5 Wines Our Sommeliers Are Drinking This Spring
Wondering what to drink this season? As winter melts away and spring starts to warm up, it can be tricky to navigate the changing weather and old-school rules about what wine you’re supposed to drink.
“It’s too warm for red wine!” “The best al fresco wine is rosé!”
If you’ve heard any of these, or if you’re looking for some refreshing discoveries, you’re in luck. Wally’s wine experts have recommended the best wines to drink this spring, and they may break the rules you’ve heard.
When we’re looking for good spring wines, we love options that display bright and refreshing characteristics. We also tend to pour wines with delicate fruitiness and rounded flavors, while keeping things on the lighter-bodied side.
That doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be a white wine, though. While whites can be perfect for many spring occasions, you’ll see below that red wines can fit the bill, too.
Thanks to their characteristics and versatility, the wines on our list are perfect for a variety of spring occasions and outdoor temperatures. They’re also especially easy to pair with springtime fare, like grilled foods and lighter dishes.
Plus, these easy-drinking bottles can be just good on their own as with a great meal. And what’s more, at these price points it’s easy to buy a few bottles to last you all season.
From fresh whites to chillable reds, read on for five sommelier-approved wines to drink this spring.
1.) 2022 Barmes-Buecher '7 Grains' White Blend, Alsace
This white blend from Alsace is the epitome of easy-drinking spring wine. It consists of a blend of seven signature grape varieties from the region of Alsace, France. Our experts love this wine for the season because it feels like pure springtime, with graceful notes of nectarine, tangerine, and honeysuckle.
Wine Enthusiast also said of this fresh white wine: “This falls on the neutral side, with apple, oolong tea and chamomile flavors. Racy acidity keeps it lively and fresh on the finish.” ($35)
2.) 2021 Guigal Condrieu
When you’re looking for a perfectly fruity and fragrant bottle to enjoy in warmer spring months, this bottle delivers. It’s made from a favorite variety to enjoy in spring: a fresh and rich white wine called Viognier. This featured bottle is 100% Viognier and comes from the most famous producer in the Northern Rhone Valley of France. Here, a region named Condrieu is known for vibrant white wines that display more power and richness than other areas.
Enjoy an intense perfume of violet and jasmine, followed by ripe notes of apricot, peach, and orange blossom, rounded out with beautiful minerality.
Wine Spectator said of this wine “the density builds in this juicy yet restrained white, with finely crushed minerals driving tension throughout a finish that goes on and on. Delicious. Drink now through 2027.” ($75)
3.) 2021 Moric Blaufrankisch, Burgenland
If you’re looking for the perfect chillable red wine for spring, look no further. This easy-drinking wine comes from Austria and it’s made from the country’s top grape, Blaufränkisch. Our experts love this winemaker, saying he’s one of the best in Austria.
This wine is made in a careful process, using natural yeasts and slow fermentation to produce an incredibly elegant and easy-drinking wine. With medium body and juicy flavors, you’ll love the signature Blaufränkisch notes of blueberry, spices, and black tea. It’s a great bottle to serve slightly chilled for picnics and outdoor dining occasions.
Wine Advocate said of the wine: “clear, fresh and precise nose of tart sour cherries, cassis, crushed limestone and some floral and lovely spicy notes. It's also beautifully pure on the palate, which is almost weightless but silky, fresh and elegant, with tart but fine tannins and sour fruit on the finish… Purest Burgenland Blaufränkisch!” ($30)
4.) 2022 Domaine Vacheron Sancerre Rouge
This light, dry, and fresh style of red Sancerre is one of the best spring wines we can think of. It’s made from 100% Pinot Noir in Sancerre, a region of France known for its flinty soils that produce wines with incredible minerality.
This wine comes from a biodynamic winery which emphasizes terroir-driven wines. Thanks to this careful winemaking, the wine displays beautiful purity of flavor and character.
Open it this season to enjoy elegant flavors of black cherry, blackberry, and white pepper, balanced by fresh acidity and mineral notes. It’s an ideal bottle to open with a cheese and charcuterie board or alongside grilled meats. ($55)
5.) 2022 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
When it comes to our favorite spring wine varietals, nothing fits like a well-made Pinot Noir. This bottle comes from a top producer of Sonoma Pinot, and it’s one of the winery’s most expressive wines.
While Williams Selyem usually makes single-vineyard Pinot Noir, this particular wine is made from a blend of the best vineyards sites in Russian River Valley. This allows the winery to blend a unique flavor that offers a beautiful expression of the region’s characteristic flavors, at a great value.
We love the notes of red fruit, violets, black tea, and woodsy earthiness in this wine. The balanced acidity and tannins make for a perfectly complex yet easy-drinking bottle, to enjoy with spring meals or on its own. ($100)