5 Food & Wine Pairings You Need This Spring
04.14.23
With the rise of warmer weather and colorful wildflowers at every turn, spring is finally here. Just like our winter coats, we have also put away the heavier wines in exchange for the lighter and brighter ones perfect for this season! Embracing everything floral and fruity, these are the top 5 food and wine pairings you need to try this spring.
Sparkling Rosé & Fish Tacos
Our Sparkling Rosé is a pink bubbly exploding with flavors of fresh strawberry, pomegranate, and cranberry layered with notes of bright citrus that really brings out the layers of fresh cabbage, tomato, sour cream mixture, and lime within the dish. This dry sparkling wine maintains a hint of sweetness that excites, with lively and refreshing bubbles on the palate, finishing with a crisp, delicate finish. Paired with the fresh vegetables and citrus acidity in a Baja fish taco, this wine and food combination makes a beautiful addition to any spring celebration.
Angel Riesling & Iced Lemon Pound Cake
One of the most popular spring desserts is the iced lemon pound cake. It pairs best with Messina Hof’s Angel, Late Harvest Riesling, which is one of our crisp, sweet dessert wines. Picking the Riesling at the end of harvest when the grapes are like raisins captures flavors of apple, pear and honey. Making this a beautiful combination perfect for fruity desserts. Due to the flavor profile of this wine, it delicately brings out the sweeter side of the cake, and on the palate, the candied flavor and tinging acidity of the wine highlights the lemony notes on the finish. This is a spectacular food and wine pairing as it combines those sweet and floral spring flavors!
Unoaked Chardonnay & Chicken Salad Sandwiches
Chicken salad is a fan-favorite, especially for a quick summer lunch or dinner. Served as sandwiches or simply with crackers, this dish serves as a light and refreshing meal as the temperatures start to rise. It also makes an excellent addition to a spring and summer picnic. When looking to pair a wine to complement chicken salad we recommend our Dry Cuvèe Unoaked Chardonnay. This is an aromatic light body wine with hints of fresh tropical fruits like pineapple with a splash of lemon. Its crisp, clean finish makes this a wine that pairs nicely with chicken focused dishes and plays beautifully off the layers of flavors in a chicken salad recipe.
Pinot Grigio & Strawberry Spinach Salad
What’s better than fresh ingredients and bright colors? This salad is a mixture of strawberries, spinach, goat cheese, toasted pecans, and more. A dish perfect for those warmer months when people tend to eat a little lighter. Our Pinot Grigio is the wine we think that takes this dish to another level. It is a crisp, light-bodied wine with delicate aromas of apple blossom and citrus zest. Refreshing notes of pear on the palate are balanced with a slight minerality. This refreshing white wine always pairs well with salads that feature light and delicate flavors.
Orange Muscat Mistella & Peach Cobbler
Peach cobbler is a dessert staple in the south. Sweet peaches with a crunchy topping. The only two things that can make this dish better are vanilla ice cream and a phenomenal wine pairing. Orange Muscat Mistella is a sweet dessert white wine with a honeyed mouthfeel and twist of bright orange zest and fragrant aromatics of lemon peel. This bright wine has plenty of body that perfectly complements desserts like warm cobbler. The sweetness of the citrus flavor profile from the wine enhances the dessert’s fruitiness in the cobbler.
Warmer weather and bluer skies have us soaking in the sunshine and better enjoying the spring season with a glass in hand; and with fresh and lively flavors, each of these food & wine combinations are sure to brighten and excite family get-togethers, dinner parties, and simple days spent at home. We hope you enjoy each of these recommendations that will take your spring culinary endeavors to the next level. Cheers!
