5 Patio Wines to Welcome Spring
Enjoy these Spring Food-Friendly Wines
As Winter breaks into Spring Equinox on March 20, we dust off our patio furniture, fire up the barbecue grill, and pour a refreshing glass of wine. Warm weather begs a chilled and food-friendly glass of wine that pairs with our Spring cuisine. Consider these 5 Wine Wanderings patio wine suggestions for your Spring patio menu brought to you from around the world: France, New Zealand, Spain, and the USA.
Sauvignon Blanc and Fumé Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc placed New Zealand on the wine map for the last few decades. It is also famous as a Sancerre in France or part of the blend of grapes in a White Bordeaux. Robert Mondavi gave Fumé Blanc its name, but basically it is a Sauvignon Blanc that has some oak and smoky influence.
2022 Craggy Range Winery Te Muna Road Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
Wine Spectator, 93 Points, $25
Tasting Notes: This wine has complex aromatics of white peach, lime, basil, and lemon blossom. Flavors of nectarine and citrus carry this refined chalky and dry finish.
Food Pairing: Cheese, green vegetables, oysters, fresh herbs, delicate fish, and dishes with tangy ingredients pair well with Sauvignon Blanc.
Dry Provence-style rosé
Dry Rosé is the darling of the summer wine categories. The original dry rosés came from the South of France in Provence, and are predominantly made from Grenache, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Syrah grapes. Currently these same rosé styles are made around the world including many produced in the US. This brand is one of the most popular rosé wines in the world. What a label, too!
Photo Rock Angel
2020 Château d’Esclans Rock Angel Rose, Côtes de Provence, France, $32
Decanter, 92 Points
Tasting Notes: A critically acclaimed rosé with tart minerality and lilac, strawberry, rose petals, citrus, and vanilla flavors.
Food Pairing: A wide range of foods pair well with dry rosés including: barbeque, grilled meats, salmon, and chicken. For more information on rosé as a year-round wine of choice, see “Premium Rosé: Now a Year-Round Favorite,” November 2022.
Albariño
Albariño is the most successful white wine of Spain and Portugal. It is now being grown in the US and around the world. Typically, Albariño is from the Rias Baixas region of Spain and the Northern region of Portugal where the grape is called Alvarinho.
2024 La Cana Albariño, Rias Baixas, Spain, $20
James Suckling, 92 points,
Tasting Notes: This wine has a cooked apple, spicy pear, salty mineral, and dried citrus peel character. It is medium bodied and balanced with a terrific texture and freshness.
Food Pairing: Seafood is the logical and historic pairing for a coastal wine like Albariño. Cod, shrimp, crab cakes, tuna, scallops, halibut, linguine, and clams come to mind as perfect pairing. Throw a Albarino-and-paella party to bring out the best in this wine.
Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris is grown in some spectacular wine regions like Willamette Valley, Oregon; Northern Italy; and Alsace, France. Pinot Grigio is the Italian name for the same grape.
2024 King Estate Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon, $19
Wine Enthusiast, 91 Points
The 2024 vintage brings aromas of honeysuckle and jasmine to this aromatic wine. Notes of mineral, ripe white peach, pear, and lemon zest frame the flavors of Bartlett pear and pineapple. Willamette Valley is a terrific place (as is Alsace, France) to find quality Pinot Gris. For more on Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and early Oregon wine pioneer, King Estate, see “Touring Oregon’s Willamette Valley Wine Country.” The restaurant on the estate is amazing.
Food Pairing: Duck is an excellent pairing with Pinot Gris. Pork, grilled meats, charcuterie, soft cheeses, vegetables, salmon, halibut, and trout are also good choices for Pinot Gris/Grigio.
Red Zinfandel
Red Zinfandel is the grape that originally was thought to have been native to California, but it is not. It’s an ancient grape with identical DNA to the Italian grape, Primitivo, and it’s Croatian cousins know by names like Pribidrag, Tribidrag, and Crljenak Kaštelanski. Climate and clones can lead to different stylistic expressions. This jammy wine is perfect for the red meat and BBQ patio fare we enjoy in the Spring.
2022 Cline Family Cellars Ancient Vines Zinfandel, Central Coast, $17
Wine Enthusiast, 93 points
Tasting Notes: Lush flavors of dried fruit, strawberry, vanilla, and spice aromas, and jammy flavors make this wine a favorite for casual picnic food pairing.
Food Pairing: Grab the hamburgers, steaks, grilled pork, and barbecue. This Red Zin will stand up to all the spicy ingredients you bring to the picnic table.
Let’s welcome friends and family to the patio with these food-friendly wines, and toast the beginning of Spring arriving soon. Cheers!
Wine Wanderings Editorial Calendar
Tobin James Winery: Master Class Wine Club- Join us for Sabering.
Mahjong and Wine/Spirits: Introducing the Inaugural Mahj Tile Talk on Substack
Justin Estate Vineyard & Winery: a Paso Roble Pioneer
Will a MICHELIN Star System Work for Wine? Introducing The MICHELIN Grape
The Most Difficult Reservation in the World: Le Grands Buffet
Cooper’s Hawk Restaurant Group: America’s Largest Wine Club Celebrates 20 Years
Angelina Mondavi Taking the Helm at Charles Krug: The Mondavi Legacy
How Do You Start a Cooperage: A Texas First - Standard Cooperage
Canada’s Okanagan Wine Region
The Imaginaries and Wine: The European Tour
Cité du Vin: Celebrating 10 Years as the World’s Foremost Wine Museum
50th Anniversary of the Judgment of Paris: Putting Napa Valley on the International Wine Map
In Case You Missed It in the Wine/Spirits News:
The Robb Report, The Oeno Files, March 2, 2026, “The Argentina Winery That Can’t Stop Making 100-Point Bottles,” Zuccardi’s Malbecs keep flirting with perfection.
WineBusiness News, Feb. 20, 2026 “U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Trump Tariffs on Imported Wine.” Majority of Justices find White House used improper authority to impose duties; Trump had promise fresh tariffs.
Travel Opportunities
Editor’s Note: I will be cruising on AmaWaterways this April 20, 2026, on the Romantic Danube Cruise. Wine Wanderings subscribers: Come and join me and Wölffer Estate Winery’s Roman Roth, Winemaker/Partner on the Danube River. We will be visiting Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Hungary.
Cruise the Danube on AmaWaterways with Wine Wanderings and Wölffer Estate Winery April 20, 2026, Romantic Danube.
“Enticing Douro River Cruise” with Dr. Bob Young. M.D. of Bending Branch Winery April 6-13, 2026
Carol, Thanks, We actually have 80 degrees here in N. Texas, a true pre-Spring day. Cheers, Tricia
I have changed the tasting note on the Cline Zinfandel. Please note.