In the winter, I can’t help but to want a dry, full bodied red wine to warm me up. Something about the richness of flavors and tannins just hits the spot when it’s cold outside. But, as 2019 approaches, some of my friendly wine purveyors are trying to convert me to winter whites.
I’m intrigued by the concept of drinking a white wine in the winter. I already find myself having less bubbly in the winter, but I tend to avoid white wines entirely. As I will be studying for my sommelier certification this winter, I’ll have to change that behavior.
The Bubbles: 100% Pinot Noir Pacific Coast Pink
First up, I’m super excited to try this new celebrity curated wine program called Nocking Point. Each quarter, you receive three bottles of Nocking Point exclusive wine, a bag of artisanal coffee, and a t-shirt. They’ve teamed with oenology focused celebrities in the past like Aisha Tyler, and this quarter’s wine is made in collaboration with Arrow star, Emily Bett Rickards. A sparkling wine made of 100% Pinot Noir, the Pacific Coast Pink is the latest collaboration for the brand. As I tend to like blanc de noirs, that is, sparkling made from only red grapes, so I look forward to trying this one. If Nocking Point is as good as the Vivino community says it is, I’m going to go ahead and sign up for the membership.
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The Splurge: Ruinart
Pictured in the head photo, Ruinart stole my heart at a champagne tasting I went to at Chicago Gourmet earlier this year. A true blanc-de-blanc made with 100% Chardonnay, this 1729 Champagne house hits the mark with both the Grand Cru Dom Ruinart and Ruinart Blanc de Blancs, but will set you back over $70 per bottle. A fun splurge for the holidays, but pretty hard on the wallet.
Winter White Wine
My friends at Royal Wine sent me a “hot list” of some of their kosher wine offerings this winter. I haven’t tried any dry white wines from Bordeaux before, so the Château Lacaussade Saint-Martin will be one that I look forward to(far left). As the importers at Royal Wine tell me, there is a lot of unknown value in Bordeaux white wines.
As a matter of fact, the only white wine from Bordeaux I have ever had is the Château Guiraud Sauternes. Since it is a super sweet dessert wine, I am looking forward to trying their dry white wine instead (far right).
Then, there is the Loire Valley appellation of Pouilly-Fumé. As I tried, and fell in love, with another white wine from the Loire Valley this summer, Sancerre, I look forward to trying this wintery white wine.
About that Sommelier Certification Bit…
After months of going back and forth, I finally decided to start studying to sit for the WSET Level 1 test and sommelier certification. To be honest, my favorite part about it is not the tasting, but rather the studying. I think I’ve been out of school for too long, because the reading and learning bit is the most exhilarating part for me. I’ll keep you posted on how studying is going and about the test!
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