As the nights get colder, the idea of staying within the cosy confines of the house and enjoying a hearty, warming supper becomes more and more appealing. And when you add a well-chosen white wine to the picture, the cosy dinner at home becomes still more attractive. It can be easy to assume that rich, robust winter dishes will require equally robust red wines that will fill the mouth and warm the stomach, but many white wines pair surprisingly well with even the richest of winter fayre.
Winter vegetables can be a key part of a cosy, comforting supper and some thought should go into which white wines will pair well with vegetables such as parsnips, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, turnips and pumpkin. A good way to serve these often overlooked vegetables is to bake or grill them with herbs and olive oil, incorporate them into a warming winter stew or casserole with hunks of meat (vegetarians can use chunky beans in place of the meat), or simply steam them and serve with a large knob of butter and a sprinkling of salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
The bold flavours of grilled or baked winter vegetables will combine well with more robust white wines such as Pinot Gris, Gewurztraminer, or even a classic Chardonnay. If serving the vegetables with butter, the creamy notes of Chardonnay will work particularly well. Alternatively, go for a less obvious pairing and plump for a rose wine – the darker varieties have much of the bold flavour of red wine with less of a tannic taste.
If the winter supper you are preparing uses lots of herbs, you might want to consider how these will combine with your chosen white wine. Sauvignon Blancs, particularly those from New Zealand, tend to pair well with dishes that involve basil or dill. If you are serving meat and/or vegetables with a fruity sauce, you might want to consider a Gewurtztraminer, or a semi-dry Riesling. Riesling is in fact one of the most versatile white wines for food pairings, working extremely well with a wide variety of dishes. And don’t think that you have to restrict yourself to bottles from Germany, the grape has proved itself to be highly adaptable and there are now some great Rieslings being produced in France (notably the Alsace region) as well as in Australia and even Washington state.
As Riesling works particularly well with bold, spicy foods, it is a good choice if you are adding a spicy kick to your winter meal. Hot curries, chillies and other spicy foods all work well with Rieslings and it is a perfect partner to spicy Thai dishes. It is also a good bedfellow to poultry and pork, so this versatile wine will be a good choice to accompany hearty roast dinners on a cold winter evening. Rieslings run the gamut from sweet through to very dry and slightly sweeter varieties work best with spicy dishes. Even the sweetest are acidic enough to remain crisp and not cloying and tend to appeal even to those who profess to dislike sweeter wines.
A roast dinner is one of the great winter meals and lighter-flavoured meats such as roast chicken or turkey work well with white wines such as Sauvignon Blancs. If you’re serving the roast with rich sides and garnishes such as cranberry sauce, strongly-flavoured wines such as Gewurtztraminer or a white Burgundy work very well.
The cold winter months invite even the most virtuous of us to indulge in some devilish desserts and cheeky cheeses and it pays to consider which wines you will serve with your dessert or cheeseboard. Dessert wines work well with rich, fruity puddings, while a light, sparkling Moscato d’Asti is a more refreshing option that is sweet enough to be considered a dessert wine without being too heavy. White wine and cheese work famously well together and a good rule of thumb is that the cheeses should be as light as your wine – mild, fruity cheeses such as Gruyere and Camembert work better with light white wines than strong, sharp cheeses such as mature cheddars, which could overpower the taste of the wine.
Above all, cosy winter suppers are about warming the cockles, filling the stomach and keeping toasty while the harsh weather outside does its worst. Choose white wines that you know you will enjoy, pair it with favourite winter dishes and you won’t go far wrong.
