17 Hearty White Wines For Winter

Just because the summer sun is no longer broiling down doesn't mean you have to shelf your favorite white wines. There are many reasons white wines are perfect sippers with decadent winter meals. White wine with great acidity will cut through the richness of winter fare, while some are hearty in body and will match the weight, depth, and character of your dish. A white wine with floral and spicy notes can be a perfect stablemate for dishes that have equally boisterous attributes. Meanwhile, white wines made oxidatively can coax out flavors from your meals effortlessly. Bubbles are the drink of celebration and cheer with loved ones.

We put together a list of white wines that aren't just for sipping poolside. This winter, grab a glass of wine as white as the snow aprés ski. Serve all white wines at your white elephant party. You can drink white after Labor Day.

Far Niente has been making wine since 1979 and has made a name for itself as one of Napa Valley's benchmark wine producers. Its estate chardonnay is rich and full-bodied. Toasty oak will suit your chestnuts roasting on an open fire, and decadent notes of pineapple and heady floral aromas will offer reminders of summer.

Far Niente's chardonnay grapes are grown in Coombsvilles, a cooler growing region than much of the Napa Valley, affording the grapes a vibrant acidity. The gravelly loam and volcanic soils it grows on give it the pineapple notes and a touch of smoke. Pair this stunner with a warm and creamy bowl of Zuppa Toscana, and you'll find the acidity of the wine will slice through the richness of the cream and cheese. The smokiness of the bacon will play off of the smokiness of the wine. Things are about to get really cozy!

Albariño is your best paring for leafy green and salty cheese. It has hints of salinity from growing seaside off of the Iberian Peninsula in Rias Baixas and racy acidity from the cooling winds of the sea. Inherently, the grape possesses notes of ripe peach, limes, honeysuckle, and nectarine. Castro Martín A20 Albariño "Sobre Lías" is a gorgeous example from the Val do Salnés sub-region of Rias Baixas, Spain. This wine is suitable for aging due to its high acidity and phenolic structure, but it might be too good to wait.

Pair this with Spanish cheeses like Manchego or other saline cheeses like feta. Earthy and crunchy dark leaves, like dandelion greens or this cider-braised collard greens recipe, will also shine alongside this wine at the table. If you plan on enjoying this with a full meal, rich monkfish ragu, mussels escabeche (marinated mussels loaded onto mayonnaise slathered crostini), or a classic paella would all taste amazing with the brininess and ripe fruit notes of this Albariño.

One way to ensure you have a hefty white wine is to opt for a skin-contact (orange) wine. It imparts a tannic backbone from the time the juice spends on the skin. It also adds texture and weight. Tarpon Cellars in Napa offers wines that take the classic Napa expressions and add a modern twist.

Tarpon's Cambero Skin Contact wine is a blend of 93% chenin blanc, 6% sauvignon blanc, and 1% verdejo. With aromas like apricot, lemon curd, rosehips, and pear, and savory traits on the palate, this wine can pair with more complex dishes. Try it with a Chinese dry pot to see how the piquant Sichuan spices play off the fruity notes of the wine. Or, playfully pair various tingling and aromatic dishes with Cambero — Indian meals like masala dosa, citrusy dishes like Senegalese chicken Yassa, or punchy Korean tteokbokki would all be delicious and warming winter pairings.

Following Georgian tradition, Teliani uses indigenous white grape varieties — Rkatsiteli, Mtsvane, Khikhvi, and Kisi, to create its amber wine. Long before the rest of the world was making orange wines or skin-contact wines, the country of Georgia was crafting luxurious ambers.

This wine, in particular, was aged on its skins for six months. The outcome is a gorgeously amber-hued wine with silky tannins and plenty of texture. Fruit characteristics are less overripe expressions and more dried, such as dried peach, dried apricot, and orange peel. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove notes are soft and pleasant as well. Try this wine with an easy slow cooker recipe, like comforting pork al pastor (in tacos or over rice); the sweetness from the pineapple gives a nice contrast to the tannins of the wine. The tangy lime of the dish will match the wine's natural acidity. Or try pairing it with something with more mass — pan-seared pork chops with parsnip-apple purée can provide a sweet and creamy accompaniment to this complex wine.

Viognier is known for being full-bodied and rich, with powerful floral and fruity notes. Based in Cahors, France, Chateau Lagrézette delivers an outstanding iteration with its Mervielle Rocamadour Viognier. This wine is rich and spicy with mouth-watering notes of apricot, fresh yellow peach, brioche, and honeysuckle. The nose is heavily perfumed with floral aromatics and spicy scents. It is creamy on the palate and can hold its own next to the heartiest meal or satisfying nibbles.

Decadent cheeses like brie and Jarlsberg and tropical fruits are excellent matches for this wine, so snacks like a cheese Danish with equatorial fruit or fig-baked brie are great choices. For a meal, Jacques Pépin's chicken jardiniere recipe hits all the right notes. This braised chicken, made with potatoes, bacon, carrots, mushrooms, and peas, is a comforting and fresh dish that will benefit from the bright, fruity notes of the wine.

What is a get-together without bubbles? Toasting with friends and loved ones on New Year's Eve, boozy brunch, and holiday parties aren't the same without them! You don't have to shell out a ton of money for Champagne. Grab a bottle of Cava or Prosecco and save your money for gifts or holiday donations.

Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Alexander Valley, California, recently released its Diamond Collection Prosecco. Made in the Prosecco DOC in Italy, between the Adriatic Sea and the Dolomite Mountains, this is the first DOC wine for the company. Fresh and effervescent, with vibrant bubbles and acidity, this wine is sure to keep the party lively. Notes of white peach, lemon, and white flowers make it a great match for cheesy and earthy bites, such as a 100-layer root vegetable gratin, a classic lobster Newburg, stuffed mushrooms, or any number of holiday hors d'oeuvres or appetizers.

Grenache blanc is a grape you might see a lot of in Spain, the Languedoc-Rousillon, and the Rhône Valley regions of France. It is picking up steam in the United States, mostly grown in California. Dobbes Family Winery can proudly say that they were the first winery in Oregon to make grenache blanc. This Rogue Valley AVA bottling is bursting with minerality, bright citrus notes, tropical fruit, and intoxicating jasmine flower aromas. Fermentation in the barrel gives this wine a touch of vanilla and a smooth texture. The acidity is high and would pair nicely with fatty dishes.

Let this bright and fresh wine cut through your richest dishes. A classic fondue, creamy chicken gnocchi, or New England clam chowder are all luscious options that would pair well. Or greasy, weekend meals like Nashville-style hot chicken, wings and blue cheese, or a game day beef chili will all play nicely with this wine.

This might not look like a white wine with its bright orange hue, but this is, indeed, a sauvignon blanc. The color is almost as vibrant as its four different labels (same juice), featuring a loud, almost neon background and blaring font of varying colors. Subject to Change's Hillside Vineyard "Disco!" Skin-Contact sauvignon blanc was made using both carbonic maceration and reverse saignée and had direct contact with skins for three weeks. The outcome is a structured, layered wine with lots to offer in texture, weight, flavors, and aromas.

Tangy citrus against tropical melon and terracotta tannins make this a refreshing wine that's also a thinking wine. The high acidity makes it an easy match for many fish dishes. Pan-seared black cod with morels and asparagus, or miso salmon, are both great options brimming with well-placed umami. Or opt for a veg meal fit for a cold winter night, such as our vegan mushroom stroganoff recipe or Moroccan chickpea stew.

Spicy and gorgeously floral, gewürtztraminer is a wine like no other, and the region of Alto Adige in Italy is known for superior bottlings. Elena Walch makes a delightful gewürtztraminer that is intensely aromatic with loads of baking spice, rose petals, and lychee. It is a dry wine but very fruit-forward. It has a terrific weight on the palate without being sweet, and the spices are almost reminiscent of holiday spices. There is no mistaking this wine for a blind tasting.

You might think this wine might be difficult to pair because it is so distinct, but it's the exact opposite. This wine can match hard-to-pair foods that other vinos can't. Fatty dishes like crispy roast duck and gnocchi with foie gras are a perfect table mate for the weight and power of the wine. Spicy meals like Thai red curry chicken, pungent garlic eggplant, and anything dipped in Bengali kasundi effortlessly mesh with the spices in the wine.

When we say one of the best falanghina we have tasted recently came from a garagiste winery in Chicago Park, California, and not Italy, you might think we were nuts. Well, when you taste Montolivia's Sierra falanghina, you will understand. The winery is focused on growing Tuscan grapes and producing them in a way that represents the Sierra Foothills region they are grown.

Falanghina is known for its citrus-blossom aromas, nuttiness, and notes of peach and honey. This one, in particular, also exudes spicy and mineral notes. It has a silky mouthfeel and ample acidity. Pair this with inviting recipes with a lot of heft and texture, such as Strangolapreti alla Trentina (dumplings made with greens and stuffed with Robiola cheese), French lentils with chicken with escarole, or scallops with a silky smooth butternut squash purée. Even after all that, a simple charcuterie board in front of a roaring fire and a glass of falanghina could be a great option.

Situated on the Mediterranean Sea in western Sicily is Marsala, the region that makes the only authentic Marsala wine. Marsala is a fortified wine with nutty, oxidative qualities. It can be red or white, as well as sweet or dry. Cantine Florio is a pioneer of the category and produces a variety of Marsala styles. Cantine Florio Oltre Cento Marsala Superiore, in particular, is a honeyed and complex wine with oxidative notes of raisins, tamarind, and wet walnuts. There is an undercurrent of apricot and vanilla. It is made with native white grapes like Grillo and aged in oak barrels for at least 24 months.

It only makes sense to pair this beauty with authentic Sicilian cuisine, but it is a great choice for several cuisines. Of course, this works well as a dessert pairing but can also expand the flavors of many savory dishes. Try it with fig and bleu cheese bites or mushroom and roasted garlic risotto to go savory, but don't discount the beauty of a Sicilian cannoli with a glass of Marsala.

One of the most interesting wines out there — Smiley chenin blanc from Silwervis in Swartland, South Africa, is a non-vintage still wine made with a number of non-traditional winemaking methods. Skin-contact, under-flor yeast maturation (like sherry), intentionally oxidizing and "Madeiarizing" barrels by leaving them in the sun, plus blending in fresh juice from the current vintage before bottling (like Madeira). The name is even an oddball — in South Africa, "smiley" is the term for a sheep's head, which is typically thrown away, yet connoisseurs know it to be a delicacy. The label even dons a cartoon sheepshead.

As you can imagine, this is not your basic wine. This wine is layered with deep characteristics of lemon pith, salinity, tasted nuts, wet stone, and orange marmalade. So what the heck are we pairing this with? Probably something as avant-garde as the wine itself. Try it with bucatini with pork belly and watermelon, kabocha squash curry recipes, or tuna tartare with potato chips.

A lesser-known grape from a lesser-known region shouldn't scare you off. Primarily grown in Southwest France, petit manseng is a gem of a grape. The reason you don't see more of it is that it is a finicky grape to grow. Of all the places in the world for it to thrive, Virginia has more than excelled at making this grape feel at home. Petit manseng is chock full of tropical and honeyed flavors, spicy aromas, and a weighty palate. It can be vinified dry, but many versions are off-dry.

Early Mountain, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, makes a dry petit manseng that is absolutely gorgeous. A little savory with notes of aloe, alongside tropical mango and papaya, and baking spice. It sells out fast as it is a small production that is highly desired. If you missed your chance, try to snag the Five Forks, which is a petit manseng and sauvignon blanc blend. Robust food would pair well with this. Look for dishes with buttery bases, such as onion pique béchamel sauce. Absolutely drool-worthy.

Hillick & Hobbs is brand new on the scene, but its proprietor is a legend. International winemaker Paul Hobbs returned to his homeland in the Finger Lakes region of New York to make world-class riesling — and we think he succeeded. The first release is the estate dry riesling is striking, with laser-focused acidity and tons of minerality. Lemon curd and peach notes are abundant on the palate and the nose. The high acidity is an easy match for any dish that feels laden with creaminess or fat. It will temper the creaminess, and the dish's richness will temper the acidity.

Chicken schnitzel with fried capers, poutine, and falafel could all be this riesling's bestie. Desserts also work well with this wine, playing off the stone fruit notes. Classic crème brûlée, gâteau Basque cake, or this loud and exciting chocolate and chestnut cake with kumquat sauce and mascarpone whipped cream will positively dance on the palate with this wine.

An easy wine to procure across the United States and always a crowd-pleaser, the sauvignon blanc from Josh Cellars will give you a taste of sunshine. The California-based winery, and its owner, Joseph Carr, are dedicated to making well-balanced wines that won't break the bank.

This wine delivers bright citrus fruit, grassy notes, fresh acidity, and tropical fruit that will make you forget it's winter. While this wine is a great summer sipper, it can also be a perfect living room fireplace wine. The high acidity and crispness make it a natural pair for rich winter dishes and work to temper the dish's unctuousness. Cheesy and gooey recipes like loaded beef enchiladas, old-fashioned shrimp and grits, or a tartiflette (cheesy French potato dish) will benefit from a racy glass of Savvy B. Or you can channel summer by pairing it with a salad fit for winter. This winter Greek salad recipe is a heavier iteration than its classic counterpart.

For a wine with a long finish and great texture, snag a bottle of Conde Valdemar Blanco from the Rioja region of Spain. This blend of 85% viura, 10% malvasia, 3% sauvignon blanc, and 2% tempranillo blanco has a lot going on. Punchy acidity, fresh ripe tropical fruit notes, fresh grassy and lemon balm flavors, floral aromas, and a lovely salinity. Viura, the main grape, is the same grape used in Cava, where it is called Macabeo. With so much action happening here, it's a no-brainer to enjoy during the frigid months — even with your heaviest winter meals.

Coconut curry mussels; ghormeh sabzi (Persian chicken stew); enough lasagna for Garfield to get through the week — Conde Valdemar Blanco is ready to temper it all. You can even sip some while eating lush fruit and pretend you are in warm Spain instead of whatever cold region you contemplate moving from every winter.

Xanadu means "an idyllic, exotic, or luxurious place," according to the dictionary, and that's the way we feel drinking this beautiful chardonnay from Margaret River, Australia. Xanadu has harnessed the flint, striking acidity, and minerality of the best chablis while layering in green apples, lemon pith, nectarines, and white flowers. The acidity is alive, and the mouthfeel is full of texture. It is a great example of a complex chardonnay without tons of new oak or super buttery malo.

This one is a thinking wine. Sip slowly while curled up on the couch with a book under a weighted blanket. While this wine would be fantastic with a range of dishes, such as farro verde with feta and olives or grilled pork belly and peach salsa, it would be just as good with a bowl of kettle-cooked potato chips. Go on — it's what Olivia Newton-John would have wanted.