Spring Staff Picks

This Wednesday, to celebrate the Vernal Equinox on Monday, the theme is Spring Staff Picks! At Wardman, we work hard to curate a wide selection of wines to appeal to a broad range of palates, and we really enjoy to explore the enormous variety the world of wine has to offer. However we all have those bottles that we go back to when it's just for us. This week, the staff at Wardman are sharing their favorites for the spring. These are wines for smiling sunny days, lengthening evenings, and the first picnics of the season. Join us Wednesday, March 22 from 4pm-7pm to taste these wines:

Eric chose the Pelissero Barbera d'Albi Piani, because "I realized that I've learned more about Italian wine in the last six months than I thought when, at some point, I simply found myself on the other side of a corner, and finally able to wrap my head around it. More recently, I had a chance to taste the difference between Alba and Asti soils with several producers and in several varietals over a short span of days. Feeling pieces click into place is one of the most satisfying experiences in life, so that's what the Pelissero Barbera d'Alba represents for me in this tasting."
Mollie's pick is the Union Sacré Gewürztraminer, saying: "The wine has much of what we look forward to in spring, with floral and stone fruit notes. I enjoy the firm mineral backbone of the wine, which accentuates the fruit and flowers nicely."
Mark's choice is the Red Tail Ridge Blaufränkisch. He says: "Spearheaded by winemaker Nancy Irelan, Red Tail Ridge seeks to demonstrate how expressive the terroir of the Finger Lakes of New York can be. Cool climates make for a perfect environment for grapes popular in Germany, Austria, and northern Italy. Their Blaufrankisch is delightfully round with notes of blueberry, black plum, anise, cacao, cedar, and bright peppercorn with subtle tannin and bright acidity."
Larry selected the Venica e Venica Jesera Pinot Grigio, because he thinks "it is the type wine that they would drink in the winery; it’s that good! Not the typical Pinot Grigio, it has a lot of body to it. It is slightly pink when it is poured, probably a result of the skin contact it has. It is very lemony with pears and a good amount of minerals. Way better than most of the plonk that gets passed off as being Pinot Grigio!"
Hiram chose the Pierre Gauthier Bourgueil Jour de Soif. "This is Cab Franc at its most approachable! It's fruit-forward and so easy to drink, but it still has some of the earthiness that is the signature of Loire reds. Despite it's color, it's fairly light-bodied and easy on the tannin, so it can take a chill if you need it to. A great picnic wine."
Lyndon's choice is the Domaine J. Denuzière Saint-Péray: "If I had two guaranteed wine wishes, the first would be one, drinking a white Côtes-du-Rhône, and two, everyone else discovering white Côtes-du-Rhône! The three prominent grape varietals, Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne, produce lush, supple wines with notes of pear, pineapple, and toasted almond. Domaine Denuzière's Saint-Péray is a perfect expression."