Five Wine Pairings for Springtime Produce

Spring has officially sprung, and with it blossoms a renewed cornucopia of produce. On your next trip to the farmer’s market, you’ll find a bevvy of spring delicacies ripe for an evening in the kitchen. What wines should you pair with your springtime bounty? Here are five pairings to try with the vegetables and mushrooms in season. Asparagus & Grüner Veltliner Vegetables as a whole can present wine pairing conundrums, but none more famously gives sommeliers a headache than asparagus. With its distinctive, slightly bitter and, well, “vegetal” character, asparagus holds the power to make a wine taste off-kilter. One answer? Pair like-with-like and try Grüner Veltliner . Like asparagus, Austria’s signature grape exudes green flavors – often evoking tasting notes such as “string beans.” Grüner’s taut, tactile structure further complements asparagus’ stringy and sometimes tough texture. Fiddlehead Ferns & Blanc de Blancs These spiral-shaped fronds enjoy a frustratingly short season, but they add an element of whimsy to any spring dish. The flavor of fiddlehead ferns is often described as a milder, earthier version of asparagus. Go for something crisp, but slightly nutty – like Blanc de Blancs Champagne . The Chardonnay-based sparkler balances an almost cloudlike lightness with leesier, “patisserie”-like flavors. Give the fiddlehead ferns a light sauté, and the pairing will be hard to resist. English Peas & Kabinett Riesling Depending on how you look at it, the act of shucking English peas can either offer catharsis or stir up anxiety in a seemingly endless task. Regardless, it’s hard to deny the gratification fresh peas can provide – a far, far cry from their frozen counterparts. When cooked, these legumes present a subtle sweetness. Try pairing with a crisp Kabinett Riesling . The lightest in body of Germany’s wine classification pyramid, Kabinetts have just enough sweetness to match a bowl of peas without overpowering them. Morels & Burgundy White truffles may monopolize your autumnal gastronomic fantasies, but come spring the celebrated mushrooms of the season are morels. The growing patterns of these honeycomb-textured delicacies continue to evade scientists, making commercial morel production nearly impossible. For such an elusive mushroom, with nuanced, earthy flavors – a natural match is red Burgundy . Like morels, great red Burgundy is tinged with a sense of mystery – its subtle, savory tones ephemeral and constantly evolving. Plus, with something as decadent as morels, you deserve to indulge with a glass of something special. Rhubarb and Lambrusco Rhubarb begins to come into season in early spring, and those with a sweet tooth most famously associate the plant with dessert. Indeed rhubarb’s edible stalks provide a lip-puckeringly sour flavor that’s best tempered with a bit of sugar. As always with dessert, it’s best to drink sweet as well. Consider enjoying a slice of rhubarb pie with a glass of Lambrusco . This holds especially true should the recipe also involve strawberries – a common tasting note for this red Italian sparkler. While drier versions of the wine have come into fashion, stick with one labeled “Amabile” to match the sweetness of the dish. — Bryce Wiatrak Have you visited the farmer’s market recently? We want to see how you’re pairing! Scan a label or search by name to add your tasting notes on Delectable.