Few think of white wines as a winning choice any time of year, let alone now in the heart of winter here in New England. Red wine somehow seems the natural way to soothe the impact of the cold, dark days we experience.
In fact, once we shed our own similar inclinations, we discovered a surprisingly wonderful coping mechanism.
Here’s why adding white wine to your repertoire right now will help assuage your winter woes:
1. Dry Air Begs for a Palate Pick-Me-Up
If you’re like us, you’re heading for the water cooler on the regular. Nothing seems to quench your thirst. Guess what? Many white wines can. Add a little zip to your regularly scheduled wine-down and you can refresh your taste buds (and your spirits) with the natural burst of mouthwatering acidity whites are best known.
2. Hearty Fare Hearts Robust Wines
The importance of texture should not be underestimated either. Just as you reach for that soft, cozy blanket to wrap yourself up in, many white wine styles offer the same satisfaction. Here we're talking about wines that have a touch of heft, and can be deemed oily, or fleshy.
Why?
Robust whites complement the weight of heartier fare. Think Chowder or thicker soups like pumpkin, cauliflower, butternut squash, etc. Gratin potatoes. A tangy, goat-cheese quiche. Monkfish or Swordfish. Chicken casserole. Even an old-school (or re-imagined, newer school) Mac & Cheese.
You get the idea. Just be sure the weightier wine you select also has that essential acidity we talked about above, too. You’ll need that element to cut through the fat of such bold dishes.
3. Winter Helps Ensure Whites are Enjoyed at the Right Temp
One guest at an event we hosted said oh-so-sagely, he feels “whites have to work harder to woo” him. When he tasted the white wine flight we had curated, he mused at how much more depth the wines had – he could taste their nuance.
So often whites are served way too cold. Whites show more layers of aromas and flavors when they are served at the ideal 50ish degrees Fahrenheit. And in New England many of us are blessed with enclosed vestibules or unfinished cellars that naturally ensure wines are stored, and then easily served, at the right temp. You don’t have to fuss with the fridge. Nature works to your logistical advantage. Meanwhile you’re able to discover what so many whites really have to offer.
Certainly white wine is a huge category, just as red wine is. The winter simply proves an unsuspecting time to explore the possibilities.
Satiate your cravings for comfort food, resuscitate your senses and otherwise bring life back to your body and soul by giving whites the chance they deserve this winter!
We landed in the northern part of the Rheinhessen as the sun broke through the clouds "officially" and some more late-springlike (n-o-t summer) warmth with it. Tromping through the much more rolling hills/vineyards in these "conditions" was a treat. Assistant Winemaker Oliver Mueller was our guide, providing tremendous insight about their more Burgundian-like spot within the Rheinhessen appellation as well as the non-Riesling grapes they cultivate (though, of course, Riesling does have a very large presence, too). Silvaner, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and (of course) Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir) all have a home here.
The next day took us yet still farther South. We had an appointment at 
Our vineyard tour was also astounding. In the distance the Rhine river - and France! - terraces of unique volcanic soil lay in front of us. Here, too, they employ various techinques to mitigate using too many chemicals in the vineyards. The wine bottles hanging on the line PICTURED RIGHT are filled with sugar water, to keep pests elsewhere and harmony happening naturally in the vineyards! Brilliant for its simplicity and effectiveness.
After two full days in the Mosel it was time to go vineyard/region-hopping as we drove South through German wine country. To save time on the way to our first appointment in the Rheingau, about two hours from the Mosel, we took a car ferry (so cool!) across the Rhine River. It deposited us on the other bank just down the slope from Josef Leitz's winery. (Perhaps starting with the ferry experience itself, the visit at Leitz offered not just great wine tasting, but also a terrific lesson in German history - e.g. ferries keep transport efficient and fluid, as many key bridges were destroyed in World War II).
We found Johannes Leitz (said "Lights" - the winery is named for his father Joseph, who died when Lietz was only 2 years old) with his gardening gear on, wheelbarrow in hand. He quickly terminated his home gardening duties, ushered us into his immaculate tasting room and jumped right into a detailed discussion about the Rheingau; terrific photos told the story of its unique terroir, including the microclimates and varied soil types that 'co-exist' just meters from each other. (I HIGHLY encourage you to visit his 
The first stop on our tour was the Mosel - probably the most well-known German wine producing region, and best known for its Riesling. I've joked that I would never want to work harvest in the Mosel because the slopes are so bloody steep and narrow that I would put down my bucket of grapes (hand-harvesting is the only way to do it as no machine could manage the incline) and accidentally kick it over with my foot, sending hundreds of dollars down the hill with it. Having been there now, I can say that even as a fairly agile human, I would definitely not sign up first for the task. And it is oh-so-precious fruit indeed.
AJ Adam was next on our Mosel tour - a recommendation from Konstantin Weiser on Day 1 of the trip. We took our chances and popped by, catching Andreas coming home from the vineyards by tractor for a little lunch break. Two hours later we had tasted a delicious (ample) sampling of Rieslings from his portfolio. A family resemblance was present among these wines also - a ripeness of fruit cut with nearly searing acidity and a wet-stone-meets-talc-like minerality texture on the tongue. These wines were compelling for their sleek precision - yet elegance!
