Raise a glass to warmer days, at Festival Plaza this weekend

This Friday and Saturday see the 2016 edition of Eat Drink Spring, the spring edition of the Ottawa Wine & Food Festival. This is a more modest event than in the fall, but it offers a good range of foods and drinks, and it’s a nice entree to spring and summer.

And this year, it’s a lot more accessible. In its first two years, Eat Drink Spring was held at a location near the airport that isn’t well-placed for public transportation. This year it will be held in an area outside city hall, on Laurier Avenue.

If you’re coming to taste wine, there will be a good selection, both of wines that are available at the LCBO and Vintages, as well as wines available only by private order. Past shows have focused on readily available wines, partly because people want to be able to buy the wines they really enjoy. But there’s also demand for wines off the beaten track, so this year they will be featured, too — wines that are different in terms of grape variety, place of origin or style. There will also be a chance to taste some of the wines that won gold medals at last year’s Ottawa Wine Challenge.

Again this year, wines are divided into a number of categories, including wines for sipping on the patio, wines for barbecues, value wines for summer parties and wines for special occasions.

I’ll be offering Bottle Camps, a bottle-centred version of a boot camp, but without early rising or any exertion. Some will focus on wine styles, a straightforward way of cutting through the complexity of so many wines. Others will be about tasting wine and what you might look for when thinking about wine as you drink it. All include free wine samples.

In addition, there are a number of demonstrations. First there are sessions on barbecuing, with smoking and desserts as themes. Then there are sessions on how to get your garden into shape and how to use herbs from your garden in cocktails.

There’s another session on patio decor, including ideas for setting a patio table.

Overall, Eat Drink Spring is a happy event that celebrates the end of winter as much as the arrival of spring. There’s plenty to eat (from a fleet of food trucks) and drink, and live entertainment throughout.

Fat Bastard Cabernet Sauvignon 2014: This is a very good choice for many barbecued dishes, such as red meats, burgers and ribs. From southern France, it shows plenty of flavour with decent complexity, good balance, and easygoing tannins. 12.5 per cent alcohol, $14.95 (28506)

Santa Rita Reserva Chardonnay 2015: From Chile’s Rapel Valley, this is an attractive fruit-forward Chardonnay that goes well with pork, poultry and white-fish dishes. The flavours are concentrated and ripe, nicely complex, and the acidity is balanced and bright. 13.5 per cent alcohol, $13.95 (177774)

Gran Feudo Rosado 2014: This is a dry rosé from Spain’s Navarra region. It shows quite bright flavours complemented by clean, crisp acidity, and it’s a wine you can enjoy on its own or pair with poultry or pork. 13 per cent alcohol, $11.95 (165845)

Quinta da Aveleda Vinho Verde 2014: This is a popular summer wine because it is light and fruity, is low in alcohol, and has a little sweetness. That makes it ideal for sipping on its own, but you can also pair it with spicy snacks. 11 per cent alcohol, $9.95 (5322)