Wine Time! The Best Wines to Enjoy this Spring

Every now and then, I like to write an article about wine. Not only do I love drinking wine, but I love learning about it. Wine is truly fascinating. There are so many things to know about wine, people spend a lifetime studying it. And of course, some people choose a career in wine. While I don't think I have the nose for that, I do enjoy savoring a lovely wine every now and then, especially with friends. I recently started reading a book called Cork Dork and a small group of friends in Indy began using that book as a guide. We want to meet regularly and discuss wine as well as pair it with some wonderful food items.

If you are planning a wine soiree, here are some wines which will accompany almost everything on your menu.

2019 Gary Farrell Martaella Vineyard Pinot Noir Russian River Valley – Lush and inviting, the 2019 Martaella offering abounds in captivating aromas of blueberry pie, cherry cola, and cassis. Hints of wild violets, Darjeeling tea, and allspice invite further exploration. Intensely concentrated upon entry, rustic tannins coat the mid-palate, but are quickly resolved by the amazing depth of flavor and power that this wine delivers year after year.

2021 Blanc de Noir - “Blanc de noir is a white wine made from a red grape, a technique you see all the time with Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in Champagne, where base wines are blended in the creation of a single wine. It is more unusual when a winemaker decides to make a blanc de noir as a still wine. Here red grapes are gently pressed just until very clear, pale juices run out of the fruit. Since the skin doesn’t imprint any color or tannin, the wine expresses the aromatics of the grape, allowing the brightest, purest expression to come through. This is what makes it interesting to me: it’s a different way to explore the taste of a grape.”

The Mill Keeper Multi Vintage Cabernet Sauvignon (SRP $25): Bold without being intimidating, this Cabernet Sauvignon has balanced tannins and a smooth finish. From a portfolio of ready-to-drink, sustainably sourced wines that pay homage to Napa's early wine industry pioneers of the mid-1800s, this wine has a complexity that can only be achieved by blending across multiple vintages.

2020 Trivento Golden Reserve Malbec ($19.99) Made up of fruit from some of the most cherished vines in Mendoza, this vibrant wine is a shining example of why Trivento Golden Reserve has received high praise from critics and consumers alike over the last 10 vintages. As a certified B-Corp, Bodega Trivento centers on making a positive impact at every step of the winemaking process, from farming to wine production.

Domaine Carneros Tattinger 2018 - Aromas of white flowers, apple pie, and citrus peel are enhanced with notes of toast and vanilla. The wine is elegantly structured, round and flavorful with a signature long, creamy finish. Delicious with double or triple cream cheeses, fish and shellfish, poultry, Asian and California cuisine.

Double Diamond Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 - In the glass, the wine displays a nearly opaque ruby-purple hue. Upon closer inspection, aromas emerge in waves suggesting framboise, nutmeg, toasted cedar bark, plum reduction, and pennyroyal mint. The sleek palate is marked by mouth-watering notes such as blackberry compote, dark chocolate shavings, cassis, oolong tea, flint, and lavender. The dynamic flavors interact on the mid-palate with a vivid harmony, carrying through to the long floral finish, which lasts for up to a minute. With a pleasing acidity and fine tannic framework, this wine is very enjoyable today and should develop gracefully in the cellar for years to come.

Ruffino Riserva Ducale Oro ($39.99) - An iconic Italian red produced only in outstanding vintages, Riserva Ducale Oro is made from grapes harvested by hand, mostly from Ruffino’s Gretole estate in the Chianti Classico appellation.

2020 North Coast Chardonnay ($17) - Dough Wines is proud to offer the best California wines while giving back to charity. Created in partnership with the James Beard Foundation, Dough's food friendly wines “rise to the occasion” and give back through an annual “doughnation.” Handcrafted from some of the most prestigious wine growing regions on the West Coast, the core wines of the portfolio – Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon – are the true ‘classics’ of the North Coast and Oregon wine regions.

Domenica Pinot Grigio ($17.99) Grown in vineyards lying in uncontaminated valleys with rising cliffs and crystalline rivers. One is immediately struck by the vitality and cleanliness of these valleys; these characteristics being found in the bottle through the aromas and freshness of this wine.

Delisa Pinot Grigio Rose´ ($15.99) Elegant, pleasant, and Italian, Delisa is Mezzacorona’s most refined side. A floral, crisp, aromatic and delicate wine, born in a mountain garden. Delightful, delicious, delicate, Delisa is a pure garden of delight.

2021 Gentleman Farmer Napa Valley Rosé (SRP: $37) - 100% Pinot Noir, white strawberry, ruby red grapefruit, red cherry, and white peach aromas lead to watermelon, white tea, and brioche. Dry and crisp, bright acidity and a pleasant bitterness of grapefruit pith lingers on the finish.

2020 Gentleman Farmer Napa Valley Chardonnay (SRP: $49) - Sourced from the famed Muir-Hanna vineyard, bright acidity and purity of fruit burst with Meyer lemon and dried apricot, aromas of honeysuckle, roasted Italian meringue, and vanilla, and a generous, creamy texture.

2019 Gentleman Farmer Napa Valley Red Wine (SRP: $77) - 93% Merlot and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, an initial impression of red currant and wild red cherry give way to Bing cherry, pie cherries, cola, and black currant leaf.