Winter Whites for Your Delight

If rainy weather has you craving French Onion Soup or Creamy Porcini Mushroom Gnocchi, here are some wonderful full-bodied white wines that pair beautifully. There are a couple of components that build that rich character. First of all, grape varietal. Grapes such as Chardonnay, Viognier, Marsanne/Roussanne blends, Semillion, and Viura lend themselves to practices that create full-bodied wine. What are those practices? First of all ripeness of the grape, which includes the region the grape is grown in and decisions about picking. Luscious fruit characters of ripe pineapple, baked apple and pear, and lavish mango charm the palate. Another practice is again the wine in oak, especially new oak, which brings vanilla, baking spice, smokiness, and/or nutty notes. Malolactic fermentation is a practice in th ecellar where the malic acid in the wine changes to lactic acid, and the affect is more creaminess and smoothness. Lees again means leaving the dead yeast cells in the again container (sounds weird but wait for the effect), and stirring them gives the wine those yummy brioche and croissant-like tastes. Often several of these practices are implemented and add layer upon layer of richness and complexity. So even when the weather is chilly, bold white wines can both delight and satisfy that cozy feeling. Come by Vintage and try these pairings!