These bright, lively wines TASTE LIKE SPRING

As temperatures climb, we shed layers, slip into open-toed shoes and crave lighter food and crisp, cool beverages — including wine. Sure, there’s that weird subculture who wears sandals and shorts in the dead of winter. But most of us move with the seasons.

To help with that natural flow, here are some bottles that sing this time of year — starting with something fresh and fabulous from Ontario.

Every swirl of the 2019 Cave Spring CSV Riesling, VQA Beamsville Bench, Ontario (Vintages, winery $31.95) draws the scent of lemon pound cake into the bowl of the glass. Then, it zips in dry, crisp and invigorating. The attack tastes linear and lit, beaming in with precision. Mouth-watering flavours of lemon curd, sliced pear and Granny Smith apple sprinkled with sea salt taste racy and pure, then taper to a persistent finish of tart lime and almond extract. Quenching wine with 12.5 per cent alcohol and 4 g/l of sugar. Score: 92

Some wine drinkers shy away from Riesling for fear it’s sweet, but Riesling ranges from bone dry to luscious. A quick glance at the winery’s website often reveals the exact sugar level in grams per litre. But don’t let a little sugar put you off. More important than sweetness is balance. With Riesling, sugar is almost always properly tempered with balancing acidity that keeps it lip-smacking — and ensures even sweeter styles finish dry. Riesling also tends to be relatively low in alcohol, which is important to many drinkers.

Sinking into a patio chair with a glass of Vinho Verde suits the season very well — especially after a bike ride or some yard work. “Vinho Verde” translates to green wine, but green refers to the young freshness of the style rather than the colour. Vinho Verde is from Portugal, naturally low in sugar and high in acidity — usually with a characteristic prickle of gentle effervescence. But many producers will sweeten the wine for export markets — including Ontario.

A drier, outstanding version that recently hit shelves at the LCBO is the 2022 Curvos Loureiro Vinho Verdes DOC (Vintages $14.95). It’s 100 per cent Loureiro, one of the main grape varieties grown in the Vinho Verde region, and it exudes subtle aromas of white grapefruit, green olives and bay leaf. Loureiro is known to smell of “louro,” or laurel — the aromatic plant that produces bay leaves for cooking. Then, each sip streams in with terrific tension and vibrancy. Everything found on the nose echoes on the palate along with a polished mouth feel. This Vinho Verde tastes dry, but a touch of sugar — 5 g/l — balances the high acidity. Light and lifted wine with 12 per cent alcohol. Score: 91

Aside from Riesling and Vinho Verde, it’s tough to beat a cool, splash of Sauvignon Blanc right about now, especially those fullthrottle versions from Marlborough, New Zealand. While Kim Crawford is a go-to for many wine drinkers, the 2022 Whitehaven Sauvignon Blanc from that region (LCBO $19.95), is an excellent alternative and costs about three dollars less per bottle.

Swirl a glass of Whitehaven and enjoy the pronounced and precise fragrance of lime, jalapeno and salt. That nose leads to a fruit-driven entry that saturates the palate with juicy gooseberry and lime then shifts toward the jalapeno before leaving the palate seasoned with sea salt. This medium-bodied white with 13 per cent alcohol and 3 g/l of sugar tastes like it was made for Mexican fare. Score: 91

If you prefer more restrained styles of Sauvignon Blanc, reach for the 2022 The Wolftrap White Blend from the Western Cape of South Africa (LCBO $16). This Sauvignon-Semillon blend with a mere 12 per cent alcohol and 2 g/l of sugar is lean and lively but also restrained and delicate. Fluttery aromas of lime and lanolin lead to a steely, stately attack of lime zest with smoky-stony-salty nuances that come to the fore on the finish. This is a good wine to know about because it tastes premium but isn’t expensive. It’s also versatile at the table. So, it’s an easy choice for springtime entertaining. Score: 92

These four summer whites will set you up for the season. All you need now is a pair of sandals.

FOR THE STAR. WINERIES OCCASIONALLY SPONSOR SEGMENTS ON HER YOUTUBE SERIES YET THEY HAVE NO ROLE IN THE SELECTION OF THE WINES SHE CHOOSES TO REVIEW OR HER OPINIONS OF THOSE WINES. ALL PRICES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. REACH