Winter Wines Are Coming

Fresh, light white wines and rosés taste great in summer’s heat, but when the weather cools, full-bodied, richly flavoured styles taste better and better. Weighty, complex white wines, especially chardonnays, but also sturdier styles of pinot gris and oak-aged sauvignon blancs, really hit the spot. Pinot noir is popular year-round, but in summer, more powerful reds can taste too heavy. During the depths of winter, however, when hearty, rich food is in demand, flavour-crammed reds can be the perfect partner.

White

Brancott Estate Letter Series ‘O’ Marlborough Chardonnay 2017 ★★★★

Named after the company’s Ōmaka vineyard, this powerful wine was hand-picked in the Wairau Valley and barrel-fermented. Fragrant, with a slightly smoky bouquet, it is weighty, with rich peach-grapefruit flavours, showing good complexity, finely integrated oak, and a smooth, very harmonious finish. An upfront style, it’s priced sharply. $25

Greywacke Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 ★★★★★