5 plans to welcome the spring with wine
Spring has sprung! And that means we have more daylight hours for outdoor plans, warmer days (although we’re not quite past the raining season with some chilly days), little outings, etc. That’s why, to see the spring in fashion, we want to suggest some springtime plans with wine, so that you can start enjoying this wonderful time of year. We have so many great plans and such a great wine selection for all tastes, so pay close attention!
1. Spring plan: a picnic in the countryside with wine
One excellent plan to see in the spring is to have a picnic in a park or in the countryside, wherever you can! You’ll have a great time no matter where you are, so here you have a few tips to make sure it turns out just right:
1. Get the right selection of food: to set up your springtime plan, whet your guests’ appetite by telling them what you're going to bring. Pick out things that are easy to eat if you're going to be sitting on the ground, such as sandwiches, a delicious pasta salad, etc. What else do you think we’d love? Iberian cold cuts! Make sure they're sliced before you set out to make things easier, or get packs of sliced meat. Our Dehesa Barón de Ley Iberian cold cuts are the perfect option.
2. Pick your wine: once you know what you're going to eat on your amazing picnic, you’ll need to choose what wine you're going to take. The formats we like best for a picnic are the smaller versions of our classics: 50 cl or 37.5 cl bottles, which are easy to carry around.
3. Cool box: it’s important to take a cool box or a cool bag to keep your food and wine at the right temperature so that they don’t go off with the heat. But... Make sure you don’t chill your wine too much! Do you know the right serving temperature for each type of wine? Click here to find out!
4. Other things to bear in mind with our spring plan: a picnic blanket or a sheet to get comfortable, cutlery, napkins, sunglasses and sunscreen if it’s a particularly sunny day. Enjoy!
2. A springtime lunch on the terrace of your favourite restaurant
If you’d prefer a restaurant over a picnic, here’s another fantastic springtime plan. As long as we stick to the set restrictions, terraces are a perfect place to see in the spring with a glass of wine. Check out what restaurants in your city have a nice terrace or think of a special one that you’ve always wanted to go to. Wait for a sunny spring day, choose some good company and a good wine, and let the fun commence!
3. Have drinks and nibbles with a theme in your garden
You don’t need to leave home to have some fantastic nibbles paired with different wines. You could even take it one step further and pick out a theme for your family drinks party. What does that mean? You could select one specific type of food for the nibbles, with different themes:
- Spring-themed nibbles: to see in the spring in fashion, focus on seasonal produce and fresh food that you fancy on a warm day at midday. A good example would be a cheese board with a seasonal fruit like strawberries and apricots. These nibbles would go perfectly with a white wine such as our El Coto Blanco Verdejo.
- Themed nibbles from different countries: from a Mexican selection with nachos and guacamole or even Italian nibbles with fresh burrata cheese and mortadella from Sicily. Or go 100% Spanish with a Spanish omelette, croquettes and gildas (skewers with olives, anchovies and pickled peppers).
- Nibbles themed around the wine region: if you’re a true wine lover, a great option would be to theme the nibbles around the wine (or wines) you've chosen. You could do it as a pairing or based on that wine’s D.O. For example: if you’re going to have a couple of different wines from La Rioja with your nibbles, pick out some dishes from the region, such as patatas a la riojana (potato and chorizo stew), alegrías (a local variety of peppers), etc. The best pairing for this would be our Coto de Imaz Reserva or El Coto Crianza Garnacha.
These are just some examples, but the options are limitless if you use your imagination! What would you do? Tell us on social media!
4. An evening of board games with wine
Another great plan for the spring is to get together with the family or with friends (as far as restriction will allow) and to dust off the board games you have lying around – of course, you should also bring out a couple of bottles to help the evening flow. We often think that wine only goes with lunch or dinner, but it's a great for when you're just sitting around the table with friends, playing a board game or two, or even watching a film out in the garden.
For a fun evening with a couple of glasses of wine, board games and a little friendly competition, we propose El Coto Semidulce or El Coto Rosado. These are light wines, just perfect for this time of year and that go down perfectly on a leisurely evening.
5. Visit the wineries in your area (if you can) or discover new wines
Lastly, if you live in wine-producing region, why not head over to a winery if any of them are open? Take a look at what’s available and have an enjoyable day out without leaving your region.
Another option would be to find a wine-tasting shop in your city that you’d like to try out. Plan a day to head over and buy and/or sample a new wine that you've never tried before as a way of welcoming in the new season. Do you want to know which wine we found really surprising? Our 875m Chardonnay, from the highest vineyards in the entire D.O.Ca Rioja.
We hope you've found some inspiration in our spring plans with wine. If you want another idea, (making sure you stay responsible), you can’t miss this article!
Compártelo en
