Drink Up!
You have probably heard the fashion rule not to wear white after Labor Day. This goes back to the Gilded Age when wealthy families left their summer shore homes and packed away their lightweight, white, linen clothing for their heavier fall wardrobe. Whatever you decide to do with your clothes, don’t worry – you don’t have to pack away your white wines! Instead, switch out the lighter Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Grigios with some richer, more full-bodied white wines. Allow me to spotlight a few must-try white wines for the fall season from around the world.
Personally, I love Vouvray wine for fall (or winter, spring, and summer, if I’m being honest). Vouvray is the region of the mid-Loire Valley of France where the thick-skinned white grape Chenin Blanc rules. Much like Sancerre, Muscadet, and Chateauneuf du Pape, this wine is known by its region’s name rather than the grape varietal. Wines made from Chenin Blanc grapes range from semi-sweet to sparkling. Most Vouvray wines are quite dry with flavors of stone fruits and the minerality of the limestone and silex that make up the soil of the region. It has the acidity you find in Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc but with the body of Chardonnay. Vouvray utilizes French oak barrels to age the wine, which imparts light wood notes on the palate. Grab a bottle of Vigneau-Chevreau Cuvee Silex Vouvray, a traditional dry still wine. Or, if you are looking for some bubbly, try the Vigneau Selection Vouvray Sparkling Brut that is made utilizing the Méthode Champenoise, just like Champagne.
The Chenin Blanc grape can also be found in South Africa and California. The Secateurs Riviera from Badenhorst Family Wines in Swartland, South Africa, is a great example. This wine is a blend of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, and Viognier and features fresh citrus and tropical fruit notes with a wet stone minerality and a creamy mouthfeel. Crisp acidity and a hint of vanilla oak add to the delicious complexity and lingering finish. Another very reasonably priced example of this grape is the Vinecrafter Chenin Blanc from the Western Cape of South Africa. Or, try California’s Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc Viognier blend. This blend marries the crisp green apple and honey notes of the Chenin Blanc with the juicy white peach flavors of the Viognier. Try each of these outstanding wines and see how significantly the terroir of where these grapes are grown impacts how the wine tastes.
Chablis, a wine region located in the northern portion of Burgundy, is well-known for producing the Chardonnay grape. Chardonnay is produced throughout the world, but is most known for its French and California options. Unlike California Chards, Chablis wines are aged in stainless steel, rather than oak barrels, and do not have the oaky or buttery flavors many associate with Chardonnay-based wines. Chablis wines are great for fall; they are very dry with a medium body and moderately high acidity and flavors of pear and green apple with notes of stone minerality. For a great example of this classic French white, try either the Simonnet-Febvre Chablis or the Le Grand Chemin Chablis. Two other Burgundy Chardonnays are the Domaine Chevrot Hautes-Côtes De Beaune and the Philippe Le Hardi Clos de la Chaise Dieu Côtes D’Or. Both are from respected appellations (AOC) of Burgundy and are aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, which add a lighter oak flavor to wine than American oak. Try any of these wines with grilled poultry or seafood this fall.
If you prefer the more buttery, oaky California version of Chardonnay, my recommendation for Fall is the Benoni Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. The flavors are apple and nectarine with notes of vanilla and oak. Also try the Trefethen Oak Knoll District Napa Chardonnay or the Chalk Hill Russian River Chardonnay for great examples of New-World production. Some California vineyards are now producing Chardonnay in the less oaky Old-World style. Try the Balletto Russian River Valley Teresa’s Unoaked Chardonnay. There is arguably no more divisive varietal of wine than Chardonnay, but I hope the past few paragraphs have shown you that not all Chardonnays are created the same. There is definitely a Chard for you!
Spain and Portugal are best known for their luscious, full-bodied reds, but they also produce some excellent white wines that would be perfect for fall. Spain grows a wonderful white grape called Verdejo. Rueda is the region most recognized for this varietal, and the Oro de Castilla Verdejo is a must-try wine for autumn. This wine is the perfect balance of pear and peach fruit, stone minerality, and balsamic savoriness. From Rioja, Spain, the Larchago Rioja Alavesa Blanco has a lovely floral aroma with the fruit flavors of green apples and pears and a long finish.
Branco de Talha Vinho Branco from Alentejo, Portugal, is made by Antonio Macanita, one of the region’s most respected master winemakers. In traditional Alentejo style, the wine is aged in Talha, or amphora, honoring the ancient winemaking traditions of the region. Blending wines is also an art form in the Alentejo, and this wine is a masterwork. It is a blend of the region’s indigenous white grapes, including Roupeiro, Trincadeira-das-Pratas, Alicante Branco, and Fernão Pires. The finished wine is the perfect balance of tree fruit and a wonderful earthy minerality and pairs perfectly with pasta dishes, grilled shellfish or poultry, mushrooms, or root vegetables, making this my top pick for the fall.
I hope you enjoyed this article and will give some of these autumn whites consideration for your next dinner. You will not be out of fashion. As always, stop in the store or contact me at dsetley@passionvines.com. Until next time, happy fall y’all and happy wining!
David Setley is enjoying his retirement from higher education as a wine educator and certified sommelier at Passion Vines in Somers Point, New Jersey.
