Alternative Whites

The fall and winter are the seasons of red wine…unless you are one of those people who only drinks white wine, really loves sparkling wine, or eats lots of seafood/sushi. So, cold weather or not, let’s talk about white wines – alternative white wines.

For many people, white wine is somewhat boring. We think that might be because they limit themselves to three varietals – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Grigio. Who would want to live in a world where there was only Vanilla, Chocolate and Strawberry ice cream?

While the number of whites over and above the three mentioned above is enormous, today let’s just talk about those from the Rhone Valley and Languedoc-Roussillon regions of France.

The grapes of these white wines are not, for the most part, household names – Viognier, Marsanne, Rousanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Picpoul, to name the most prominent, along with Rolle (Vermentino), Semillon, and Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano).

While Viognier is produced varietally here and in Australia, the remainder are seldom produced and labeled varietally. Their relative anonymity stems mostly from the fact that their greatest performances are usually delivered as “team” grapes. They work well together with one another, and that’s how the white wines of these regions are typically produced – as blends.

Some of the grapes provide weight, others provide fruit and/or floral notes, and others provide aromatics, freshness or acidity. While some add apple notes similar to chardonnay or citrus similar to sauvignon blanc, they are mostly known for stone fruit (peach, apricot) or melon fruit character, sometimes with accents of tropical fruits, honey or almonds. While these traits generally characterize these wines, the number of grapes alone suggests how varied these wines can be – which is why they are so interesting. Although, generally speaking, they are similar, each one is something of an adventure. While some are quite fruity, they are all dry.

They all pair well with seafood and poultry, and typically work well as aperitifs, with or without hors d’oeuvres.

To find them on the shelf look for Condrieu (Viognier); “Blancs” of St. Joseph, Hermitage, Crozes-Hermitage (Marsanne & Rousanne); “Blancs” of Châteauneuf du Pape, Vacqueyras, Tavel, Côtes du Rhône, Lirac, Bandol, Côteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, Côtes de Provence, Côteaux du Languedoc and Côtes du Roussillon (the latter group all represent various blends of the listed grapes, with minimal emphasis on Viognier and Marsanne/Roussanne).

Domestic selections typically include more Viognier than their French counterparts, and occasionally include small amounts of Chardonnay, and come from producers like Tablas Creek, Anaba, Treana and Tenshen. Domestic Viogniers come from producers such as Cristom, White Night, Stags’ Leap Winery, and Yalumba (Australia).

Hope to see you soon. Visit us at: www.vinerepublic.com

…or at our stores: 

1267 Route 22 East, Mountainside, NJ 07092 

500 Springfiled Ave., Berkeley Heights, NJ 07922