Drink Up!
As the breeze gets cooler, the leaves slowly fall, and we turn back the clocks, we exchange our shorts and tees for jeans and sweaters. Thankfully, wine enthusiasts do not follow the same rules as fashion critics when it comes to avoiding whites after Labor Day. Although lighter whites, like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, may be put away, richer, more full-bodied white wines still have a place at the table in the fall and winter.
This time of year, many of us seek warm comfort foods and savory seasonings. Remember the 1966 Simon and Garfunkel classic “Scarborough Fair,” in which parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme were immortalized? These herbs, along with tarragon, are the seasonings most synonymous with fall. If your dining plans include vegetable-based dishes (i.e., butternut squash soup, potato au gratin, or roasted Brussel sprouts) or meats using any of these herbs, consider pairing them with a Vouvray or a Chablis. Allow me to spotlight these must-try white wines for the fall season, as well as a few from Spain and Portugal.
Personally, I love Vouvray. Vouvray is the region of the mid-Loire Valley 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. My wife and I visited the Loire Valley last summer and discovered a great Vouvray winery. We have been able to bring the same wine we tried into Passion Vines. Grab a bottle of Vigneau-Chevreau Cuvee Silex Vouvray, a traditional dry still wine, or try the Vigneau Selection Vouvray Sparkling Brut that is made in the same style as Champagne.
The Chenin Blanc grape can also be found in South Africa and California. The Den from Painted Wolf Wines in Swartland, South Africa, is a great example. The Den 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. One last example of this wine is 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 reasonably priced, outstanding wines, and see how significantly the terroir of where these grapes are grown impacts how the wine tastes.
Chablis is also a wine region, located in the northern portion of Burgundy. The Chardonnay grape reigns there. Chardonnay is produced throughout the world, but is most known for its French and California options. Unlike California Chards, Chablis wines do not have oaky or buttery flavors. Chablis is very dry with a medium body and moderately high acidity. The flavors are mostly 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 Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis Premier Cru.
Two other very reasonably priced Burgundy Chardonnay wines are the Deux Roches Saint-Véran Tradition and the Le Grand Cheneau Macon-Verze Chardonnay. Saint-Véran and Mâcon are respected appellations (AOC) of Burgundy. Both of these wines are fermented and aged in stainless steel to enhance the great flavor of the Chardonnay grapes without the intense oak notes that many have come to equate with this varietal. Try any of these wines with poultry or seafood this fall.
If you prefer the more buttery, oaky California version of this varietal, my recommendation for fall is the Raeburn Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. This award-winning wine is 100% Chardonnay and is grown using sustainable viticulture practices. The flavors are apple and nectarine with notes of vanilla and oak. Also, try the Trefethen Oak Knoll District Napa Chardonnay or the Ersol Sonoma Coast Chardonnay for great examples of the New-World styling of this Noble Grape. Some California vineyards are now producing Chardonnay in the less oaky Old-World style. Try the Balletto Russian River Valley Teresa’s Unoaked Chardonnay.
Spain and Portugal are best known for their luscious, full-bodied reds, but they also produce some wonderful 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.
The Quinta De Chocapalha Arinto from Liboa, Portugal, has citrus and tropical notes and pairs extremely well with fish and white meats. Or, from Alentejo in southern Portugal, the Moinante Branco Curimenta is the work of Antonio Macanita, one of the region’s most respected master winemakers. Blending is an art form in the Alentejo, and this wine is a masterwork. This blend of the region’s indigenous white grapes, Antao Vaz, Arinto, Verdelho, and Encruzado, is a skin contact, aka orange, wine. The light tannins from three days of skin contact not only give this wine its distinctive color but also the aroma and flavor of tangerine, nectarine, stone fruit, and citrus. This wine pairs well with pasta dishes, shellfish and poultry.
I hope you enjoyed this article and will give some of these white wines consideration for your next dinner. You will not be disappointed. As always, stop in the store to see me 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.
