In the transition to spring, the question of what to drink becomes a delightfully complicated one to answer. 

At once a season of hibernation and awakening, of warm spice and citrus, when many white wines feel too aspirational and red wines feel too brooding, the ideal lies—like the season itself—somewhere in the middle. Wines that are both lifted and grounded, tannic and bright, juicy and round. These wines here capture that tension beautifully, offering energy, depth, and the promise of what’s to come.

Spring Red Wines Under $50

2023 Domaine de La Tournelle ‘L’Uva Arbosiana’ ($50)

The Jura continues to captivate and excite wine lovers—for good reason. Its highly idiosyncratic wines are made by a cohort of winemakers who are some of the most innovative and precise anywhere in the world. Leading the charge has been Evelyne and Pascal Clairet of Domaine de La Tournelle, who established their domaine in 1991 in Arbois, the Jura’s most famous corner. This wine shines among its Tournelle companions: a semi-carbonic maceration, it’s complex, bright, and refined, with notes of cherry and red fruit.

2021 Arpepe Valtellina Rosso ($39)

Few wines capture Alpine elegance quite like this Rosso di Valtellina. Made from 100% Nebbiolo grown on steep, terraced slopes in Lombardy’s Valtellina Valley, this wine is a supremely vibrant expression of the grape. With soft tannins, aromas of rose petals, and bursts of sour cherry and stone, it mirrors the energy of the first farmer’s market in May. The Perego family behind the Arpepe label has been making wines in Valtellina for over 150 years, carrying out production entirely by hand, and using sustainable viticulture to preserve the terroir and its expression in their wine, which they capture in every sip. 

2021 Sequerciani Ciliegiolo ($35)

A Tuscan grape with roots dating back to the early 17th century, Ciliegiolo has long played a supporting role in regional Italian blends. But here it stands out as a star in its own right. Aged in concrete and amphorae, it has a super inky hue, notes of black and red cherry, Mediterranean herbs, and a hint of salty air. Silky and tannic all at once, it’s a weightier wine that pairs well with seared steak or meat. A wonderful wine for the start of grilling season. 

2022 La Chaume des Lies Hautes-Côtes de Beaune ($35)

La Chaume des Lies was founded in 2021 by Lothar Galloo and Margaux Rivaux, a couple who met when they were working for Pierre Fenals of Maison en Belles Lies. Although they run one of the newer domaines in the Côte D’Or, their wines are made from 80-year-old vines rooted in a sun-drenched plot in the Côte de Beaune. This one opens with classic Burgundy aromatics—cherry, damp earth, a hint of wild herbs—while the palate delivers red currant, clay-driven minerality, and a firm yet elegant structure. Bright acidity and fine tannins make this a bottle that shows a sophistication beyond its years. 

2022 Matthieu Barret Petit Ours Côtes du Rhône ($32)

Certain wines delineate a shift in generational inclinations. This is one of them. Syrahs of yesteryear tend to be heavy, oaky, and laden with vanilla and blackberry. But this Syrah, made from grapes plucked from young vines and fermented in concrete tanks, is bright and juicy. Tart, with notes of cranberry, yet super floral with aromas of lavender and violet, it’s tannic but not in a bone-dry kind of way. A stunning expression of the grape and its roots in Visan. 

2022 Domaine François Chidaine Touraine Rouge ($20)

This wine is quintessential Loire. Made from a blend of Cot, Cabernet Franc & Pinot d’Aunis—grapes either native to or abundant in Touraine—this red is peppery, with notes of red fruit and medium tannins. Easy to drink, but not overly gluggable, it's grounded in an earthiness which it gets from the chalky soil in which the grapes grow. An instant crowd pleaser. 

Spring White Wines Under $50

2022 Domaine Mosse ‘Le Rouchefer’ ($46)

From one of France’s most beloved natural wine producers, this single parcel Chenin Blanc offers a richer, more textured white that’s ideal for the transition between seasons. With notes of quince, pear, citrus peel, and honeysuckle, it’s creamy and gently weighted. Perfect when slightly chilled and paired with good bread and soft cheeses. 

2022 Scheuermann Chardonnay Bunter Sandstein ($30)

100% Chardonnay made from single parcel grapes grown on sandstone-laden soils in Pfalz and vinified using methods inspired by Loire, this wine exists in a category of its own. Brothers Gabriel and Simon Scheuermann use organic and biodynamic farming to allow the region’s distinctive sandstone soils to shape the wine’s character. The result is a wine that’s perfectly layered, with notes of orchard fruit, pineapple and almond. This is all cut through by a streak of minerality that gives the wine a sense of place at once singular and unforgettable.

2022 La Rural Macabeu ($29)

Brothers Andreu and Xavi Padró—the duo behind La Rural—are first-generation winemakers who come from a long line of Catalonian farmers. The brothers left their respective careers in 2018 and began their project in the basement of the family home. Their wines are young and bright, bordering on electric. Macabeu captures this vibrance wonderfully. The grape as it’s handled here bursts with notes of summer fruit—apricot, pineapple, melon—and is rounded off by an unsubtle acidity and minerality which spring from the limestone soil in which the grapes grow.