Flowers are back in bloom, daylight savings has come to an end, and the weather is finally starting to heat up. This can only mean one thing… the spring season is upon us! Say goodbye to gloomy winter mornings and triple layering jackets, and hello to poppin’ cans outside on the patio!
As we move into a new season, fresh trends are starting to emerge. New decor, new recipes, and of course new wine vintages. Our newly-released 2021 Rosé bloomed just in time for Spring, with notes of bright guava, refreshing tangerines, and a smooth honey finish. This provencal-style rosé is the perfect balance to any springtime gathering.
That being said, with all good wine comes good entertainment, right? So to help you stake your claim as the “hostess with the mostess” this season, we’ve curated a list of our top 4 Spring entertaining tips to keep your guests coming back for more. Let’s spring right into it, shall we?
Charcuterie Cups
Let’s be real, everyone loves a good charcuterie board. And while they may be aesthetically pleasing, we’ve all experienced the awkward struggle of picking cheese pieces apart and trying to avoid touching other items on the board. Don’t worry, we have a solution! This spring season, we recommend taking your charcuterie skills to the next level by making grab-and-go charcuterie cups. This alleviates the stress of plate picking and having to ask your besties “hey, can you pass the gouda?” for the 5th time. (PS: like our cans, this creates a built-in portion control to make sure each guest gets their fill).
This trend was inspired by our friends at Sophisticated Spreads, a female-founded, Los Angeles-based cheeseboard company.
Edible Flowers
We aren’t dandelion when we say that this next trick is one of our spring favs. When it comes to hosting, presentation is everything. I don’t know about you, but we are big fans of DIY projects. This spring, WOW your guests with flower-filled ice. Simply freeze some bright, edible flowers into ice cubes, and use them as a centerpiece in an ice bucket with your favorite wine (we recommend Just Enough Rosé), or if you don’t have time to chill your flowers down, place your edible flowers into the glass and pour your drink right over the top. This trend will help to elevate your drink in a simple and aesthetic way, no one will be able to resist the “phone drinks first” rule. Don’t forget to share this tip with all of your best buds.
Perfect Dinner Pairings
Break out your aprons, it is time for an epic dinner pairing. Our 2021 Just Enough Rosé is as delicious as it is versatile. This wine can be paired with fish tacos, spinach artichoke dip, and green curry. But one of our personal favorite recipes to pair with Just Enough Rosé is pasta. Want to take it up a notch? We recommend this amazing pasta e piselli from One Bowl Meals by Maria Zizka.
“Excerpted from One-Bowl Meals by Maria Zizka (Artisan Books). Copyright © 2021. Photographs by Erin Scott.”
Pasta e Piselli
Everything in this bowl happens to begin with the letter P: pappardelle, peas, pea shoots, pancetta, and Parmigiano. It was not intentional, but now the rule is if you’re going to add any other toppings, they need to be P foods. Just kidding!
Serves 2
Pappardelle pasta and green peas base + pea shoot salad + crispy pancetta crumbs + Parmigiano
Base
Fine sea salt
8 ounces (225 g) dried pappardelle pasta (or any shape)
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1½ cups (225 g) shelled fresh or frozen peas
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Toppings
Pancetta Crumbs
4 ounces (115 g) meaty pancetta, finely chopped
Pea Shoot Salad
2 handfuls (about 2 ounces/55 g) of pea shoots or other fresh tender greens such as arugula, watercress, or baby spinach leaves
½ lemon
Flaky sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly shaved with a vegetable peeler, for garnish
Make the pasta base: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 7 minutes.
While waiting for the water to come to a boil, line a plate with paper towels or a clean brown paper bag and set it aside. In a large skillet, cook the pancetta over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and browned 7 to 10 minutes. Use tongs or a wooden spoon to transfer the pancetta to the prepared plate to drain, reserving the fat in the skillet.
Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until light golden brown, about 1 minute. Remove the skillet from the heat.
When the pasta is done, reserve 1 cup (240 ml) of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta and transfer it directly to the skillet. Set the skillet over medium-high heat, add the peas, butter, and half of the reserved pasta water, and cook, stirring vigorously, until the sauce emulsifies and coats the noodles, 1 to 2 minutes. (There should be a little liquid pooling in the skillet. If not, add more pasta water until you’ve got a light sauce.)
For the pea shoot topping, in a medium bowl, toss the pea shoots with a generous squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of flaky salt, and several grinds of pepper.
Divide the pasta between 2 serving bowls. Pile the pea shoot salad on top of the pasta, drizzle lightly with olive oil, and scatter the crispy pancetta crumbs over everything. Garnish with lots of Parmigiano.
The delicious dish makes for the perfect dinner pairing that your guests will be talking about for weeks!
Spring Activities
Last but not least. Every good host has a few activities up their sleeve. Now, while we all love card games and charades…since the weather is finally starting to brighten up, let’s put it to good use! Our new spring obsession: Pickleball. And thanks to our friends at Recess Pickleball, we now have the trendiest paddles on the court. Take your game to the next level with their custom patterned paddles. Pro-tip: Level up your game by taking a break between matches to enjoy a sip of chilled Just Enough Rosé.
Use these spectacular Springtime tips to WOW your guests and tag us on Instagram @justenoughwines to show us how you are celebrating the start of Spring!