One of my favorite things about Spring is that the weather warms up. Windows are open and flowers are blooming. Birds are chirping. Shovels are put away. {Hopefully.} And, we switch from drinking bold, hearty red wines to crisp, refreshing whites.
Like the seasons, there is a sharp contrast between red wines and white wines.
Early on in my career in the restaurant industry, I was fortunate enough to work with an awesome group of talented wine-loving individuals. Part of our responsibility was to select the wines to be included on a national wine list featured in hundreds and hundreds of restaurants. My experience there fostered my love of wine and encouraged me to explore flavor profiles that I wouldn’t typically choose.
After the long winter of eating a ton of comfort foods, like plates of Lobster Mac & Cheese, my waist line is in need of a bit of trimming. When I learned that one of my favorite vineyards was coming out wine a lighter calorie wine that wouldn’t compromise on flavor, I had to give it a try. Brancott Estates new Flight Song line offers a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, featuring notes of pink grapefruit and passionfruit notes, and the Pinot Grigio shows floral notes. Both are delightful.
If you’re anything like me, you can’t help but be curious about the process to make these delicious wines lighter in calories. I don’t blame you. And, I promise they do not dilute it with water. The grapes used for these wines are harvested earlier in the season. The earlier harvest leads to grapes with less sugar delivers a wine with 20% fewer calories. You still get the delicious flavor with less calories. That’s a win{e} in my book!
I’m looking forward to sharing a few glasses with my mother over Mother’s Day weekend. I plan to pair serve them both with grilled chicken and shrimp. I think a mango salsa would be a great accompaniment and would help to bring out the flavor of the wines.
Both varieties are available now; and for $14.99 a bottle they’re affordable enough that you can try both!
