Winter’s Day Chardonnay
White wines can feel too light in winter.
I get it.
Ultra light whites and rosés often scream “Spring and Summer!” If they feel wrong to you right now, keep them on the shelf till the sun starts setting after 5pm again.
With that said, I can’t imagine drinking nothing but red during these colder, darker days, especially since we eat a lot of fish in my house. There is something bright and uplifting about a nice white or sparkling wine ANY time of year. Just ask the French; they drink both white and red ALL year round. You just need to make a few adjustments.
People tend to eat heavier foods in the winter, and your wine should follow suit, without totally weighing you down. This 2018 Sanford La Rinconada Chardonnay is a great example. Sanford is a huge name in Santa Barbara, California, specifically the Santa Rita Hills. They were the first to lay down vines there in the 1970s, making Burgundian-style beauties.
What is Burgundian-style you ask? For starters: we are talking about Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, because that’s what they produce in Burgundy. These are also wines with a more Old World style: less oak, less butter (in the Chardonnay), more earth and mineral than big fruit bomb. I always seek out Burgundian-style winemakers in California (Au Bon Climat, La Pitchoune, Sanford) because of my Francey Not Fancy preferences. If you don’t like a lot of butter and oak in your Chardonnay, follow my lead here.
This 2018 Sanford is so beautifully balanced. It’s fuller bodied, which is great for winter. It has aromas of lemon, cream, and salt. There is the most subtle butter and oak, that aren’t overdone at all. We are talking elegant, salted French butter and the loveliest hint that these grapes were aged in old French oak barrels. There is a slightly tart pineapple finish that isn’t cloying at all. (I hate when a Chardonnay lingers in the back of your mouth with that synthetic wood chip and movie theater butter taste. ) This wine says, “the temperature has dropped outside and you might like something a little more elegant with that pasta, but let’s not push it.” I drank it with potato gnocchi with broccoli and mushrooms in a lemon, pesto, and goat cheese sauce with a sprinkle of almonds: a perfect lunch on a January day.
This is also a great example of the importance of shopping around for your wines, or at least following a sommelier (wink wink) who will do it for you. This wine is currently $69.99 on wine.com. I bought it a year ago on lastbottlewines.com for $26. There’s also a lovely 2021 Sanford Sts. Rita Hills Chardonnay on wine.com right now for $34.99.
Talk about Francey Not Fancy!
