As the weather cools and “socks go on”, it’s time to ditch light summery white wine for the “big, hearty, broad-shouldered” whites that can do justice to a “comforting lasagne”, said Jane MacQuitty in The Times.
Autumn calls for full-bodied whites that deliver a “hefty wallop” of flavour, fruit and alcohol. Those that have spent time on sediment or oak chips, or been fermented and aged in oak, tend to have the “rich, creamy, nutty” flavours that comfort food needs.
One of the best “cockle-warming” options is chardonnay from Australia, California or South America. These winemakers tend to “ramp up the flavour to full volume”. Bodega Catena Zapata make some “cracking” wines in Argentina and their 2021 Angelica Zapata Chardonnay is a “gorgeous, toasty, vanilla-scented mouthful, with stylishly integrated oak”.
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I keep an eye out for whites that are “like a good cardigan, at once coddling and breathable”, said Mina Holland in The Guardian. For “ripeness, body and freshness”, I’d recommend a bottle from Galicia in northern Spain. Try Aldi’s specially selected albariño from the Rías Baixas appellation, which “rarely disappoints”, or a “fuller bodied godello” from nearby Valdeorras, like the Wine Society’s Exhibition range.
As “spiced stews and curries” become more enticing, pair them with “aromatic central European wines, such as a zippy, limey Mosel riesling”. Tesco Finest Steep Slopes “hits the spot when paired with a spicy takeaway” and, at £8, won’t blow a hole in your budget.
I’m drawn to a rich, oaky chenin blanc from South Africa or the Loire, said David Williams in The Observer. With its “apple-store scents”, it is “perhaps the quintessential autumn white”, and pairs perfectly with roast chicken. The barrel-fermented Kaapzicht Bush Vine Chenin Blanc is “weighty with honeyed pear and ripe golden apple” and “balanced with a flash of fresh acidity”. It is “probably South Africa’s greatest gift to the wine world”.
