Spring has finally arrived!

With vaccine numbers finally growing quickly, New Yorkers are taking advantage of the nice weather. 

This is great news for the Union Square Farmers Market. We are so lucky to have this wonderful outdoor market right down the street from our shop.

Just this morning, I visited the market to see what they have to offer. It still wasn’t crowded, but people were definitely taking advantage of the nice day. I must tell you--spring goodness has come to the market.

Ramps and Asparagus are back in season! 

This is the true promise of spring. 

We wanted to drop a spring vegetable recipe and wine pairings. 

The key to pairing wine with spring veggies is to embrace freshness! 

Bitter greens and asparagus, in particular, have reputations of being tough to pair. But, they aren’t especially difficult!

Obviously, don’t jump to a big, tannic, red wine--these are delicate flavors! They need a softer touch. 

With spring flavors, you want to keep it simple--fresh acidity, stony minerality, unoaked.

Immediately, that draws me to Sancerre. 

Sancerre: The No-Brainer (For Good Reason!)

These wines will give you everything you need. Perfect for a spring salad and white fish. Ooooh or, shrimp tacos with some greens next door! (Oops, got carried away!) 

Sancerre will give you fresh, almost water-like clarity, teamed with taut acidity and limestone foundation. This will sing to asparagus. 

Not a huge Sauvignon Blanc Fan? That’s fine, embrace the season! And ‘tis the season for Rose! 

Drink the pink stuff. 

Rose is a classic food pairing wine--yes, really! It is especially great for hard to pair foods like salads. This is because we meet in the middle of bright citrus and red fruit--dry and yummy! 

Okay, let me drop a recipe before I get too carried away with delicious springy wines.

Roasted Asparagus with Springy Mustard Vinaigrette 

Ingredients:

• Farm-Fresh Asparagus
• Dijon Mustard 
• Lemon
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper
• Paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Chop of the woody stalks of your Asparagus. 
3. Toss Asparagus spears in Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper.
4. Bake Asparagus until tender, slightly browned. Probably 12 minutes.
5. Meanwhile: put 1 tbsp of Mustard, juice from 1 lemon, 1 Tbsp Olive Oil in a mason jar. 
6. Shake jar thoroughly. 
7. Let asparagus cool slightly before tossing in the vinaigrette.
8. Sprinkle Paprika. 
9. Serve with wine! 

More Wine, please!

For this recipe, I’m reaching for a Spanish white. Albarino is everything I look for in a wine to pair with spring foods. The minerality, in particular, makes it perfect for these spring vegetable pairings. 

A few more great pairings for Springtime:

• Muscadet and Shellfish! 

• Making fish or oysters tonight? Look no further than this classic, affordable choice. 

• Rose and Fruits!

• Rose is great for salad, but it’s also perfect for standing up to the sweetness of fresh fruit! 

• Txakolina and Goat Cheese!

• The creaminess of goat cheese can be tricky to pair. But the effervescence of this Basque treasure is just what the doctor ordered.  

As always, the best way to get seasonal offerings of our favorite wines, is by signing up for our newsletter.

Happy Spring!