Wines of the week: 8 spring reds

Sign up to IndyEat's free newsletter for weekly recipes, foodie features and cookbook releases Get our food and drink newsletter for free Get our food and drink newsletter for free SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Here we are looking for wines that bridge the gap between the big, rich, warming wines of winter that match roast meats and casseroles and the very light, chillable reds of summer – so, we are talking about medium-bodied juicy reds, with enough about them to warm a cool evening, but also match lighter foods, such as perhaps grilled tuna and chicken or pasta and risotto dishes based around spring vegetables. The grape that of course best fits this description is gamay, which reaches its peak of perfection the Beaujolais villages area of France – and is grown almost nowhere else – delivering wines that, according to the particular village, vary between light and perfumed and more robust and weighty, but always remaining succulent, food friendly and highly drinkable, with a lightness of touch that is irresistible. A good name to look for is Henry Fessy, now under the wing of the Louis Latour combine, which, despite the slightly jokey labels produces excellent wines from several of the crus including the Henry Fessy Cote De Brouilly 2015 full of bright red fruit flavours or the Henry Fessy Morgon 2017 which packs a bit more depth and complexity. Regional Spain – but away from the classic areas of Rioja and Ribera Del Duero – is a great source of medium-bodied reds, such as the Ochoa Crianza “La Foto de 1938” 2014 a blend of merlot, tempranillo and graciano from Navarra, where the latter provides the fresh, leavening notes to the other two grapes, resulting in rich, but vibrant red and black fruit flavours, a very food-friendly wine for all Mediterranean foods.