8 Essential Wines for Spring 2017

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.


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.


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.


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


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.


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.


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.


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.