Troupis Winery Hoof & Lur | Mantinia, Greece; rosé, moschofilero: Nothing complements Springtime’s fresh flavors, colorful blossoms, and warm weather quite like this wine. Hoof & Lur is a skin-contact style of wine that is vinified with very little intervention and bottled unfined and unfiltered, the way they used to make wine before commercial winemaking took over. The resulting wine is super floral, thoughtfully tannic, and uniquely aromatic, with complex notes of orange peel, gardenia, apricot, and honey. Pair it with anything from oysters (use it as mignonette!) to spicy Thai noodles and you’ll be an aromatic Greek wine convert in no time!

MontRubí BLACK | Penedés, Spain; red, grenache: We’re headed to Spain with this red made from 100% Grenache from old vines grown on Spain’s Costa Brava on the Eastern coast. In addition to being organic and vegan, about 30% of this wine undergoes a process called carbonic maceration, which means the fermentation starts to take place within the berry, yielding super-juicy, fruit-driven wines. Please believe me when I tell you this is one of my favorite red wines to enjoy in the springtime, better yet, give it a try - that’s why we’re all here! While this wine drinks dark-fruited with notes of blackberry jam, it remains super lively on the palate with silky tannins and balanced acidity, making it great for enjoying with a slight chill in the air alongside grilled mushrooms and charcuterie. This one’s a slam dunk for me. 

Cantine Barbera Perricone | Sicily, Italy; red, perricone: A winery famed for its organic and biodynamic viticultural practices. Located on the southwest coast of Sicily, only about a mile from the Mediterranean Sea. Here, Perricone grapes grow on sandy soils with biodynamic principles, meaning every interaction with the vine is planned out in accordance with the phases of the moon to ensure vine and soil health. With very controlled vinification under winemaker Marilena Barbera’s hand, the resulting wine is luscious and medium-bodied with notes of violets, jammy red fruit, clove, and ginger – intermingling with a distinctive saline minerality reminiscent of its bucolic seaside terroir. This dynamic wine can be enjoyed with grilled lean steaks, pork, or chicken, and will be exceptional with BBQ as we move into the summer months.

Adega do Vimbio "Vimbio" | Rías Baixas, Spain; white, albariño, caiño branco, lourier: Whenever I can, I always show love to Rías Baixas as a winemaking region. Not just because my mom’s from Galicia and it’s my second home, but because the sense of terroir that emanates from the wines of this region is incredibly consistent, and most of the wineries here are tiny. Adega do Vimbio is no exception: husband and wife team Martín Crusat and Patricia Elola are meticulously farming only 2.5 hectares in O Rosal, a very humid part of the region in the northwest of Spain, sitting just on top of Portugal. With the Atlantic to the west and the Minho River directly to the south, these grapes are kissed by salty air all day long until they’re harvested and vinified on the lees with minimal intervention to keep the wine complex and texturally interesting. To me, this wine embodies the essence of spring with its bright, salty acidity and notes of green citrus and white peach. This wine alongside a grilled langoustine and sugar snap pea salad transports me to my happy place.