Wine
Spring Wines
Hooray! Spring is here! As the flowers blossom and clear blue skies beckon with the promise of new adventure and a sense of freshness and vitality, it’s time to get back outside and enjoy the great outdoors.
As the temperature rises, our social calendar fills up with invites to spring lunches, terrace dinners, barbeque parties and happy gatherings with friends – all of which are incomplete without a dozen or two of delicious spring wines to enjoy and share with your loved ones.
So, to help you find your own alfresco favourites, Panellist, Wine Show Judge, and Wine Educator Adam Walls has put together his list of top spring-friendly wines. You will find the perfect wine for every spring entertaining occasion in this carefully curated list, covering everything from classics like Semillon, Riesling, and Pinot Noir to lesser-known varietals like Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc.
A shortlist of what to drink this spring:
What wines are best in spring? The easy answer to this question can be found in this shortlist of spring wines handpicked by our expert Tasting Panel.
Brimming with fresh flavours and promising a delightful drinking experience — these are some of the best wines for spring.
1. Grant Burge The Vigneron Centenarian Semillon 2015 – The Vigneron series of wines are crafted from parcels of fruit hand-selected by the winemakers that are unique in character and expressive of their terroir.
2. Altus Rise Wildlight Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2022 – a mouth-watering Semillon from Margaret River.
3. Gudilly Vermentino 2022 – A balanced and refreshing wine that pairs exceptionally well with seafood.
4. Pikes Traditionale Riesling 2023 – The winner of the best Riesling of the show at the 2023 Clare Valley Wine Show and the best dry Riesling at the 2023 International Riesling Challenge.
5. Coughlan Estate Chenin Blanc 2022 – a delicious Gold medal-winning example of this emerging varietal.
6. Quin Wines Grenache 2021 – a superb 2021 vintage with only 155 dozen bottled of this single vineyard wine.
7. Lost Farm Pinot Noir 2022 – an intensely-flavoured Gold medal-winning Pinot Noir from Tasmania.
8. Jackson's Hill Panoramic Cabernet Franc Rosé 2024 – a lip-smacking Rosé.
SPRING WINE GLASSES
Before we dive into the greater details of our favourite spring wines, it is also important to pick the right spring wine glasses to enhance your drinking experience. The choice of the Wine Selectors Tasting panel is Schott Zwiesel Wine Glasses & Decanters.
Developed alongside leading sommeliers for maximum sensory enjoyment, these glasses will bring out the very best of your wine. Made from patented Tritan® crystal, they are highly durable, shatter-resistant, and can withstand daily dishwasher use.
Shop Spring Wine Glasses
Now that your glasses are ready, pore over the list below to uncover the must-try wines of spring. From vibrant Rieslings to the new-age favourites like Vermentino, these are the varietals you won't want to miss this spring!
1.Semillon
Adam says: “The energy and warmth of spring calls for white wines that mirror this freshness, and Semillon is the freshest by far!”
Semillon is renowned for its incredible ageing ability. When young, it’s lovely and crisp with vibrant citrus character, while age brings complex toast, vanilla and honey flavours, creating depth and richness.
Perfectly paired with: Seafood is the classic match for this varietal. Pair your spring Semillon with briny and fresh recipes like Hugh Allen’s Sydney rock oysters with lemon myrtle and restaurant-style seafood specials like Pilu's Yellowfin tuna alla carlofortina.
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2.VERMENTINO
Adam says: “Vermentino is high in acidity, so the wines all have a refreshing and nervy acid backbone. Its vibrancy and freshness channel the spring season, and it’s perfect with lighter-style dishes.”
The key flavour notes of Aussie Vermentino are stonefruit, citrus, dried herbs and a signature saline or sea spray character.
The lighter aromatic styles made by gentle pressing and a cool fermentation highlight the variety’s fruit and acidity. Perhaps the most exciting development has been the willingness of Australian winemakers to experiment and embrace practices such as skin contact, natural fermentation, and old oak to not only craft wines of fruit power and brightness but also harness Vermentino’s textural intrigue.
Perfectly paired with: Vermentino is a very food-friendly wine, matching perfectly with a diverse range of spring dishes like fresh seafood, salads and light Asian-inspired fare. Luke Nguyen's chilli salted squid recipe is a fantastic match as the sweetness and spice from the squid balance the refreshing acidity of Australian Vermentino, while Guy Grossi’s Carciofi alla Romana recipe is great paired with more textural styles of Vermentino.
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3. Riesling
Adam says: “Spring sees us all look for alfresco occasions to enjoy great food, wine and conversation in the warmer weather. If you have to pick only one variety to sip in the sun, then with its guaranteed refreshing characters, Riesling has to be it.”
Riesling is a late-ripening aromatic white with high acidity. Generally speaking, Australian Riesling is drier than German, Alsatian, and New Zealand examples. Zesty and citrussy when young, it can develop in the bottle to show gorgeous honey and toast characters after several years, making it a must-have varietal this spring.
Perfectly paired with: With its high levels of acidity and citrussy characters, Riesling is a perfect match with a variety of seafood dishes. It is also a super food-friendly wine to serve with spicy Asian-style fare. Your guests will surely love Riesling paired with delicacies like Mussels with fennel, orange and caper emulsion and Lyndey Milan's soba noodles with peanut and ginger.
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4. Chenin Blanc
Adam says: "This variety has long been underrated. However, this is changing, which is very exciting as it’s a variety that not only offers a mouthful of flavour but it’s also fresh and lively and full of energy. A perfect accompaniment to spring and all of its energy!”
Chenin Blanc reached fame in wines made in France’s Loire Valley. In Australia, it’s mostly planted in Western Australia and really expresses its terroir.
Perfectly paired with: Make it a spring of indulgence with delicious chenin Blanc paired with recipes such as Lyndey Milan's individual pumpkin leek and spinach frittata and Goat's cheese pasta.
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5. Grenache
Adam says: “Grenache is super trendy at the moment. It’s one of the lead provocateurs in the rise of mid-weight and easy-to-drink red wines. These styles of red are made for spring sipping as they love the sunshine as much as we do.”
With a similar weight and tannin structure to light to medium-bodied Shiraz, Grenache is light on the palate and all about the purity of fruit. With aromas like pomegranate, wild strawberries, violets, and red berries, and a palate that’s restrained and fine in texture, it is often blended with Mataro/Mourvedre, which provides a heightened element of spice and tannin. But, with careful oak treatment, Grenache can be a splendid single-varietal wine.
Perfectly paired with: Enjoy long spring lunches with recipes like Bocconcini, cherry tomato and basil pizza and Lyndey Milan's blended burger with beetroot pickles, paired with spring-perfect Grenache.
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6. Pinot Noir
Adam says: “Light-bodied, but full of spice and scoring high on the ‘ease of drinking’ scale, Pinot shares a natural fusion with spring. It can be enjoyed on its own, but is versatile when it comes to matching food and occasions.”
Australian Pinot Noir is typically an attractive ruby colour in glass. It has a perfumed nose and shows red fruit flavours such as cherry, raspberry, and blood plum balanced by smooth tannins. Great Pinot Noir should age well in the medium-term, and develop complex truffle, game, and earthy characters.
Perfectly paired with: From Couscous salad with butterflied quail to Miguel Maestre’s sweet and savoury chicken pie, this food-friendly wine pairs with a variety of dishes.
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7. Nero d’Avola
Adam says: “Light to medium-bodied reds are well-suited to spring’s sunshine and warmth. However, you still need reds with flavour, and Nero is one of them. Black fruits and spice all in a mid-weight frame!”
Translating as ‘black grape of Avola’, Nero d’Avola hails from the Italian town for which it’s named. It didn’t arrive in Australia until 1998 and while it’s not widely known, it’s proving to be a delicious drink. Nero d'Avola is made in two different styles. The first is fragrant and crunchy, light to medium-bodied, almost like Pinot Noir. The second is dark and densely coloured with black fruits and spice and a weight more reminiscent of Shiraz. In Australia, you're more likely to come across the first style, as our Nero d'Avola vines are younger and, therefore, have not generally reached the point of producing more robust wines.
Perfectly paired with: The high acidity that characterises Nero d'Avola means it will work well with any of your favourite tomato-based recipes like Guy Grossi's midnight spaghetti and Stefano Manfredis hot calabrese.
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8. Cabernet Franc
Adam says: “You may not be familiar with Cabernet Franc, but we think you should be. A parent of the famed ‘Cab Sav’, it offers similar flavours but with a lighter touch. The lighter body makes it easy to appreciate in the sunshine.”
In both France and Australia, Cabernet Franc is mainly used in blends, and while it’s not an alternative style, it’s rare to see it as a straight variety.
Perfectly paired with: Pair Cabernet Franc with delightful recipes like Shane Delias' smoked eggplant with St David's yoghurt, tahini and herbs and Pan-seared Atlantic Salmon with roasted heirloom carrots this spring.
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Want more options for spring? Shop wines from our new Spring Catalogue and flirt with something new with a BONUS spring wine that comes with every varietal dozen. Plus, enjoy great savings!