Ladus News: Spring Sips
Spring ignites the senses, invoking change and renewal. Warm breezes and brighter days encourage outdoor activities and the gathering of friends. Patios both at restaurants and in backyards come alive with conversation, light spreads and plenty of beverages to sip.
For wines, spring marks a transitional time – our palates shift, gravitating toward crisper, lighter wines in multiple shades of pink, white and orange. Also, wine drinkers are becoming more adventurous, which helps the St. Louis market explore more distinctive grape varietals. With so many choices out there, finding your favorites can make for an exciting journey. Although rosés are definitely strongholds in the wine scene, plenty of other wines remain worthy of investigation this season.
What follows constitutes just a small list of wines to drink now, most of them readily available from local wine stores. Enjoy the journey of springtime wines – and cheers!
Certified Sommelier Stanley Browne is the owner of Robust Wine Bar in Webster Groves and Downtown at the MX.
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2014 Château l’Oiselinière de la Ramée, Melon de Bourgogne – Muscadet Sèvre et Maine, Loire, France
Retail: $18
Tasting notes: Apple, pear and citrus notes, with white flowers and a zippy mouthfeel and acidity to balance this wine.
Muscadet had a reputation as wine that tastes like nothing, and yet, originating close to the sea, it perfectly matches oysters. Today, using indigenous yeasts and sur lie aging, Muscadet develops more flavor and characteristics. With 40- to 80-year-old vines with southeast exposure situated on the northern bank of the Sèvre Nantaise river in Loire, France, this family has been making Muscadet going back to the 15th century.