STANDARD SPRING SIPPERS

By TYLER BALLIET

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It's time to jump into warm-weather wines! Because the weather basically went from winter to summer, we're going to take it easy on you and start with the usual suspects. As we venture deeper into summer, we will be sure to highlight awesome grapes and regions you've never heard of, but for now, we're going to go easy on you. Consider this a Spring Wine 101 lesson.

Rosé

Light, crisp and ranging in hue from light pink to deep red, this is one of the most misunderstood wines. To begin with, rosé is NOT the sticky, sweet white zinfandel. While some rosés do have incredibly bright fruit flavors of raspberry and strawberries, others are deep in color and drink more like a red wine. Soaking grape skins in the juice during the fermentation process is what gives red wine its color. Rosés are made the same way, but instead of soaking the skins for months, they are only in contact with the juice for hours, giving the wine a bit more body and structure than a white. While the process was made most famous in the south of France, rosé wines are made in every major wine region in the world.

Affordable Bubbles

While Champagne—from the Champagne region of France—is way too expensive for everyday sipping (bottles start around $45) there are plenty of alternatives. Spain makes Cava, a crisp and citrusy wine from the Catalonia region, Italy makes Prosecco in the northern Veneto region and we, in the United States, make bubbly, all for less than $15 a bottle. Most wines are made via the same process as Champagne, but especially from newer wine regions, there are some fantastic alternatives at a quarter of the price.

Sauvignon Blanc

It has become one of the most ubiquitous grapes and is grown all over the world. From California to New Zealand to Chile and back to its native France, Sauv Blanc is quickly becoming one of the world's most varied wines. Depending on the weather and the soil, these wines have significantly different flavors and levels of acidity, but the big question is whether to oak the wines. In California, oaked Sauv Blancs are referred to as "Fumé Blanc." Chile is also known for aging their Sauv Blancs in oak, which imparts a rich and more round feel, typically not found in its French and New Zealand counterparts.

Chardonnay

Ahhh, Chardonnay. It's the grape people love to hate. The main problem is that this grape got a bad rap, thanks to California overproducing it in the '80s and the tote-bag carrying, minivan-driving soccer moms who love to drink it. In reality, Chardonnay can be made into a wide variety of styles. Under proper conditions and the right winemaking hand, like in Burgundy, France, it can make a beautiful, age-worthy wine that would make any ABC (anything but Chardonnay) drinker rethink those buying habits. However, you don't have to spend a fortune on a bottle to avoid the oaky, buttery flavors most people hate. Look for unoaked or "naked" Chards. These guys still have the bright apple and pear flavors, but drink more like a Sauvignon Blanc.

DRINK MORE WINE!