FOOD

Which wine? Our experts say to keep that prosecco flowing all winter long

Daniel Higgins
Green Bay Press-Gazette
Brighten those dark dreary Wisconsin winter nights (and sometimes days) with a selection of light wines.

Three wines every Wisconsinite should include in a winter survival kit are: a bottle of sparkling wine, a bottle of rosé, and a bottle of cabernet sauvignon.

At least those were among the most common responses from five Wisconsin wine experts when asked to pair wines for every winter occasion from the Super Bowl to the inevitable cold, snowy night.

If you're planning a cheap date night, a big home-cooked Valentine's Day dinner or if green beer doesn't do it for you on St. Patrick's Day, these wine gurus (and one self-described wine smarty pants) have more recommendations than days remaining this winter. Let's get to it.

Adam Carlson

McKnight & Carlson Wine & More, Oshkosh, general manager

Favorite wines right now: We are really enjoying the red wines of Spain right now, they offer a lot of diverse flavors and unmatched value.

Cheap date night: I like to encourage people to drink more sparkling wine. Caposaldo Prosecco is a delightful off-dry Italian sparkling wine that will pair with a variety of foods and occasions.

Super Bowl party: A good rule for parties is to go with middle-of-the-road wine choices. Cline Cellars Farmhouse Red is an easy drinking red blend from California made from zinfandel, syrah and carignan grapes. For a white, an unoaked chardonnay is always a good choice as it features some richness but also pleasant fruit flavors and acidity — we like Novellum chardonnay from southern France.

Valentine's Day: Think pink for V-day. Rosé isn't just for summer fun, a good French rosé like Domaine Sainte-Anthelme pairs well with a variety of foods and offers year-round enjoyment.

Wisconsin fish fry: A crisp and bright New Zealand sauvignon blanc (Tiki Sound) will cut through the richness and oil of a traditional Wisconsin fish fry and leave your palate feeling refreshed.

Corned beef and cabbage: Beer! But if you are set on wine, one option would be a lighter-bodied red wine with fresh fruit flavors — something like a Beaujolais-Villages (Louis Jadot), pinot noir or grenache.

A cold snowy night: Those bone-chilling midwinter nights call for the warmth and richness of California cabernet sauvignon like those from Juggernaut. The notes of plum, dark chocolate and vanilla will warm you right up.

Sure, most of our Wisconsin wine experts recommend a Cabernet Sauvignon for a cold snowy night, but they also say there are plenty of lighter and sparkling wines perfect for these months.

Jaclyn Stuart

Vintage Elkhart Lake Wine Shop & Fine Foods owner, Elkhart Lake, certified sommelier, and co-author of "Complete Idiot's Guide to Wine & Food Pairing."

Favorite wines right now: It's always hard to pick favorites! I always love sparkling wines, especially the new Bluebird Cuvée from Sokol Blosser and the Farmstead Brut from Long Meadow Ranch. This time of year, I tend to drink more rich dry rosés like those from Blackbird Vineyards and Herman Story.

Cheap date night: I tend to splurge on date night, but it's really dependent on what I'm in the mood for. Most of the wines in my shop are around $13, so there really are a ton of options that won't break the bank. I think you can make it a new date night tradition to go to a wine shop and ask for a recommendation under $13 and hold your own wine tasting/review with your significant other. It will give you something other than your stressful day to talk about, too.

Super Bowl party: Crowd-pleasers that pair with a variety of foods are a must, as most people tend to reach for beer during the Super Bowl. Sauvignon blanc (Round Pond, Pedroncelli, or Benziger) is refreshing and goes great with guacamole, dips, and salty foods. A smooth red blend (Bearitage, Freakshow, Caricature) can cover a range of red wine preferences and is great with burgers, pizza, and chili.

Valentine’s Day: If you're celebrating with a loved one, surprising them with their favorite wine will win you brownie points. Gerard Bertrand's Cotes du Roses wines are in a rose-shaped bottle that makes a statement and is rather romantic. Why give roses that will wilt, when you can give a bottle of wine shaped like a rose? 

Wisconsin fish fry: I love Champagne and fried foods. Try a classic fish fry with Champagne or other sparkling wines like a cava from Spain or prosecco from Italy is great if you're on a budget. The bubbles are uplifting and work so well with breaded or pan-fried fish and french fries. Giuliana prosecco and Segura Viudas cava are less sweet, while Toad Hollow Risqué is a great semi-sweet option.

Corned beef and cabbage: I think beer is a classic with this for good reason, but I have had it with a light pinot noir and it is fabulous. If you can find a German pinot noir, it is exceptionally good with the dish's tanginess, thanks to the pop of acidity they tend to have, but more widely available are Oregon or French pinot noirs for this pairing — like Whoa Nelly Pinot Noir from Oregon or Le Val Pinot Noir from France.

A cold snowy night: A big, bold glass of cabernet sauvignon that you can slowly enjoy. Drink something too smooth and you'll be stuck with a hangover when you have to go out and shovel the next morning. If you go with a cabernet, you can slowly sip as it opens up in the glass and use the time stuck inside to really appreciate it, so splurge a little and open up something really good.

Loreen and Ron Glaman

Vino Latte owners, Wausau and Weston. Ron has earned the Certified Specialist of Wine certification from the Society of Wine Educators and the Advanced (Level 3) Award in Wines certification from the Wine & Spirits Education Trust. 

Favorite wines right now: Chardonnay and pinot noir! For chardonnay we absolutely love California's Central Coast and Napa (Hudson Napa Valley-Carneros Chardonnay).

For pinot noir we recently discovered Driscoll Wine Company — a tiny California producer bottling several varietals under the Tilth label and the Hibou label for single vineyard pinot noir. The Riddle Vineyard Pinot Noir from Russian River Valley is outstanding

Cheap date night: We enjoy sparkling and right now that means prosecco! One of our current favorites is the Villa Sandi Il Fresco Brut. It’s light, fresh and sparkling. 

If you’re looking for an easy pairing, grab a bottle of oaked chardonnay, especially one that’s got some buttery characteristics, and pair with a big bowl of salted buttery popcorn.

Super Bowl party: Grilled meats – burgers, brats and sausages – are Super Bowl staples but don't fall victim to the red meat-red wine myth. Instead try high-acid whites such as unoaked chardonnay, dry/off-dry riesling (Wollersheim Winery Dry Riesling) or old-world white wines from Spain, Italy or Austria like a grüner veltliner that will cut the fat and complement a bratwurst's spiciness. 

If you are set on drinking red wine, or the meal is more burger-focused, go pinot noir, Beaujolais or even light Italian reds such as Chianti. Add Wisconsin taste to the big game with Wollersheim Winery reds like their Domaine du Sac or Domaine Reserve that are produced from grapes grown in the winery's vineyards.

Valentine’s Day: Start with some bubbly – in fact one of our shop mottos, “Drink More Sparkling,” is printed on the backs of our staff shirts. Try a sparkling rosé. Pink bubbles are beautiful and pair well with fun and romance, not to mention a wide variety of food. One of our favorites right now is Palmer & Co. Rosé Réserve Champagne. It displays strawberry and darker fruit on the nose and palette, while the delicate mousse is like liquid silk.

Wisconsin fish fry: The typical light characteristics of fish calls for something that won’t overpower, but the textural and oily nature of the batter requires something to balance and complement. Italian wines with fish such as vermentino and verdicchio and wines from Soave pair well because of the high acid and unique textural characteristics.

Corned beef and cabbage: I’d suggest something that brings some smoky meatiness to the meal, perhaps a California syrah, or better yet something from the Rhône valley.  Nothing like a slightly gamey grenache, syrah, mourvèdre or other Rhône varietal blend to pair with a somewhat rustic meal.

A cold snowy night: Grab something with incredible aromatics inviting you to smell it as much, or more, as to drink it: a cabernet sauvignon or a cabernet blend. If you like the fruit-driven character of the varietal choose California wine. If the leaner style is more to your liking, look for a red Bordeaux.

Ralph Witte

Ridgeview Liquor, Green Bay, purchaser and seller of fine wines, wine collector and drinker since 1980, WSET-certified wine educator

Favorite wines right now: I always have a favorite inexpensive white wine in the cellar. Now it is Cline Family Cellars Farmhouse White, a green-string certified, sustainable/organic white blend with just enough fruit to be round and enough acid to be clean and fresh. It’s an easy drinking wine, inexpensive enough to drink while cooking and put in the food.

My go to red is ’75 cabernet sauvignon by Tuck Beckstoffer, one of the premier farmers in Napa. It's a great value and absolutely delicious. A full-bodied red wine showing good dark, red fruit with toffee notes from oak aging and a long pleasing finish. Yum!

Cheap date night: Grayson Cabernet is an inexpensive cab with decent, but not over the top, alcohol kick. I also like oddball Italian whites such as Soave or a lovely friulano from Italy's Veneto region.

Super Bowl party: Generally, I assume people are not paying attention to what is in the glass. The Portuguese and Spanish have been making great wines at value price points for years. Anciano wines from Spain are wonderful. Five-year and 10-year Tempranillo are both under $14, with good dark, dried fruit flavors and lighter mouth feel for an easy drinking style.

A crowd-pleasing white wine is chenin blanc from South Africa. Beau Joubert Winery, owned by Andy Hillard of Green Bay, is aged in neutral oak barrels which gives it a hint of honey sweetness, faint but noticeable with good acidity to balance nicely.

Valentine’s Day: This is definitely the area for sparkling wines and my personal favorite style. Look for crémant wines from the Alsace region of France like Helfrich Pinot Blanc or the great Gruet Winery from New Mexico. A French sparkler, La Vieille Ferme (literally “the old farm”) sparkling blanc or rosé is great alone or with orange juice.

Wisconsin fish fry: My advice is to pair local wines with the Wisconsin classic fish fry. Look to Parallel 44 Vineyard and Winery’s La Crescent ($15) grown locally, good nose with a fruit forward palette and a dry crisp finish. Perfect with a fish fry! 

Corned beef and cabbage: Grenache is a natural, look for a GSM (grenache, syrah, mouvèrdre) light mouth feel with spice and pepper. 

A cold snowy night: Reach for a warming wine. Port styles are the natural fit comforting and sweet. Bogle Vineyards 2016 Petite Syrah is great with blue cheese, dark chocolate or Door County cherry pie. Aged 22 months in oak gives it rich intense flavors.

Bill Story

Festival Foods, wine and spirits director, 12 years' experience both on the distributor side and retailer side

Favorite wines right now: I like to enjoy wines with the seasons in Wisconsin. A nice bottle of red wine during the cold weather months, Bogle Phantom is always a favorite.

Cheap date night wine: A great wine to go to on date night when on a budget is cava. Cava is a Spanish sparkling wine that is made like Champagne but is lighter in style. Sparkling wine is no longer just a New Year celebratory wine but a year round option.

Super Bowl party: Generally Super Bowl parties have a wide range of items being served. Wings, dips, shrimp and the list goes on and on. So with this being said you are looking for a wine that goes well with a variety of party foods. A great wine for this that has seen tremendous growth in recent years is rosé.  Rosé is very easy drinking and goes well with a variety of foods. Don’t forget the bubbly as well in case your team wins!

Valentine’s Day: Sweet for your sweetie. Moscato d'Asti is a great choice. Effervescent with a pleasing sweetness matches the mood of Valentine’s Day. Don't forget to surprise your sweetie with white chocolate as well for an amazing pairing

Fish fry: Sparkling wine goes great with a fish fry and most fried foods at that. Prosecco is growing in popularity and would be a great bubbly option. An aromatic wine like sauvignon blanc with grapefruit and citrus notes would also pair well.

Corned beef and cabbage: When you think of red meat you generally think big, bold red wine but with corned beef and cabbage a lighter style red works better. A big high tannin red wine can overpower the meal. Some great red wine choices would be pinot noir or French Côtes du Rhône. A good white wine to pair would be pinot grigio or pinot gris and also riesling. The acidity in these white wine types balances well with the salty corned beef.

 A cold snowy night: Nothing warms you up more than a glass of cabernet sauvignon. The high tannin content and rich flavor help you forget about the cold.