Wines for celebrating long-awaited end of winter

It’s been a long, cold winter — did it feel longer and colder than normal to anyone else, or was it just me? — but relief from the relentless deep-freeze and back-breaking shovelling seems to finally, almost certainly be upon us.

Our rodent puppet Manitoba Merv be damned — we’re officially into spring, which means shifting from hearty, warming and rustic wines to those better-suited to warmer (or at least warming) temps — think lighter, fruit-driven wines.

Here are a half-dozen wines to usher in the spring season — all of which, it just so happens, would work well with Easter dinner…

The Freixenet NV Carta Nevada Extra Dry (Cava, Spain — $16.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) is the less popular, slightly neglected brother of the wildly popular Cordon Negro — even though this traditional-method sparkling wine is better than the ubiquitous black-bottled bubbly.

Made from the traditional Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo grapes grown in the region, this cava is pale straw in appearance and offers lemon-lime, tart green apple and subtle herbal and chalky aromas.

There’s just a hint of sweetness here (in sparkling-wine terms, somewhat confusingly, “extra dry” is typically slightly sweeter than “brut”), and the playful citrus and green apple flavours come with zippy effervescence and medium acidity, while the 11.5 per cent alcohol means the finish is short but pleasant.

Tasty on its own, or perfect for a mimosa or French 75. 3.5/5

 

The estate-grown grapes in the Otu Wines 2025 Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, New Zealand — $20.99, Liquor Marts and beyond) come from the Awatere Valley sub-region of Marlborough; the wine’s very pale straw in appearance and aromatically offers fresh Granny Smith apple and lime notes along with herbal, tart grapefruit and mineral notes.

It’s a dry, light-bodied and vibrant white that’s brimming with crunchy green apple, gooseberry and tart lime flavours, along with subtle grassy and stony notes, a small spoonful of marmalade and little in the way of those pesky bell/jalapeño pepper notes.

The acidity is lively and the finish on this sustainably made and vegan white persists nicely (it’s 13 per cent alcohol). Would be delightful with sushi, citrus-driven salads or mild cheeses. 4/5

 

Last year I reviewed the 2021 vintage of the Closson Chase 2023 The Brock Chardonnay (Niagara River, Ont. — $20, Liquor Marts and beyond), made by the Prince Edward County winery with Chardonnay grapes grown in Niagara; now, two vintages on, it remains just as good a Chardonnay for the price.

Pale straw in appearance, the Brock brings fresh red apple, fleshy pear and hints of peach, baking spice and vanilla. I

t’s light-plus-bodied and dry, leading with those stone fruit flavours and coming with light lemony acidity and the slightest touch of wood via the spice and modest vanilla note before the relatively modest 12.5 per cent alcohol on the finish.

Fans of big, buttery, oaky California Chardonnay may find this elegant but fruit-driven expression of the grape to be underwhelming … so be it. It’s an exceptional white for spring. 4.5/5

 

Warmer temps means a renewed focus on pink wines — enter the De Andres Sisters 2024 Oh! Sister Rosé (Manchuela, Spain — $15, Element Wine + Spirits).

Pale salmon pink in appearance, this Spanish rosé offers enticing aromas of peach, apricot, fresh-cut flowers and nectarine with a dusting of chalk.

It’s light-bodied and dry, but brimming with stone fruit, secondary raspberry and herbal notes, medium acidity and a modest 12.5 per cent alcohol on the finish.

A fun, fresh pink wine, especially while it’s on sale right now at Ellement (it’s regularly $17). 3.5/5

 

The François Lurton 2024 Mas Janeil Le Petit Pas (Côtes du Roussillon, France — $20.24, Liquor Marts and beyond) is an organic blend of Grenache Noir, Syrah, Carignan and Mourvèdre that is, says the label, “vinified in a very natural way.”

Aromatically this southern French red brings boatloads of ripe plum and cherry as well as iron, earth, violet and blackberry aromas.

It’s dry, medium-bodied and quite juicy, with pretty dark berry, cherry and grape candy flavours delivering ripeness and unencumbered by much tannin — it’s almost Beaujolais-like in its pretty, straightforward fruit.

No barrel aging here; rather, it’s fermented and aged on lees (the spent yeast cells) in concrete tanks.

The 13 per cent alcohol seems just right — chill for 15 minutes and enjoy with charcuterie, particularly while it’s on sale in March (it’s regularly $22.49). 4/5

 

Bright reddish-purple in appearance, the Frank 2025 Grenache Noir (Western Cape, South Africa — $23.49, the Pourium) delivers bold blackberry, earth, plum and blueberry notes, with hints of white pepper and very light vanilla.

It’s medium-plus-bodied and dry, but offers soft, plush (but fresh!) dark berry flavours on the palate along with plum and raspberry notes, while light tannins and acidity precede the medium-length finish (it’s 14 per cent alcohol).

The only time this wine sees oak is in larger, older/neutral barrels, meaning there are no big woody notes here — rather, the focus is on juicy, crunchy fruit.

Chill this red for 15 minutes and try with medium-sharp cheeses, grilled meats or burgers. 4/5

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