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Its winter, but that’s no reason to put aside your whites – wine and clothing. White wines are such versatile food wines (maybe even more than red) and can and should be enjoyed year-round. More full-bodied versions are often wonderful with some of our cold weather cuisine. You DO remember when I paired gumbo with Bordeaux Blanc, don’t you? Who knew?! And even if you’re just in the mood for sipping cause you’re pissed off that the groundhog saw his shadow and you’re going to will spring into being, that’s a good reason too. Just don’t stop drinking whites because the temperature has dropped. To prove my point, here are a few wines that will pair nicely with the winter season and beyond. And each of these would work nicely just sipping on its own.

2016 Chateau Guibon Entre-Deux-Mers, Bordeaux (~$15)

As I’ve mentioned before, if you want to get into Bordeaux in an affordable way, try some of the wines from Entre-Deux-Mers. Especially if it’s a wine from a chateau owned and run by André Lurton of Château Cheval Blanc (#BucketListWine) and Château d’Yquem fame. This wine consists of 60% Semillon, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, and 10% Muscadelle. Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc are often blended together for Bordeaux Blanc with Sémillon taking the edge off the acidity in the wine. So you’re left with a wonderful balance of acidity and creaminess which is exactly what you get with this wine. Full-bodied and quite fresh and aromatic with peach, green apple, and citrus. There is also a tinge of minerality. This one is wonderful on its own but would also pair nicely with fried foods, Asian cuisine, and Cajun/Creole cuisine.

2016 Domaine Bousquet Gaia White Blend, Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina (~$15)

Yes, you can get wine other than Malbec from Argentina. Of course you knew that! Crafted of 50% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Gris, and 15% Sauvignon Blanc, this wine1 hails from a fully organic estate in Tupungato, which is the northernmost sub-region in the Uco Valley in Mendoza. This quite easy drinking medium-bodied wine shows ripe apples, pears, stone fruits (peach and apricot), and citrus along with medium+ acidity. There is also a bit of toasty, vanilla notes present. The wine is more round initially but finishes with a crisp acidity undoubtedly attributed to the vineyard’s altitude. I would seriously love this with fish tacos with a bit of lime squeezed on top.

2016 Mezzacorona Cliffhanger Vineyards Pinot Grigio, Trentino, Italy (~$15)

Mezzacorona is located in Trentino in northern Italy along the Austria and Switzerland borders and is a leader in production of Pinot Grigio. They actually produce a couple of different lines that feature Pinot Grigio. The Cliffhanger Vineyards Pinot Grigio2 is made with a combination of grapes that show the two faces of the Trentino region. Grapes cultivated on hillsides in the north provide more citrus and acidity while the grapes cultivated further south close to Lake Garda provide riper fruits flavors, more roundness and less acidity. Flavors of peach, pear, ripe melon, citrus, and white flowers are present followed by mineral notes. This is a bit fuller-bodied and richer than what I normally think of when it comes to Pinot Grigio. Fifty percent of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation3 which accounts for some of the body in the wine. This would pair nicely with a rich pasta with a white wine cream sauce or a pizza with white sauce.

2014 Treana Blanc, Central Coast, CA (~$22)

One of my 2018 wine resolutions (these are the only types I make) was to drink more CA Central Coast wines. Well, I’m off to a great start. I’d actually had Treana’s Cabernet Sauvignon in the past and absolutely loved it. This particular white blend is comprised of 45% Viognier, 45% Marsanne, and 10% Roussanne – classic Northern Rhone varieties. This wine with its tropical fruit flavors practically transports you directly to spring or even summer. Where’s the beach?! Honeysuckle, pineapple, fresh apple, peach, banana, mango – like I said tropical! – balanced by surprisingly good acidity. Glazed duck as well as Asian cuisines (Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese) would pair nicely. Chicken Satay and curry in particular would be fabulous.

What whites have you been drinking this winter?

 

  1. I received this wine as a sample but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
  2. I received this wine as a sample but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
  3. This is a fermentation process where malic acid is added to the wine to tone down the acidity, and make the wine, smoother and rounder.

2 Comments

  1. kelly cornelison
    6 years ago

    ok, TWIST MY ARM.

    Reply
    1. Kat
      6 years ago

      Ha ha, right?! Twist mine too!

      Reply

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