The Best Wine For Spring You've Never Heard Of

As the weather warms up I know we'll all be reaching for more white wines. The question, of course, is which whites will those be? Are we all going to be predictable and reach for sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and the occasional oddball, or is it time to begin to think outside the box?

If we take our cue from producers worldwide, we might want to begin thinking a bit more about vermentino. I recently sampled vermentino from Oregon, North Carolina, Australia, and Lodi, Calif., as well as Liguria, Sardinia, and Tuscany, where the wines are more typically produced.

That's a wide expanse, but vermentino is well-suited to being produced globally, being a vine that tends towards good vigor, even in times when the season is less than ideal. The grape tends to ripen in mid-season, retaining considerable acidity (modest acidity even when grown in warmer climates) and displaying trademark citrus flavors and aromas in a medium-bodied style that work wonderfully at revealing terroir.

Click here to find recommendations for vermentino wines for spring.

— Gregory Dal Piaz, Snooth