Made of Cinsault, Grenache and Syrah, this Cotes de Provence Rose is crisp and delicate which is much different than Rose's from Italy or Spain which are darker in color and richer in flavor and usually made of Montepulciano and Grenache, respectively. Rose's offer a wide range of flavor and complexity and are definitely worth exploring. Fortunately, Americans finally are becoming more educated on Rose's and realizing that these extremely dry wines are a warm weather alternative to red wine.  Serve Rose's with grilled chicken salad, salmon, spring mix veggies, grilled steak salad and an array of fresh cheese.

Just imagine lunch in the garden; I can already feel the warm breezes blowing on a Sunday afternoon. Bring me my wine and cheese!

Wines available at Siesta Key Wines & Gifts. Shipping available.

Siesta Key Wines
5138C Ocean Blvd.
Siesta Key, FL 34242

941-552-9105
http://www.siestakeywines.com/