Cold comforts: the most satisfying autumn whites
As summer fades and our social and dining habits adapt to the cooling weather, so, too, should the white wine we drink. Here are some options best-suited to the season
The wine world is full of clubs, and Iβm a member of the Just-Drink-What-You-Bloody-Like club, which makes even the thought of white wines for autumn and winter feel uncomfortably prescriptive. But, for me, as the nights draw in, thereβs less standing, more sitting; less chugging, more swirling; fewer sprightly aperitifs, more wine with seasonal food that demands a little more body and complexity. After months of saying yes to rosΓ©, Iβm choosing wine with more intention β itβs time to hunker down.
Iβm looking for whites that are like a good cardigan, at once coddling and breathable. I want ripeness, body and freshness, and the Atlantic-influenced wines of Galicia in northern Spain β a place thatβs no stranger to wind and rain β deliver. Expressive, with a saline edge, albariΓ±o from the RΓas Baixas appellation has become ubiquitous in supermarkets and rarely disappoints (try Aldiβs Specially Selected one at Β£8.99), neither does the fuller-bodied godello from nearby Valdeorras (the Wine Societyβs Exhibition range offers a good one for Β£14.95), while the blend of both those grapes and other local varieties from Galiciaβs Ribeiro DO in todayβs pick is a cool-climate humdinger for the colder months.
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Β© Photograph: graficart.net/Alamy

Β© Photograph: graficart.net/Alamy

Β© Photograph: graficart.net/Alamy