The white winterEvery year I broach this subject and every year, I feel I come up with nothing drastically new. It is always the same list of rich corpulent reds or else it is a recipe for a mulled (spiced) wine. The idea then seems as traditional as Christmas itself. They do work well in this season and that I cannot deny. Nothing quite parallels the richness of a delicious luscious wine with juicy tannins, cradled in the palm of our hand, absorbing the warmth while it delivers more of it at the same time. A wine that you feel right till the last sip leaves your palate and beyond. Yet, I can?t help but feel a little overcast by monotony when I step back and think of it. The question I guess I am asking is this, ?Why don?t we drink whites in winters?? The general reasoning against whites and ros?s is simply this: they are too cold and thin and do not have the same rich body of a red. Another reason is that they don?t exactly accompany rich often meaty dishes the way red wines do. And last one on the list, they are not traditional. Barring that last one, I have found some wines to counter the other reasons. Here?s how you can enjoy whites in winters.
Play with temperature. Who said white wines cannot be had at room temperature? If we go by the service standards at most Indian hotels, we will find that all wines only get served at ?Indian? room temperature. But with a good white, it is only commendable to have it chambr?, the French term for serving a wine at room temperature. What the higher temperature does is that it makes the wine a lot weightier, rounded and hence an ample mouth-filler. It amplifies all the tactile components of a wine. Which is why, do this only with a high-end white. Then you are assured that as you bring on the heat the wine won?t crack under pressure.
Play with age. Any aged white, especially barrel-aged would work well when looking for a white winter sip. Think oak-rich chardonnays from the New World or Sauvignon Blancs from Bordeaux in France. Pinot Blanc, like Querciabella from Italy and old vine Gr?ner from Austria too can be easily and successfully employed. Australian, Argentinean and Chilean wines abound in this area as also do Californian.
Play with the pour. Instead of putting a little in a glass, pour more. Use bigger glasses than usual for the whites. That will help air the wine longer, making it bring on more notes on the nose and helping it have an enhanced sensorial appeal. The longer you linger the more richness the wine will seem to automatically take on.
As for tradition, it is what you make of it. I will always love a good red but I think I am learning to appreciate whites in a new light. A little fireplace, a glass to our lips, a book, and someone to love; life for everyone should be so fulfilling. Enjoy Thanksgiving.
?The writer is a sommelier