Simple Spring Recipes to Serve at Your Next Gathering

Do the first blooms of spring make your heart sing? As the flowers start to bud, and the sunshine peeks out from behind those late winter clouds, we usher in the season with some fresh new recipes. From a spritzer to a salad, rally up your springtime crew, and let’s get cooking.

Cucumber + Mint Spritzer

When the spring season beckons, we find any excuse to opt for a delicious and refreshing spritzer. In this recipe, the mild and lightly sweet flavor of cucumbers blends beautifully with the lingering and subtly strong flavor of mint. As the days get a little bit longer, whip up a batch of these springtime spritzers for special outdoor gatherings with friends and family. 

Mint Simple Syrup

Ingredients:

• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup water
• 20 fresh mint leaves

Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat for 2-3 minutes, just until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, let cool, and steep for 15 minutes.
2. Remove mint leaves from mixture and store in an airtight container.

Cocktail

Ingredients:

• 1 long thin cucumber garnish (use a vegetable peeler)
• Cubed Ice
• ½ shot gin
• 1 ½ tbsp. mint simple syrup
• ½ cup Vintner Collection Sparkling Brut

Instructions:

1. Fill serving glass with ice, and add cucumber between the ice and the glass. 
2. Add gin and simple syrup and top with sparkling brut.

Lemon Vinaigrette Rotisserie Chicken Salad 

Ever heard of spring cleaning—but with food? With its bounty of fresh lemon juice, this vibrant and healthy recipe is perfect for “spring cleansing”. They say the standard acid to oil ratio for a vinaigrette is 1:3, but we intentionally broke that “sacred” rule on this light and tangy salad. Once combined, the lemon and black pepper leave this refreshing dish bursting with flavor, while the crunchy greens and tender rotisserie chicken provide great body and texture. This quick-to-make recipe is fresh yet filling—perfect for a spring lunch with your favorite sip-ster or sip-sir. Pair the roasted, savory flavors of this dish with our Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.

Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ¼ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper
• ½ cup olive oil

Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, dijon mustard, garlic clove, salt, and pepper. Once combined, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, while whisking continuously.

Salad Assembly

Ingredients:

• 1 head butter lettuce, washed & loosely torn apart into 1-inch pieces
• 2 breasts of rotisserie chicken, shredded (save the drumsticks & thighs for snacking!)
• 12 parmesan cheese shavings
• 8-10 edible flowers

Instructions:

1. Place both lettuces and chicken in a large salad bowl and toss together with the dressing. 
2. Top salad with parmesan cheese shavings and edible flowers.

Spring Herb Morell Pasta

Nothing says forest floor like mushrooms. If we’re graced with a damp spring following a wet winter, morels, one of the most sought-after mushrooms in the world, can be found while foraging the forests of Napa, Sonoma, and Marin counties. The meandering redwood and sequoia-laden forests of the Russian River bank smell of damp earth, decomposing leaves, herbaceous bay – an unforgettable combination of aromas. One of nature’s treasures – morels – are often found here. It only makes sense that our Russian River Pinot Noir, a crowd favorite in our portfolio, compliments this dish perfectly. With its aromas of forest floor, strawberry, and spearmint (a quintessential characteristic of Russian River Pinots), this combination is a match made in nature. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb orecchiette pasta
• 8 tbsp. salted butter
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 8 oz. morels 
• 3 tbsp. chopped green onions
• 2 tbsp. chopped mint, chopped
• 2 tbsp. chopped tarragon
• Juice of 1 lemon
• ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper
• 6 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Fill a large stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook for length of time indicated on the packing instructions (likely around 10 minutes, until al dente). Save 1 cup of pasta water, and then strain pasta from water using a colander.
2. Add butter to a large pot over medium heat and melt. Add garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Add in heavy cream and bring to a low simmer. Add in mushrooms, green onions, mint, and tarragon, and simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Pour cooked pasta into herb sauce and toss until combined. When serving, finish off each plate with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and 1 tbsp. of parmesan cheese over top.
4.  Ready for some springtime sipping? Head to our website and shop with purpose. With $8 million donated to date, ONEHOPE promises to make your spring season wine lineup a whole lot more meaningful. 

From our home to yours, cheers!