Rich Whites and Rosés
The results are in and you’re clearly into Rich Whites and Roses. These heavier style wines are your go to, and these styles of wines are packed with flavor. You prefer wines that are smooth, dry and have a full fruit flavor and notes like baking spices, florals, herbal and mineral qualities. You gravitate toward these wines much more than wines that are light, high in acid, and lean in body.
We’re gonna take a wild guess here and say you mainly grab a bottle of Chardonnay when you’re at your local wine shop. We think Chardonnay is a great full-bodied white wine with a lot of diverse styles. Chardonnay is a thick skinned white grape variety widely cultivated in California and Burgundy, France. Chardonnay wines produce many different styles depending on where and how it is grown, and how it is processed. The flavors vary widely from lemon, apple, pear, pineapple to other herbs, spices, flowers, and minerals. The list could go on and on.
If you like Chardonnay Try…
If your go-to wine is Chardonnay we aren’t here to tell you not to drink it, you should keep your favorite wine in rotation. But there are a lot of other grapes out there, that’s one of the most exciting parts about wine. We aren’t telling you to stop drinking that Chard you love so much, but we do think you should try some other varieties we think you’ll love just as much!
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc’s original home is the Loire Valley in France, specifically the appellations of Vouvray, Savennières, Anjou, and Saumur. The Loire Valley is a relatively cool climate region, which means that the majority of the Chenin Blanc wines coming from there are made in the crisp and dry style. But Chenin Blanc is also grown in South Africa and California.
With regional variations and the grapes natural versatility it can be hard to pin down just one flavor profile for Chenin Blanc. However, regardless of the style there are a couple of qualities that always hold true. Firstly its natural acidity plays a crucial role in all of its iterations. It’s what gives the crispy and dry versions their refreshing zestiness. It helps the sweeter variations stay in balance and not become cloying. And high acid grapes make for the perfect base for sparkling wines. The flavors running through all these styles can vary from tart pear, quince, ginger, jasmine, plum, and chamomile to passion fruit, honeycomb, persimmon, mango, and mandarin orange.
Roussanne
Roussanne is originally a Northern Rhone varietal grown in the appellations of St. Joseph, Hermitage, and Croze-Hermitage. More often than not, it is part of a blend including Marsanne. Roussanne’s job is to add complexity to the slightly simpler Marsanne, which it does well. But for some reason, Marsanne is most often the predominant grape in the blend.
The best examples of this wine are rich and silky and incredibly balanced with aromas of white cherries, chamomile tea, fresh herbs, and exotic spices. In fact, Roussanne can be very similar to Viognier when it comes to their intoxicating aromas, their ability to pair with food, and in their relative obscurity.
Viognier
Viognier (pronounced“Vee-own-yay”) is the white grape synonymous with the northern Rhône, France. Viognier also leads a dual life and is also found blended with Syrah in red wines both at home and abroad. On its own, Viognier produces golden-colored, aromatic white wines with pronounced stone fruit aromas (apricots and peaches) alongside a full-bodied and richer texture. It is susceptible to high alcohol levels and potential low levels of refreshing acidity. Depending on the producer and how it’s made, it will range in intensity from light and spritzy with a touch of bitterness to bold and creamy. If you like Chardonnay you’ll like the weight of Viognier and notice it’s often a little softer on acidity, a bit lighter and also more perfumed.
Viognier is primarily known for its heady aroma, often compared to apricots and similar stone fruits, including peaches and honeysuckle. Its wines can also be very herbal, with aromas of chamomile, lavender, thyme and even a hint of pine. In aged examples and sweeter styles, this potentially overpowering herbal profile is softened by honeyed notes. But no matter what style you have, those fascinating aromas permeate the wine and make for an amazing tasting experience.
Semillon
Semillon is like the slightly richer older brother of Sauvignon Blanc. Both originally from the Bordeaux region of France, Semillon plays a big role in both blends of that region as well as the beautifully rich dessert wines.
But even though we say they're the brother of Sauvignon Blanc, when oaked they can actually be quite similar to Chardonnay
Expect a medium-boded white wine with flavors of lemon, beeswax, ripe peach, chamomile and saline
Rich Rosés
If you're looking for a richer wine, there is definitely a rose for you. You might think that rosés are just light and crips wines, and while many are there is also a ton of variation in style for rosés.
If you're looking for a richer example of the wine look for a rosé made in the Saignee style. Siagnee means bleed and this method of production for rosé means that grapes, instead of being picked early to make rosé, are actually picked with the intention of being made into red wines.
These grapes are crushed and the juice and skins are put into a vat to ferment. Then after a short period of time, anywhere from 2 hour to 2 days, some of the juice is bled off from the bottom of the tank.
The juice that was bled off from the bottom is then fermented separately as a rosé. Meanwhile the remaining juice in the tank with the skins is made into a red wine. For the red wine, because some of the juice is now gone, there is a higher skin to juice ratio which results in a richer, more concentrated wine.
Saignée roses tend to be bolder and darker in color than their maceration counterparts, even when they are made from the same grapes. These wines tend to be fuller bodied and much more savory. Look for the words Saignee on the label to find one of these wines. You can also look for rosés made from bolder grapes like Mourvedre, Cabernet Franc or Syrah.
Join Crush It Wine Society
Crush It Wine Society is the best of an online wine club combined with wine classes. If you want to branch out and discover new wines this is the best way to do, and at a discount!