The Wines I'm Drinking Now - Winter 2025 Edition

It’s past time for the next edition of “The Wines I’m Drinking Now” blog series! So, let’s dive in to talk about some of the absolute best wines I’ve been enjoying this winter!

It’s winter down here in Florida, and late December through the month of January actually felt like it for once! Temperatures were well below average for a month, with highs in the upper 50’s/low 60’s and lows in the 40’s and upper 30’s. We put on the sweatshirts and sweatpants. We cooked soups and stews to keep us warm. And we actually broke down and turned on the heat for 3 days when the temperature in the house got down to the low 60’s.

The cooler-than-normal temperatures pushed me to purchase what I consider cool weather wines – wines that are rich and full in flavor and body, and that warm you up and provide a perfect match to the winter dishes we’ve been cooking. This set of five wines are all considered premium wines, both in terms of quality and cost. But I promise you they are worth the premium you will pay, and they are definitely worth seeking out!

• 2022 Daou Reserve Chardonnay, Paso Robles Willow Creek District, CA ($35).  You have already heard me singing the praises of Daou Chardonnay in past posts – it’s one of the absolute best wines for the money and widely available as well. This reserve release is a special treat! It comes with a higher price tag than their basic Chardonnay, but also a richer, smoother style chocked full of bright tropical fruit with a nice undercurrent of acidity as well. There are floral notes in this medium bodied wine, along with hints of pineapple, kiwi, apricot and pear. The finish is long and satisfying, with just a hint of oak. This is a great Chardonnay for a special occasion and would pair perfectly with a winter squash soup or seared scallops with risotto.

  
  

• 2022 Porter Family Vineyards Beverly’s Chardonnay, Toyon Farm Napa Valley, CA ($60). This small production winery produces some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon and red blends in Napa Valley. And their Chardonnay is pretty damn good as well! This is a full-bodied Chardonnay that showcases tropical fruit on the nose. In the mouth, I taste Mandarin orange, citrus, pineapple, and white pepper. The finish shows a flash of toasty oak that’s balanced nicely by soft acidity. This wine is built for richer dishes, like chicken pot pie or chicken breasts stuffed with prosciutto and fontina cheese. For my Sarasota friends, you can find this wine at the Butcher Block in Sarasota. For everyone else, I’d recommend buying direct from the Porter Family on-line store.

  
  

• 2019 BACA Home Base Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley Sonoma County CA ($34). I got my first taste of BACA wines when Laurie and I were visiting Napa Valley years ago and we did a tasting at Walt Wines on Sonoma Square. Walt specializes in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but they had just released their first vintage of their BACA Zinfandel – it was fabulous, but impossible to find anywhere given it was so new and made in such small quantities. But recently, I found it at a local wine and liquor store in Lakewood Ranch (Manhattan Liquors for my LWR friends) and bought a couple of bottles to enjoy. This turns out to be one of the better Zinfandels I’ve had in quite a while – it’s fruit forward, but also subtle and silky smooth without any of the rustic character that often comes through in Zinfandels. Flavors of plum, sweet dark cherries, and blackberries coat the mouth along with nice tannins which lend some heft and body into the mix. The finish is long and smooth, with nice spice and lingering dark fruit flavors as well. A really beautiful example of a well-crafted Zinfandel. Pair with glazed short ribs and polenta for a match made in heaven!

  
  

• 2021 Aperture Chenin Blanc, Clarksburg CA ($28). This is one of my top wines of the year so far! I have learned to love Chenin Blanc, a white grape variety with origins in the Loire Valley of France. Winemakers in California are starting to showcase this wine on its own, or in white blends. While these wines are still relatively rare and can be difficult to find, I’m noticing more and more bottles available as wine drinkers start gravitating toward the higher acidity, bright and refreshing character of this wonderful grape. This Aperture release was aged in a combination of stainless-steel tanks and used oak barrels which preserves its bright lean character while also adding some depth of flavor into the mix. Scents of peach and lime are evident on the nose. In the mouth, I get hints of peach, honeysuckle, citrus, and green apple. The acidity is brisk and bracing, but there’s an underlying richness as well to this wine. Perfectly balanced and a fantastic wine to sip on its own, or to pair with ceviche or grilled shrimp with linguine and herb butter sauce.

  
  

• 2019 Porter Family Vineyards Cave Dweller Blend, Coombsville, Napa Valley, CA ($80). And here we are, back with another Porter Family Vineyards wine! This wine is a red blend consisting of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon and 46% Syrah. These mountain grown grapes provide a deeply rich wine with a lot of heft and robust fruit flavors. In addition to dark fruits like blackberries, blueberries, and dark cherries, this wine also shows subtle coffee and leather notes. The tannins are robust but tamed somewhat by the nice acidity. This is an age-worthy wine that is drinking well now but will taste even better in five or so years if you can muster up the patience to wait! This wine is a perfect match for a grilled ribeye with blue cheese butter, or beef stroganoff.  You can order it directly from the winery’s website, but it’s also available at the Butcher Block for my Sarasota friends!

  
  

Try out these wines and let me know what you think – and stay warm out there!