April's Wines: Built for a Virginia Spring

If you've lived in Virginia for more than five minutes, you already know that spring here is less of a season and more of a suggestion. One day it's 85 degrees and you're eating dinner on the porch. The next morning you're back in a sweater wondering what happened. April especially has a way of keeping you guessing.

That's exactly what I had in mind when I put together this month's box. Four bottles (two reds, one white, one that works both ways) all small-batch, organic or sustainably farmed, and each one chosen to meet Virginia spring exactly where it is. Whether your evening calls for something chilled and bright or full-bodied and warming, this box has you covered.

Domaine Jean Pierre Large, Morgon "Les Délys" 2024

The cool night bottle

The Morgon is my cool night pick this month and honestly I'm really excited about this one. Jean-Pierre Large has been farming this exact piece of land in Villié Morgon for generations. His grandfather planted some of these vines over 120 years ago. That kind of roots in a place shows up in every sip.

Morgon is a Beaujolais Cru, the top tier of the Beaujolais region in France. There are ten of them and Morgon is one of the most celebrated. Cru Beaujolais is made to last, with real structure and depth, and it's honestly one of the best kept secrets in the wine world. Burgundy-level quality at a fraction of the price.

And this one delivers on that. Real body, blackberries, strawberries, a little spice, super smooth tannins. It drinks like something way more expensive than it is.

I picked this one for April because we all know a Virginia spring will throw a 45 degree night at you with zero warning. This is the bottle you want already on your counter when that happens. Open it, let it breathe a little, put a roast chicken in the oven or throw together a charcuterie board, and just enjoy the evening. You're welcome.

Sindicat La Figuera, Montsant Red 2023

The hot day bottle

This is my hot day bottle this month and it comes with one of my favorite stories in the box.

Sindicat La Figuera started as a tiny cooperative in the mountains of Catalonia, Spain, founded in 1932 by 25 residents of La Figuera, a village so small and remote you have to navigate narrow winding mountain roads just to get there. In 1950 a devastating storm wiped out the village and emptied it of almost everyone. The vineyards were largely abandoned. Fast forward to the 1970s and a handful of growers replanted. René Barbier discovered the cooperative almost by accident, kept coming back year after year because the wines were that good, and eventually struck a deal. He'd help bottle their wine for free in exchange for some grapes and a plot of land to work. That's how this wine came back to life.

Today the cooperative is run by six local growers. The vines are between 30 and 80 years old, grown at 550 meters elevation, some of the highest vineyards in the entire Montsant region. It's 100% Garnacha, fermented the old fashioned way in underground concrete tanks, no oak anywhere near it. Organic, minimal intervention, exactly what Cork & Courier is about.

In the glass it's juicy and bright. Cherries, wild strawberries, a little Mediterranean herb, super smooth with just a touch of rustic character that reminds you this wine has a real place and a real story behind it. Chill it down slightly and drink it on your porch on one of those surprise 80 degree April afternoons. It's begging for something off the grill. Lamb chops, herby chicken skewers, even just grilled vegetables with a little olive oil and rosemary. The Mediterranean vibes are strong with this one.

Viña Las Perdices, Viognier 2025

The sunny porch bottle

Now for the white. This is your hot day, sunny porch, absolutely nothing stressful happening bottle.

Viña Las Perdices comes from Mendoza, Argentina, nestled in the foothills of the Andes at over 1,000 meters elevation. The name means "Partridge Vineyard." When founder Don Juan Muñoz López first arrived to plant his vines, he was struck by how many partridges roamed the land, always moving in groups of three. They became his companions through long workdays, so he named the whole operation after them. I love that. It's exactly the kind of detail that reminds you there's a real person and a real place behind every bottle.

This is 100% Viognier (pronounced vee-own-yay, you're welcome) and a grape I don't think gets nearly enough attention. Think peach, apricot, floral notes, a little richness but still really fresh and bright. It's not a heavy white. It's the kind of wine you pour slightly chilled on a really warm April afternoon and wonder why you don't drink more of it.

Pair it with seafood. Shrimp tacos, grilled fish, even good sushi. Or just drink it on its own while you pretend Virginia has figured out how to do spring properly. It hasn't, but this wine helps.

Clément & Florian Berthier, L'Instant Pinot Noir, Vin de France 2024

The bridge bottle

Last but definitely not least, and this one is personal.

If you were a Cork & Courier member last fall, you might remember the Berthier Chenin Blanc. It was one of the most talked about bottles we've ever sent out and members kept reaching back out about it. So when I had the chance to bring in another wine from Clément and Florian Berthier, it was an easy yes.

These two brothers took over their family's estate in the Loire Valley of France from their father, Jean-Marie, who built it from scratch in the early 1980s. Clément and Florian have worked harvests in Burgundy, New Zealand and the United States, and brought all of that back home with them. The result is a family operation that makes wines that feel both rooted in tradition and genuinely exciting.

L'Instant is their everyday Pinot Noir, and I mean that as a compliment. It's light, fresh, juicy red berries, a little spice, no oak anywhere near it. It's the kind of bottle you open on a Tuesday because you feel like it. Chill it down just slightly (yes, I said chill your red wine, it's fine, Pinot Noir from the Loire loves it) and honestly just drink it with whatever you're having. This is not a fussy wine. It doesn't need a special occasion or the right meal. That's kind of the whole point.

This is your bridge bottle. The one that works no matter what Virginia decides to do with the weather that day.

Want to get boxes like this delivered to your door every month? Join the membership Or shop any of these bottles individually in the bottle shop