Drink Up!
By David Setley
After a relatively warm, albeit, dry autumn, the weather finally seems to be changing as a reminder that winter is just around the corner. Though many pull out hearty red wines during the colder months, others enjoy the flavors of white wines regardless of the weather. Lighter whites, like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio, are better suited to summer, but I am a strong advocate that some whites go better in the late fall and winter. This week, allow me to recommend some winter whites for you to enjoy as the air continues to get colder.
Chardonnay, America’s most popular white wine, is among the most full-bodied of white wines, making it a perfect choice for cooler months. The flavors are more intense than most whites, featuring fresh green apples, toasty vanilla, caramel, and a notable stone-like minerality. Classic California Chardonnays are aged in American oak barrels and have the added notes of oak and butter. However, more recently, wine consumers have leaned toward “naked,” or unoaked, Chardonnay. These wines are typically aged in stainless steel vats and do not have the oak or butter notes. I highly recommend the Balletto Vineyards Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley of California. Balletto makes the outstanding wine in both traditionally oaked and unoaked versions. Chardonnay goes perfectly with chicken or pork. The wine is also great with pasta in pesto or Alfredo sauce.
Though famous in California, the origins of this varietal are old-world, from Burgundy, France. The Novellum Chardonnay from the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France is a great one to try. This wine is partially aged in stainless steel and partially in French oak barrels, often referred to as “neutral oak.” Barrels used in France are made from hand-selected oak from one of five forests protected by the French government. French oak does not impart as much of the oak and butter notes as does American oak, causing French Chardonnays to usually have significantly less of either characteristic. Collovray et Terrier Saint-Veran from Burgundy, France is an outstanding example of a Chardonnay that was aged in oak but without strong wood and butter notes. Either of these wines is the perfect complement for mild creamy cheeses such as brie, Saint Albray, or a triple cream cheese such as Fromager D’Affinois. Or have this with seafood or chicken in a creamy sauce.
The Vigneau-Chevreau Vouvray Cuvee Silex is also high on my list for a winter white. Vouvray is a subregion in the center of the Loire Valley in France; the grape produced in this appellation is Chenin Blanc. This dry white wine has the intense flavors and aromas of apricots and pears with light notes of citrus and honey and a notable stone-like minerality. Cuvee Silex refers to the section of the family’s vineyard where the rock beneath the soil contains stone, known in the Loire Valley as silex, which is similar to flint and imparts its minerality into the wine. This Vouvray is full-bodied and intensely flavored, making it perfect during the colder months with a meal or on its own. Try it with baked halibut, roasted pork, or grilled chicken.
Italy has two awesome wines that are great for the winter months: Soave Classico and Arneis. Soave is a subregion of the Veneto region near the city of Venice. The wine that bears the appellation’s name is made from the Garganega grape. Try the Pra-Otto Soave Classico 2023. Fun fact: Otto is the name of the winemaker’s dog! The wine is certified organic, smooth and easy-drinking with notes of almond. However, it is more complex with more minerality than Pinot Grigio. Try this with seafood such as grilled or roasted Bronzino. Alternatively, Arneis is a grape grown in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy that produces a wine that is sometimes called the White Barolo. The Malvira Roero Arneis is one of my favorite Italian white wines. It is fresh and medium-bodied with the fruitiness of white peaches and notes of honey. This is perfect with appetizers, salads or shellfish meals.
The Rioja region of Spain is famous for red Tempranillo-based wines, but did you know there are also white Rioja wines? The Alegre Valganon Rioja Blanco is a blend comprised mostly of Viura with a touch of Garnacha Blanca and Tempranillo Blanco. While most white wines have no skin contact, this wine has a brief period of contact during maceration, after the grapes have been crushed. The result is an amber color and intense flavors of pears, yellow peaches, and citrus with notes of raw almonds, vanilla, oak, and salinity. This is a unique and complex wine that pairs well with grilled poultry and pan-seared fish.
I hope you are inspired to try some winter white wines as we head into the colder months. If you have questions or would like to share your wine experiences, feel free to contact me at dsetley@passionvines.com or stop by the store. Until next time, 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.
