How do you define the seasons? All of us have our own way. Some use ecology, and are guided by the activity of plants. Others use the calendar, where the seasons change along with the pages of the twelve months. Temperature, too, can offer a guide. The onset of winter is revealed when the shrinking mercury’s refusal to rise signifies a shift from ‘Winter is coming’ to ‘Winter is here’. Of all these methods, temperature may be the one felt the most.
The Allure of the Fireplace in Winter
Opposites attract. Being the opposite of what surrounds you is alluring. One may enjoy being dry and indoors, listening to the patter of rain against the window. Or, one may enjoy the gentle burn upon their cheeks as they step out of the wind chill and into the safety of a warm home. If it is dark outside, the glimpses of light peeking out from behind curtains are comforting. Dryness, warmth, and light are the opposites to the bleakness of winter, and although diverse in nature, they can all be found from a single location, the fireplace. A winter fire, and a glass of wine, makes most of the ills of the season vanish, almost literally, in a puff of smoke.
The Secret to a Great Fireside Wine
The magical thing about being fireside is that it stimulates so many of our senses simultaneously. Perched by the hearth, one can see the flickering light of the flames, feel the glow of the radiant heat, hear the crackle of burning fuel, and smell the gentle, but unmistakable, wafting aroma of woodsmoke. A good fireside wine emulates these signals, underscoring and intensifying them.
According to VinoVoss vinicultural expert Lotte Karolina Gabrovits, many love to sip a Cabernet Sauvignon fireside. Look for those from Coonawarra. I like to travel far into warmer places. The Cabernets from this place generally bring warmth combined with spice and bold cassis flavors, though letting a touch of smoky oak shine through. No food needed here, simply enjoy the earthy touch of the winter fire.
For Pinot Noir, Lotte suggests selecting a fuller-bodied example, like one from Oregon. “It offers a silky texture combined with lively red fruit notes, bringing some fresh fire on your tongue,” she says. “Argentinian Malbec from the high-altitude vineyards of Mendoza such as Adrianna Vineyard River Malbec from Catena Zapata is another sure-fire fit. From the heights of Gualtallary, it shows pure elegance with a hint of minerality. Just perfect to match with a bite of 80% from Ecuador to make your fireside experience even more complete.
“Winter reds should generally complement the warming spirit of the fire and the relaxation, Lotte continues. “Whether enjoying it by itself, with a piece of chocolate, or a delicious piece of meat from the grill, you have to make the final decision which of those will suit you best.”
A Winter Escape In A Glass
Have you ever wanted to eat pizza in Napoli, or Cacio e pepe in Roma, to experience things at their origins? Drinking wine allows oneself to travel within a glass. It is an insight into the weather and culture of its source. This ability of wine to act as a passport to other places means that a drink of wine by the fire provides a mental reprieve in addition to stimulating our senses.
Let’s explore some perfect winter wines from some of the most popular couch travel destinations.
Inbound to Italy
Italy is home to numerous indigenous grape varieties, of which Aglianico is one. Aglianico hails from the southern region of Campania, where it is grown in the two inland provinces of Benevento and Avellino. Avellino is home to Taurasi, the wine region regarded as producing Aglianico best, with the most long-lived expression.
If thinking of Italy conjures up images of the rolling hills and orderly rows of cypress trees, think again. Campania is a landscape of drama. In summer, the heat can be as unrelenting as the steep mountains and hillsides are unyielding. Wines made with Aglianico are similarly impactful. Their opaque color matches the early winter darkness, their bold, baked plum flavors echo the warmth of the climate, while the grape’s signature perfumed notes of incense mingle perfectly with fireside woodsmoke. It is the perfect fireside wine for feeling contentedly lazy.
Spanish Stopover
Two hours north of the capital and central city of Madrid lies the region of Ribera del Duero. The local landscape produces a dramatic climate, where the fierce heat of summer days is tempered by the cool nights brought by altitude, and the radiant heat of the warm earth fades quickly. So extreme is the situation that it even bent the national grape of Tempranillo to its will, with the grapes here being smaller and thicker skinned, due to heat, than in any other part of Spain.
The wines of Ribera del Duero are plush. Purple satin in color, rich in body with a silken, ganache-like richness. The use of oak is often decadent, providing grippy tannins that have a grain to them, like the texture of the split wood in hand as one raids the wood pile. Indeed, a glass of Ribera del Duero is like a seasoned log, one will burn through it quickly. It is the perfect fireside wine at the end of a long day.
Foray Into France
The south of France offers three things in abundance. The first is aromatic plants. These can be found in all forms, from the mixed, resinous herbs of garrigue, to the vibrant, violet fields of scented Lavender. The second is the abundant sunshine that helps concentrate the natural oils of these plants to a point that you can smell them lingering in the air. The last are grapes, which similarly ripened by the sun make perfect winter wines. As is best shown by the area’s resident sun-lizard grape, Carignan.
Carignan demands sunshine. It needs so much of it to ripen, that you can taste it in the final wine. It tastes of the holiday cooking, with notes of fig and cranberry accented with herbal notes of rosemary and thyme. It is the perfect fireside wine for drinking while considering what you want to eat next and when you want to eat it.
Don’t Rush, You Have All Winter … But Do Start Exploring
Fires are habit forming. The multi-sensory indulgence they offer, and the excuse for a glass of wine they provide, means that once you light the first of the season, you will look to have them more often. In winter, a wine cellar needs to be as well stocked as the woodpile. The chilly news is that we’ve still got a ways to go until, hopefully, the groundhog sees no shadow and temperatures rise again. The good news is, that gives you plenty of time to sample all these warming wines.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab your corkscrew, and a few logs, and get the fire crackling.
