Now that spring has finally sprung, we have rounded up several ways to raise a toast to celebrate.
Whether you are a wine connoisseur, a tequila aficionado, or a health-conscious non-drinker, here are a few ways to lift your spirits this season.
For the white wine lover, Palmaz Vineyards offers a 2023 Amalia Chardonnay that is bursting with flavor.
Fruity notes feature aromas of peaches, plums, and dried bananas while the taste boasts a hint of sweet anise. Designed to mimic a white burgundy, the well-balanced wine pairs up well with a wide range of dishes, including seafood, pork and poultry.
If luxurious red wines are more your style, you won’t want to miss the Mount Veeder Winery 2021 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon.
This rich and complex wine combines the flavors of dark fruits (think blackberry, cassis, and plum) along with herbal and floral notes to create a well-structured wine bursting with flavors.
Even though the temperatures are rising, a chilly night would be a great excuse to break out a bottle of Rombauer Vineyards 2022 Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir.
This medium-bodied wine pairs well with everything from mushroom risotto, Peking duck, and barbecue spareribs, to roast salmon and grilled steak. It has light floral notes complemented by raspberry and red cherry aromas.
For the tequila lover, Laelia Tequila’s Reposado aged in French Oak barrels offers a delicious combination of mineral and wood notes along with hints of floral, fruity, citrus, oak, and cinnamon.
Derived from fully mature and sustainably grown, 100% Blue Weber Agave and distilled using 100% renewable energy, Laelia is the first release from Casa Natima. It is best enjoyed neat or can be combined in your favorite cocktail.
Another favorite red comes from Tempo d’Angelus, which is exclusively produced from vines sited on clay limestone slopes acquired by Château Angelus.
Its unique location results in a clear and dark wine with subtle hints of oak and aromas of fresh red berry fruit. As for the taste, think complex with fine acidity and notes of coffee beans.
Nothing says celebration more than a bottle of bubbly. The folks at Piper-Heidsieck have created a delicious, flavor-filled champagne.
Their Rose Sauvage combines chardonnays from the Montagne de Reims with pinot noirs of Les Riceys in the Côte des Bar, the most southerly champagne vineyard to create an intensely complex flavor of juicy berry fruits and spiced and smoked notes. Suggested pairing is with duck à l’orange or other red meat dishes.
Oregon’s Meadows Estate Vineyard & Winery recently introduced two new white wines just in time for summer – the refreshing 2024 Bella Vin designed for a backyard barbecue and the aromatic 2024 Wild & Free Viognier that pairs best with sauteed scallops, shrimp scampi, or roasted chicken.
“Our vision has always been to create wines that are not only expressive of our land but also invite people to gather, celebrate, and feel at home,” said Dexter Meadows, co-owner of Meadows Estate. “Bella Vin and Viognier represent the kind of wines we love to drink—fresh, versatile, and rooted in our story here in the Umpqua Valley.”
For the non-drinker, French Bloom has created a special way to celebrate with its organic non-alcoholic sparkling wine.
The brand was founded by model Constance Jablonski and luxury wine expert Maggie Frerejean-Taittinger, who were looking to redefine modern rituals. Together, they recently launched L’Extra Brut, the world’s first 0.0% extra brut Chardonnay.
They recently introduced two limited-edition gift sets that include La Lumiere, a hand-poured candle housed in a candlestick crafted from repurposed French Bloom bottles, and Le Vase, a hand-cut vase that makes a beautiful keepsake.
