Looking for the Best Wines to Drink in the Winter? Here Are Our Top Picks

First, we’ll outline the qualities of good winter wine. After that, we’ll introduce each of our hand picks, followed by a basic description, wine specs, and recommended food pairings. 

When you’re finished reading, we encourage you to share some of your favorite seasonal wines and food pairings with us on social media so we can add them to next year’s list.

Characteristics of a Good Winter Wine

If we’re being honest, everybody has a different opinion about what makes a good wine, and we respect everyone's personal preference. But when it comes to what makes you feel warm and cozy on a cold winter evening, you might be surprised to learn there’s a lot of wine drinkers who turn to a top-notch bottle of white wine over the traditional red. 

We’re not saying to break tradition, but instead, there are plenty of other perfectly-good options for exceptional winter wines. Three common characteristics of a good winter wine (in our opinion) are moderate sweetness, low to medium-body, and easy pairing, as broken down in the four wine selections below.

Best Winter Wines: Our Hand-Picked

Favorites From BC

1. Riesling

Riesling is one of the best white wines for winter drinking, and its origins are in Germany. It’s a variety of cool-climate white grape, which grows in the Okanagan wine region, and is known for its aromatic qualities and high acidity. 

Rieslings are an excellent winter wine because they have a diverse profile meaning they pair well with a wide variety of food items, perfect for the holidays. Expect this wine to taste dry, semi-sweet, sweet, or sometimes sparkling. 

Description: Our Riesling has beautifully-balanced sweetness and acidity with hints of grapefruit, making it one of the most popular options for good white sweet wine. 

Specs: Vintage 2018

Alcohol: 12.6%

Suggested food pairing: Light meat, seafood, spicy foods, General Tso’s chicken

2.  Merlot

Merlot is one of the best red wine varieties available during the cold months. Blackberry and rich cherry flavors burst with hints of almond Merlots are the perfect choices for a relaxing and casual dinner.

Description: Our Merlot is among the best Okanagan red wines with attractive blackberry and cherry bouquets, rich cherry flavors, and hints of almond. 

Specs: Vintage 2019

Alcohol: 11.5%

Suggested food pairing: It’s the perfect wine to pair with beef, lamb or pork dishes. Think beef steak,grilled/roasted lamb, braised pork, or small bites like mushrooms, pretzels, cheese, and chocolate. 

3. Malbec

The Malbec is a purple grape variety of French origin characterized by deep rich color and strong, flavorful tannins. Malbec wine production takes place in Argentina, California, France, Chile, to name a few. 

Cool-climate Malbecs make for exceptional winter wines because of their fuller body and smooth taste profile. Think notes of black cherry alongside tinges of raspberry alongside a mouthfeel of silky chocolate. 

Description: Intense berry flavors combined with mild tannins make this a fruit-forward, crowd-pleasing red wine perfectly suited to warming up around the fire with friends and family. 

Specs: Vintage 2019

Alcohol: 12.3%

Suggested food pairing: Pairs perfectly with lean red meats and funky flavors like blue cheese.

4. Gewurztraminer

Gewurztraminer is a fragrant white grape variety with pink to red skin color and origins in Alsace on the border of Germany-France. It grows best in cooler regions, notably Canada, Germany, the USA, Switzerland, and northern Italy. 

The best Gewurztraminer grapes grow in cold climates, making it one of mother nature’s best white wines for winter. This Okanagan white wine comes in dry, semi-sweet, or sweet and takes on a noticeably aromatic profile marked by lychee. 

Description: Very noticeable spiciness with a bouquet reminiscent of roses. Crisp flavors of almonds and tropical fruit with a dry finish. 

Specs: Vintage 2019

Alcohol: 11.2%

Suggested food pairing: Great with heavily spiced dishes, especially food from the Middle East, Thailand, and Morocco—anything with pepper, ginger, sesame, and soy. This aromatic wine also pairs well with German classics like sauerkraut and sausage, wiener schnitzel, and pork chops. 

Buy Your BC Wines Online from Larch

Hills Winery Today

There’s no shortage of great BC wines available online. And, thanks to our winter wines list, you now know what wines are best for social gatherings, specific food pairings, and more.

Are you looking to purchase the best Okanagan red and white wines? Larch Hills Winery has everything you need (and more)—all available for purchase online.

Browse our BC wine store today to order your favorite winter wines!