Wine recommendations as Spring tastings have sprung!
Spotting cherry blossom and wisteria in the local trees are a moment of joy in themselves but are quite often the main clues of that shift in mood to shed that winter coat and have a lighter spring step! This may also be a time where the social calendars start buzzing again with invitations to lunches, walks in the park, day trips and drinks tastings – where everything seems to be happening at the same time!
As the days get longer and the evenings get lighter, so too does our choice of drinks – it seems (although I am one of those types to start drinking rosé in January)! With some good timings, I was able to attend some early spring drinks launches held by both The Wine Society and Balfour Winery. As the choice of spring drinks that arrive can seem overwhelming, I will take you through some sparkling and rosé wine options that you can add to your picnic baskets, or provide as gifts, as the weather warms up even more!
I always think that people sleep on cava as a sparkling wine variety as it’s not the go to drink for celebrations but the Miquel Pons Cava Brut Reserva Guarda Superior (2022) is now available from The Wine Society and is well textured with a golden colour without aggressive bubbles. There is a slight minerality to its flavour profile and it does not taste overly sweet and would make a nice pairing with some hard cheese on a day trip.
In comparison, The Society’s non vintage Champagne is a bit sweeter to taste with a flavourful fruitiness but has that brioche on the nose too, unsurpringly as it has had five years of ageing on the lees! This is a brilliant non vintage champagne to drink by itself for those moments where you wish to treat yourself!
I also enjoyed the Portuguese Vadio ‘Perpetuum Desde 2007’ Brut from the Bairrada region which has that deeper colour. There is a hint of spice to add that complexity on the nose and is a good finish with a nice, rounded taste to provide as that gift to spoil a wine lover!
Now, another surprise was that of the Silver Heights Bloom Pét-Nat’s 2023 vintage. This Chinese wine has an intriguing profile and is rather light, delicate and fragrant. This wine would be recommended as a rosé to drink by itself as food may overpower it and its bubbles are creamy and soft. It is a good entry for those that are being introduced to sparkling wines although it is at a higher price point compared to other regions!
Moving on to other rosés, the new vintage of Nannette’s by Balfour Winery was launched! The story behind Nannette’s is a personal one as it is the name of the youngest daughter of the owners. It is a dry, rosé, from chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes, bursting with that strawberry and cream flavour and can ideally be drunk by itself as you imagine yourself by the French Riviera. Uniquely, each bottle of Nannette’s sold, is in support of a conservation charity of Kent and therefore is also for a good cause, which is another incentive to enjoy a glass or two of this delightful, still English rosé wine!
With a bright but pale rosé hue, the Quinta de la Rose’s 2025 vintage from the Douro region is another favourite to add to your lists. This is well balanced with the right amount of acidity to provide that crispness alongside the full red fruit flavours. This is Portuguese summer in a glass, don’t miss it!
If you’re looking for something even lighter for lunches or alcohol free options, I have you covered as well! Gone are the days where the only zero alcohol drinks meant trading the alcohol for a high sugar alternative. Believe by Jukes, alcohol free sparkling switchel, is an enjoyable botanicals based drink, which has not been fermented. Cloudy and pale yellow in colour with a slight fizz, this is a combination of fruits and herbs with that bit of ‘je ne sais quoi’ to be a good palate cleanser. There is also a bit of a ginger beer style kick at the end to ensure this drink could never be described as being bland!
On the fermented end of the alcohol free drinks scale, LA Brewery x The Wine Society’s ‘Soon, My Friend’ is a sparkling Kombucha with a twist that is bound to be a talking point – in a good way! There is that umami flavour within this Kombucha which green tea enthusiasts will love meaning that it is not excessively sweet but will still be an exciting drink to have.
I am certainly excited by some of these early offerings for the spring/ summer season and hope that the above list has provided you with some spring and summer equinox inspiration. I’m keen to hear – which drink will be the first to be placed in your shopping basket?
