8 Essential Wines for Spring 2017

By Food & Wine

Updated March 02, 2017

Credit: © Domaine la Tour Vielille

Back in the Neolithic era of American dining (i.e., the 1970s), wine lists even at the priciest places often featured a house pour: a simple red and white, inexpensive and, ideally, delicious. Today, when many casual chain restaurants offer 20 or more wines by the glass, that approach has largely disappeared—but I’d like to make a case for reviving it at home. The point is to always have a wine on hand that you love, something you can pour at a moment’s notice. Tune your pick to your palate, and steer toward what’s affordable, so you won’t think twice about opening another bottle. (Urban legend has it that Mick Jagger’s house pour at one time was Château Margaux, which can run well over $500 a bottle—but Sir Mick lives large and has the means to do so. The rest of us can be content with something in the $15 to $20 range.) And why not choose a wine with personal significance? I often stock up on Tasca d’Almerita’s simple Sicilian Regaleali Nero d’Avola. Besides the fact that it’s a terrific value, full of juicy dark-fruit flavors, my wife and I spent our honeymoon in Sicily, where we visited the Tasca family’s beautiful winery. Each time I pour one of their wines, I get the added bonus of a rush of happy memories. I can’t speak to what’s meaningful to you, of course, but here are eight great bottles that are excellent possibilities for your own house pour. —Ray Isle

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2015 Quinta de Chocapalha Arinto($12)

Credit: © The Winebow Group

Sauvignon Blanc fans should look for this white, made by one of Portugal’s top young winemakers (Sandra Tavares) from one of the country’s signature grapes (Arinto). It’s fresh, zesty and impossible not to like.

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2014 Tasca d'Almerita Regaleali Nero d'Avola ($13)

Credit: © The Winebow Group

Regaleali’s basic Nero d’Avola—the signature grape of Sicily—is the winery’s entry-level red. It’s got plenty of generous dark fruit but isn’t heavy at all, making it adaptable to almost any cuisine.

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2016 Angeline Rosé of Pinot Noir ($14)

Credit: © Timm Ubanks

One of the first rosés from California’s 2016 vintage to appear, this light-bodied, fruity (but dry) wine offers an abundance of delicate, bright watermelon and strawberry notes.

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2015 Garofoli Macrina Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore ($14)

Credit: © Garofoli

A long name for a modest but lovely white from Le Marche in Italy—it’s floral and minerally, perfect for springtime drinking.

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2014 Columbia Crest H3 Cabernet Sauvignon ($15)

Credit: © Columbia Crest Winery

If you’re a fan of more structured, big-boned reds like Cabernet, this version from Washington state’s Horse Heaven Hills region (hence H3) has surprising complexity and depth given the modest price.

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2014 Ancient Peaks Zinfandel ($18)

Credit: Courtesy of Ancient Peaks Winery

Aficionados of ripe, luscious wines should check out this robust Zinfandel from Paso Robles. Its blackberry fruit is jammy and intense, but there’s enough acidity here that the richness doesn’t wind up being overbearing.

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2014 Marchesi di Grésy Barbera d'Asti ($18)

This Piedmontese winery is famous for its benchmark Barbarescos, but they aren’t cheap. Yet the same winemaking skill informs this elegant Barbera, which overflows with bright red cherry fruit.

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2015 Domaine La Tour Vieille Collioure La Pinede ($25)

From vineyards overlooking the Mediterranean just north of the Spanish border, this old-vine Grenache is dark, robust and spicy. Think Châteauneuf-du-Pape at a third of the price—in other words, pretty much the platonic ideal of a house pour.

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