Spring is here! The days are long, the weather is warmer, flowers are blooming, and things are starting to feel hopeful.  It's time to refresh the wine supply with wines that pair well with spring vegetables, time outside and friends.

The idea of changing the wine you drink with the season meets some resistance. People tend to ‘like what they like’ when it comes to wine, drinking the same bottles right through the year. The more pronounced acidity and palate weight of lighter wines may not be to your taste. But try them with the right kind of food and you’ll see how perfectly tuned they are to the flavors of spring!

Best White Wine for Spring | The Merchant of Wine 2021 Edition

This list includes wines at a great price point you can drink all spring long!

1. Côtière, Cuveé Chardonnay, Santa Barbara, California, 2017

This bright Chardonnay is rich and tropical in its expression of fruit.  Lemon brioche, butter cream, toast and a judicious amount of oak show on the nose. There is a toasty quality to the sip, where light oak, roasted nectarine and lime-peel flavors slide into a hazelnut finish.  The wine drinks well-balanced with fresh acidity.

Pair with shellfish, grilled poultry, spring vegetables, or this delicious looking Chicken, Avocado & Bacon Salad.

2. Pazo De Señorans, Albariño, Rias Biaxas, Spain, 2018

This wine is a perfect example of the crisp, fresh, vibrant style Albariño is known for (and at a great price!). It presents ripe fruit and dried herbs on the nose which moves to a balanced, powerful palate. The bright yellow color is sunshine in a glass on a spring day!

Pair with sushi, oysters, crab, light cheeses or a classic ceviche.

3. Friedrich Wilhelm Gymnasium, Kabinett Graacher Himmelreich, Mosel, Germany, 2016

This lively Riesling has a lovely balance of juicy fruit and dry minerality.  It opens to aromatics of white peach, lime, green tea and wet stones. Invigorating acidity resonates on the finish.  Simply delightful!

Pair with tropical pork chops, Thai food, or seared scallops!