Standard convention says that during the colder days of winter, a hearty red wine is the one to pick. And, while that’s not wrong, there are also white wines that are well-suited for winter drinking.

Winter white wines are not the bright, fruity and refreshing ones that you may normally think of, such as Sauvignon Blanc, but rather whites that are a bit bigger and more powerful in flavor such that they pair well with heartier winter dishes.

And, these winter whites don’t need to be extra chilled in a standard refrigerator. Winter whites should be served in the 50-55° F range.

Here are a couple of nice examples:

2021 Domäne Wachau Riesling ($18.99)

This Domäne Wachau Federspiel Terrassen Riesling is from the Wachau Valley on the Danube River in Austria where Riesling is famous. It comes from sustainable and increasingly organic principles. It is hand-picked, pressed and then fermented on lees in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fruit flavors. It is medium straw in color with delicate aromas of lime and green apple. On the palate, this dry Riesling (1.2 g/L residual sugar) has flavors of peach, apricot and bee’s wax.

2020 Beronia Rueda ($13.99)

Rueda is a wine region located on the Duero river in Spain just northwest of the Spanish capital, Madrid. And, it is known for its white wines made predominantly from the Verdejo grape variety. This 100% Verdejo wine is fermented in both stainless steel (which preserves the complexity and intensity of the aroma) and concrete tanks (which promotes contact with the lees and helps to a full-bodied wine). This Beronia Rueda is pale yellow in color with green hints. On the nose it exhibits rich fruit flavors and fennel which is typical of the Verdejo grape. On the palate, this dry wine (<2 g/L residual sugar) has the flavor of grapefruit pith which leads to a slight touch of bitterness on the finish which is also typical of the Verdejo grape.

Both of these wines are fine examples of white wines that can be enjoyed with winter meals and, again, can be served in the 50-55° F range. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Gonzalez Byass via Donna White Communications