Yes, You Can Absolutely Drink Crisp White Wines All Winter. Here’s How

Wine consultant Julia Coney says bright acidity makes white wine a welcome match for rich soups, roasted vegetables, and other cold-weather favorites.

Credit: Oleg Breslavtsev / Getty Images

Key points

• Wine expert Julia Coney recommends drinking crisp, high-acid white wines throughout winter rather than automatically switching to full-bodied reds.
• High-acid white wines can be a delicious counterbalance to rich winter dishes, including creamy pasta, hearty soups, roasted vegetables, and spicy foods.
• Serving white wine too cold can mute its aromas and flavors, which is why Coney recommends removing bottles from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before drinking.

When the weather dips below freezing and winter favorites reappear on menus, many wine drinkers instinctively shelve crisp whites in favor of brooding, full-bodied reds. But wine writer, educator, and speaker Julia Coney makes the case that crisp whites belong on the winter table. 

At the Food & Wine Classic in Charleston, Coney is taking the stage to champion vibrant, high-acid, and high-altitude white wines as cold-weather staples. Her advice starts with reconsidering what belongs in your glass — and how cold you serve it.

Cold weather doesn’t have to mean red wine

Cold weather might make you reach for a warming glass of Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. Yet as Coney points out, most people enjoy their wine inside well-heated homes.

“Most people are enjoying food inside a place that has heat,” Coney explains, chuckling. “When I’m home, like the first time when it’s cold, I want a crisp white wine. I’m at home, probably in my pajamas, very warm, very cozy. It doesn’t necessarily equate to me that I have to go to this big warm red.”

For Coney, a crisp white can be just as welcome on a cozy evening, especially alongside comforting, rich winter food.

Bright acidity balances rich winter dishes

Winter cooking often features rich fats, cream sauces, roasted root vegetables, and warm spices. A bold red can sometimes overwhelm a dish, but high-acid white wines can offer a refreshing contrast to its richness.

“If I am having a creamy dish, I am sopping that up with a crispy sourdough bread,” Coney says. “I know I’m going to need acid to help that. For me, that acid is going to balance out all that heavy cream.”

The same logic applies to soups and spiced foods. Whether it’s an aged Chardonnay paired with earthy mushroom soup, a crisp Pinot Bianco alongside rich clam chowder, or a racy Hondarrabi Zuri cutting through a bowl of spicy red lentil dal, white wines can keep the palate refreshed.

Related: Pinot Blanc Is the Winter White You Should Be Drinking

“Even if I’m making a minestrone soup, I don’t want a red. I want a white because I’m probably adding chili flakes to that, and I want to bring out the spice without adding a red wine to that,” Coney notes.

For other seasonal staples, Coney suggests pairing Italian Pecorino with roasted root vegetables, a Spanish Verdejo with cheese fondue or creamy pasta, and an aged vintage blanc de noirs Champagne with roasted or fried turkey.

What to look for in a winter white

When searching for white wines that hold up to cold-weather meals, Coney considers acidity, elevation, fermentation vessels, and what she describes as “saltiness.”

“I don’t use the word minerality because a lot of people don’t understand what that is,” Coney explains. “When I say minerality, I say saltiness. Does it make my mouth water and want another glass?”

Coney recommends taking refrigerated white wine out about 30 minutes before drinking.
Credit: Food & Wine / Bodega K5 / Jackson Family Wines / Bodega Ruca Malen / Domaine Laroche

High-altitude regions — such as Italy’s Alto Adige in the Dolomites, the high slopes of Mendoza in Argentina, or coastal Oregon — can produce fresh, lively whites with a savory, saline edge. Fermentation in stainless steel, concrete, or oak helps shape their texture, another quality to consider when pairing them with rich winter dishes.

Stop serving your white wine ice-cold

One mistake Coney sees throughout the year is serving white wine straight from the refrigerator. Serving it too cold can mute its aromas, textures, and flavors. “If there’s condensation on the glass, it’s too cold,” Coney says. “If I put a white wine in overnight, I take it out 30 minutes before I’m drinking it, and that’s every season. I want a crisp white that is cold, but not ice-cold.”

Related: White Wine: Too Darn Cold?

For glassware, Coney prefers a standard universal wineglass, which gives the wine room to open up without overcomplicating things. For special bottles, like vintage Champagne, she also uses a decanter. “I decant vintage Champagne to get more aromas,” she says. “I pour it straight from the refrigerator into the decanter and drink it 20 minutes later as soon as the decanter has no condensation.” 

Four winter white wine pairings to try

While Coney is keeping her full seminar list under wraps for Charleston festival attendees, she shared four fun pairings that make the case for white wine at the cold-weather table.

Thai takeout with Bodega K5 K Pilota Hondarrabi Zuri 2025

Coney pairs this Basque white wine with spicy Thai takeout.
Credit: Food & Wine / Bodega K5

Region: Getariako Txakolina, Basque Country, Spain
Price: $22 to $28
Availability: Widely available at boutique wine retailers and online merchants
Why it works: “Sweet and heat. With spice, it needs to be paired with something sweeter to balance the heat so you don’t have heat without flavor.”

Jalapeño cheddar poppers with Ovum Big Salt Oregon White Blend 2025

Coney says Big Salt’s saline notes complement the creamy cheese in jalapeño poppers.
Credit: Food & Wine / Jackson Family Wines

Region: Oregon, USA
Price: $18 to $20
Availability: Widely available nationwide
Why it works: “I’m balancing the cream cheese in the pepper with the saltiness (minerality, if you fancy). The saltiness will bring out the creaminess from the cheese.”

McDonald’s baked apple pie with Bodega Ruca Malen Capítulo Dos Corte de Blancas 2024

Coney pairs this dry Argentine white blend with McDonald’s baked apple pie.
Credit: Food & Wine / Bodega Ruca Malen

Region: Mendoza (Uco Valley), Argentina
Price: $20 to $25
Availability: Distributed nationally across specialty wine shops
Why it works: “A crispy and dry white to balance the flakiness of the crust and the sweetness of the apple.”

Wingstop lemon pepper wings with Domaine Laroche Chablis Saint Martin 2025

Coney recommends this bright Chardonnay with Wingstop lemon pepper wings.
Credit: Food & Wine / Domaine Laroche

Region: Chablis, Burgundy, France
Price: $30 to $35
Availability: Widely available at fine wine stockists nationwide
Why it works: “A bright and racy Chardonnay to balance the lemon flavor and crispness of the wings.”

* This article was originally published here