With the warm weather upon us and the season of root veggies and all things braised blissfully put away for another year, this time has come to break out those bottles of peachy-keen Spanish goodness.
Now, don’t get me wrong here: Francophile that I am, I’d be more than thrilled to celebrate the season with a bottle or eight of Condrieu. There is, after all, just something about Rhone viognier’s addictive, eye-rolling-to-the-back-of-the-skull perfume that gets my day going better than any shot of espresso ever could. But sometimes, all you really need are simpler (and blissfully cheaper) pleasures, which is exactly where Albarino comes in.
For less than $15, you can find yourself sipping nothing less than a glass of springtime sunshine. It’s got great acid, a stone-fruit perfume that’s just this side of addictive. It’s perfect for food and wine pairings: it has the ability to pair as well as anything else with crab meat.
And if peaches and crab meat don’t make you excited about the cruelest month’s merciful departure, then I’d consider moving to colder climes. And getting used to the idea of root vegetables year-round.