Winter White Ain't Just for Fashion Anymore...

When I lived in the tundra better known as Boston, I had a very set pattern of alcoholic consumption: I had summer drinks (for the 3 weeks it was summer) and I had winter drinks (for the other 49 weeks). My summer drinks were cold and light colored, my winter drinks were warmer and dark colored. As soon as I put away the shorts, I virtually stopped buying white wine.

What a fool I was.

Although I recognize the role that weather can play in drink selection, and I have the luxury of living in the warmer clime that is Atlanta, I am no longer willing to sacrifice my whites, rosés, and bubblies to Jack Frost, and you shouldn't be willing either! Now that it's getting cooler out, I think now is the appropriate time to discuss my horrible error in judgment.

Years later, I am publicly admitting that giving up whites when the weather gets cool is a rookie move. If you need more validation, here are a few good reasons you should keep whites flowing:

1. Whites go really well with food. If you're having a salad, fish, a light pasta, or Asian a red just doesn't cut it. The wine will usually overpower the food or the acids tend to clash, and you won't get to enjoy your General Tsao like you deserve to.

2. Wine should not be the only beverage subjected to weather prejudice. Do you drink hot coffee in the summer? What about cold beer or martini in winter? You're not drinking the wine outside (are you?), so there's no need to excommunicate an entire category of wine because it's cold out. I have news for you: in a heated room you're not going to freeze from drinking white. And if you ditch white for the cold season you miss the chance to broaden your palate with try new, delicious wines throughout the year. Stop holding yourself back!

3. Whites can be warming. A full-bodied white like a California or Australian Chardonnay or Viognier can have as much alcohol as a Cabernet or Shiraz. These should be served at about 50 degrees, so they'll be a little less chilly going down and the alcohol will warm your bones.

4. Whites taste better warmer. Speaking of serving temperature, most of us pop a white in the refrigerator and then drink it straight from there. The temperature of a refrigerator is about 35 or 40 degrees -- much colder than white wine is mean to be served. If you leave the chilled wine out for 30 minutes, it will warm up about 5-8 degrees. This little bit will take away the shock to your system on a cold day. The additional and more important benefit -- warmer temps will allow you to taste more of the flavors and aromas of the wine.

Hopefully this plea will open a whole new door for your world of whites! So go forth and stock up! Winter white is not just for fashion anymore!