The kitchen and dinner table have always played lead roles in marking the transition from winter to spring, but this year they deserve a standing ovation. Without weekend afternoons spent lazily in the park, surrounded by fellow Bay Area residents reveling in more sunshine and warmer weather, I have relied almost entirely on the new arrivals at the grocery store and my wine selections to celebrate this season. I finally tried my hand at carciofi alla romana—a springtime Roman artichoke dish—whose central ingredient is infamously wine-averse. Punta Crena’s Lumassina Frizzante, however, was more than up to the task. I also recently roasted salmon, and paired it with morels and peas in a light cream sauce. Many wines in this sampler would successfully complement this meal, but the two bottles from Beaujolais—Thivin’s rosé and Guy Breton’s Régnié—were sublime alongside the tender fish and meaty mushrooms. If you are fortunate enough to have a backyard and a grill, turn to the Canon Fronsac or the Chianti Classico to enjoy with your roast meats and veggies. If you don’t, crack open the window, turn on your stove, and sizzle away, knowing you might never spend this much of spring in your kitchen again. It’s one place I’m very grateful for right now.