Old World Spring - A European Tour in Six Bottles
What does spring taste like in wine terms? It's freshness over weight, fruit over oak, food-friendliness over showboating. It's the bottle you reach for when the evenings start getting lighter and the kitchen window finally stays open. And it turns out, Europe has been making exactly those kinds of wines for centuries.
For this month's Curious Case, we've taken a different approach to the usual 'pick a region' or 'pick a grape variety' formula. Instead, we've gone on a tour — one country, one bottle, six different stops across the Old World. France, Austria, France again (but a very different France), Italy, Spain and Greece. The thread running through all of them is that spring character: fresh, alive, food-friendly, and genuinely exciting to drink right now.
What's interesting is how differently each country interprets that idea. Freshness in the Loire means something sharp, mineral and seaside. In Austria it means white pepper and citrus zest. In Tavel it means a rosé with more substance than you'd expect. In Piedmont it means juicy acidity and cherry fruit with a little oak backbone. In Bierzo it means perfume and purple fruit from a grape most people haven't tried. And in Greece — well, Greece has been making wine longer than anyone, and this blend of indigenous Agiorgitiko and Cabernet Sauvignon shows exactly why it deserves more attention.
Six countries, six bottles, one season. Here's what's in the case.
France opens the batting. Luneau-Papin are one of the great names of Muscadet, and the Garance is their organic entry point — bone dry, mineral, with that distinctive creamy texture that comes from extended time on the lees. Citrus, white flowers, a hint of brioche and a briny finish. Brilliant with fish, brilliant on its own. The Loire at its best.
Austria's answer to spring. Grüner Veltliner is Austria's signature white grape and Rabl are one of the Kamptal's most dependable producers. Fresh tropical fruit, lime, a touch of blossom — and then that signature white pepper on the finish that marks it out as something distinctly Austrian. Crisp, aromatic and seriously versatile with food.
The rosé that means business. Tavel is not your average pale pink. France's only appellation dedicated entirely to rosé produces wines with genuine depth and structure — and La Nymphe from Guillaume Gonnet is a brilliant example. Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah from biodynamic vines, deep cherry-pink in colour, loaded with strawberry, cherry and peach fruit, dry and refreshing on the finish. This is a rosé that works with food, not just sunshine.
Italy brings the juicy backbone. Barbera is Piedmont's most widely planted red grape — and the Crocera from Tenuta Il Cascinone shows exactly why it deserves more recognition outside Italy. Ripe black cherry and damson on the nose, a rich palate with plum and sour cherry, notes of dark chocolate and that classic Barbera tangy acidity cutting through beautifully. Aged briefly in French oak, it's polished without being heavy.
Spain's hidden gem. Bierzo is in the far northwest of Spain, cooler and wetter than the rest of the country, and Mencía is its local red grape. Made by talented winemaker Grégory Pérez from small hillside parcels, the Brezo is naturally fermented, unoaked, and bottled early to preserve its wonderful freshness — sweet black cherries, damsons, a touch of wild herbs and a snappy, refreshing finish. The kind of wine that makes you wonder why you haven't been drinking more of it.
Greece closes with a flourish. Domaine Papagiannakos has been making wine in Attica since 1919, and the Erythros blends the indigenous Agiorgitiko grape with Cabernet Sauvignon from old Peloponnese vines. Ripe dark fruits, rich bramble, blackcurrant, a light savoury note and a twist of liquorice on the finish — structured and food-friendly, with fine tannins and a distinctly Mediterranean character. A proper introduction to one of the world's oldest wine cultures.