Four fresh favourites
Time to freshen your glass? Ring in spring with these seasonal winners, best enjoyed with a splash of sunshine and a slice of blue sky.
1. Spritzers
Pair bright days with white wine spritzers for a fresh spring start. Mix three parts white wine with one part soda water and served chilled, garnished with lemon or lime and mint. It’s a breeze to source white wine varietals close to Melbourne with wineries at every turn. Try Geelong and the Bellarine Peninsula, the Mornington Peninsula or the Yarra Valley for cool-climate chardonnays and elegant pinot gris.
Tip: add a dash of elderflower cordial for a burst of spring in your glass.
2. Rosé
Stop and smell the rosé this spring! Better still, fill your glass and salute the season with this irresistible pink wine. Rosé makes an ideal switch from drinking winter-warming bold reds to summery white wines. Rosés come in all notes and shades, from crisp to fruity, and in blush to bright berry tones. Beechworth serves up top-notch sangiovese and pinot noir blends, as do Bendigo and beyond.
Tip: drink pink Italian-style, known as rosato and usually made from grapes found only in Italy. King Valley's Sam Miranda winery make both rosato and 'prosato' – a dry sparkling blend of prosecco and rosato.
3. Prosecco
Celebrate spring with a glass of sparkling, from Victoria’s King Valley Prosecco Road. This nugget of terrain and cellar-door trail is home to Mediterranean-inspired wine and produce, modelled on Italy’s own. King Valley prosecco producers including Brown Brothers, Pizzini Wines, Sam Miranda, Dal Zotto and Chrismont Wines, make blending this fine fizz an artform.
Tip: enjoy prosecco straight or spritzed. Think Aperol spritz – the cocktail made from three parts prosecco, two parts Aperol, a splash of soda and garnished with orange slices.
4. Cocktails
Cheer on spring with a racy cocktail! As the season’s sports calendar kicks into touch, why not sport a margarita or mojito at your rooftop bar or your favourite local? Big-ticket events including the Spring Racing Carnival, AFL, Bledisloe Cup and T20 are all in this season's lineup so what better time to crack open a bottled cocktail or leave it to the mixology masters to craft heaven in a glass.
Tip: toast warmer days with a spring fling cocktail – one part gin, two parts grapefruit juice (or swap in apple juice and a dash of lemon juice), add sugar syrup to taste, crushed ice and shake. Trim with mint leaves and cucumber.
