If you like it, save it! Save and organize all of the stuff you love in one place. If you like something… Click the heart, it's called favoriting. Favorite the stuff you like. We may have food down cold, but wine? This is where we'll conquer it. we don't want to drink alone. Today: When the weather chills you to the bone, reach for wines that will warm you up. Cold winter weather makes me move a little slower. The clothes I wear each day are a little thicker. And the food I’m inclined to cook has a denser, bigger quality to it. Sweet potatoes instead of zucchini, say. Or farro instead of couscous. The same goes for the everyday wines I drink. I’m more likely to reach for a wine that’s lush and rich than one that’s lean and minerally. I’ll go for a more fruit-forward wine before one with high acidity. And, at this time of year, I’d rather hunker down with a wine that matches my pace than choose a breezy, easy-drinking option. It turns out that our instincts for hunkering down in the winter can also be used for choosing wintertime wines.

First things first: think texture. More: Need more help choosing wines? Read Cathy's rundown on wine shops. It's all in the layers.Unless you live someplace balmy, January is probably not the time you feel like drinking wines that are light, or crisp, or especially refreshing. Instead, think about wines that have layers, like the way you dress when it's cold. Wines that have texture and layers have a lot of dimension to them, in terms of aroma and taste. When you smell a textured wine, tuck your nose deep into the glass -- you'll get the sense there’s more to it beyond one or two sniffs. 10 french wine regionsSome grapes are known for their dimensional aromas, like Viognier and Gewürtztraminer; beer and wine brandsin the winter, older wines made from Riesling are a special treat, because they’ve often developed smokey, honey aromas over their time in the bottle. best wine tours santiago chile

Look for German Rieslings in particular, where Dönnhoff (from Nahe, Germany) and Prum (in the Mosel region) are favored producers. In the Alsace region of France, the Boxler label is a personal beacon of light. When you taste a textured wine, you’ll notice it has a savory quality, similar to what you’d find in long-braised meats or stews: There’s an initial flavor when the wine (or meat) first hits your tongue, then another layer of flavor as it passes through your mouth, and yet another layer of flavor as you swallow. wine in india 2014Not surprisingly, wines that emerge from regions that are also bountiful food producers offer savory characteristics. buy wine online uk cheapHit the Italian section of the wine list or shop for reliable and often exceptional bottles, especially Pinot Bianco from Alto Adige, Nebbiolo from Piedmont, and Sangiovesee from Umbria and Tuscany.best wine to serve with turkey dinner

Whether you focus on texture, smell, or taste, winter is the perfect opportunity to take your time and consider the layers in your glass. What do you drink in the winter? We want to hear all about it in the comments. Photos by James RansomwineBest wines to drink this winterDaryna TobeyWhen the weather forecast resembles something out of The Day After Tomorrow, generally only two kinds of people are happy: Those who have a ski trip planned and would love two feet of fresh powder, and those who know that “polar vortex” is really just code for “stock up on snacks, shelter in place and open that ZinfandelTo get you through this extreme mid-winter weather, we’ve put together a selection of fuller-bodied red, white and fortified wines—the kind of wines that we think are perfect for fireside conversation and comforting, slow-cooked meals.A vintage illustration featuring a snowman drinking champagne with an elf at New Year's, circa 1922. Photograph by Paul Popper — Popperfoto Popperfoto/Getty ImagesAs we learned from wine professionals in some of North America’s most frigid climates, however, there are no hard-and-fast rules about what to drink when temperatures plummet.

So what are they drinking in the dead of winter?The answer is more about what they don’t drink. Rosés get no play this time of year, says Pablo Moncada, general manager of Lush Wine and Spirits in Chicago. Lighter-bodied reds like Beaujolais and Pinot Noir also fall by the wayside. Moncada notices his customers’ tastes shifting away from stainless-fermented wines and toward heavier, oak-aged wines. Otherwise, it’s kind of business as usual.Franz Zimmermann, sommelier at The Fairmont Chateau Whistler in British Columbia, says that the resort’s wine-savvy guests “make a conscious decision to enjoy the wine they love” rather than follow the “Shiraz by the fireplace” cliché.In Grand Forks, North Dakota, a place that logged more than 70 days of below-zero temperatures last winter, sales of comfort food-friendly, “more structured” reds tick up, but Rieslings and Moscatos still sell briskly, as they do year round. “You can’t not live,” explains Dustin Mitzel, general manager of wine retailer Happy Harry’s, which has locations in both Grand Forks and Fargo.

“It’s cold, but…you do what you do.”RED WINESThese are the wines to which we instinctively turn when it’s scarves-and-ski pants weather: Big, rich reds, some perhaps a bit higher in alcohol than we would normally drink. Most of us default to Syrah, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon, which is all the more reason to try a hearty Italian Aglianico or a Petite Sirah.Moncada says that his customers seek out dense reds including Grenache and Malbec (“Malbec is like crack—people can’t get enough of it”). At The Fairmont Chateau Whistler, says Franz Zimmermann, standbys like Caymus Cabernet and Hendry Zinfandel are popular with his winter clientele, as are local Okanagan reds like Painted Rock’s Red Icon.Cheval des Andes 2010 Mendoza ($85) A delicious 60% Malbec, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Petit Verdot that is made in partnership with Cheval Blanc and Argentina’s Terrazas de los Andes. Shows earth, cinnamon, blackberry and orange peel aromas. Plush, seductive and substantive mouthfeel, with a rock-solid inner core of dark plum, bitter chocolate and smoke flavors.

Feudi di San Gregorio 2007 Piano di Montevergine Taurasi DOCG ($70) A total win-win package of big flavor, big texture and balance: This single-vineyard Aglianico from Campania has a few years of age on it and has lost the astringent character that the grape sometimes shows in its youth. The nose—cinnamon, cumin, blackberry, chilies—is alluring, and is followed by fat blackberry and plum flavors. Textured, wooly tannins are manageable now and promise further aging. Stags’ Leap Winery 2011 Petite Sirah Napa Valley ($39) This wine feels big and brash in terms of flavor, but isn’t unwieldy in terms of size. Cumin, dried chili and vanilla aromas usher in more Mexican spice and vanilla plus ripe blackberry flavors. Tannins are smooth and well integrated; the overall impression is very New World, very stylish and very tasty. Bertani 2006 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOC ($130) Amarone is no joke: After harvest, the Corvina and Rondinella grapes are dried for a few months before they are vinified.

At Bertani, the wine is then aged 5–8 years in casks and then another year in bottle before it is released. The result is a heady, 15% alcohol red with spicy aromas, textured tannins, and tea, cigar, earth, and spice accents to its tart red fruit. A warming, fireplace-and-fuzzy blanket wine.Churchill’s Estates 2011 Douro ($18). A table wine that’s made with the same grape varieties that comprise Port. Shows pretty aromas of dried spices, white pepper, cigar box. Though its color and flavor profile—black pepper, plum, a little cassis—are both fairly dark, it would still work well with a warming winter dinner. Drink this with black pepper-crusted steak, a hearty sausage stew, or black bean soup.Domaine Montvac 2011 Arabesque Vacqueyras ($23) There’s no mistaking this Grenache-based red for anything other than a Rhône wine. Opens with deep aromas of black and blueberry, pepper, and bread flour. In the mouth it is finely textured but not oversized, dominated by blueberry and raspberry flavors through the juicy finish.

Licorice and white pepper accents add lift and interest.Northstar 2010 Merlot Columbia Valley ($41) Mouthfilling, with a pleasing, flavorful impression: Tannins are well integrated, with a feel that is not too heavy or rich. Juicy red plum and raspberry drive the bus here, with bramble, woodsy accents riding shotgun.Santi 2011 Solane Valpolicella Ripasso DOC Classico Superiore ($17)From start to finish, there’s a meat/earth/cumin foil to the ripe red fruit underneath. Don’t overthink this—it’s juicy, enjoyable, and exactly what you want when you call out for pizza.Penfolds 2012 Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz South Australia ($30) Fits the precise profile that most folks want when they seek out Aussie Shiraz: meaty, peppery aromas, and big black plum, cassis, even blueberry flavors that are amped up with oaky, mocha accents.Quivira 2012 Reserve Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley ($38) Approachable and under 15% alcohol; this is a Zin with wide appeal. It offers wide, brambly, red-fruit aromas and bright raspberry and blackberry flavors.

Turns a little liqueurish on the finish, accented by smoky, woodsy notes.WHITE WINESWhen the temps hit sub-freezing, it just isn’t the time to drink acidic Sauvignon Blancs. Instead, what you want to sip this time of year are fuller-bodied whites like Rhône varieties, oaked Chardonnays, even some Pinot Gris.Though they can be a harder sell than reds are in cold weather Moncada, a former sommelier, recommends white wines that pair well with winter comfort food. “I love Gewürztraminers in the wintertime,” he enthuses. “They show a lot of citrus that can be incorporated into braises” like slow-cooked chicken or pork belly. If you’re making an après-ski cheese fondue, says Zimmermann, try a Washington Riesling or an Austrian Grüner Veltliner, both of which can do double duty as a fondue ingredient and accompaniment.Lange 2013 Reserve Pinot Gris Willamette Valley ($30) A fuller-bodied, elegant expression of Pinot Gris. This white was aged in neutral French oak, which gives it some heft and roundness in the mouth without leaving much of an oaky impression save for the hint of crème brûlée on the nose and palate.

Attractive grapefruit and olive oil flavors melt into a dry, minerally finish.Gary Farrell 2012 Durell Vineyard Chardonnay Russian River Valley ($55) Well balanced and judiciously oaked. At first pass, the nose has cologne and cedar notes, but these soon gave way to fresh-cut hay and light mallow aromas. In the mouth, mallow/vanilla flavors lend heft and richness to a base of citrus, stone fruit and ginger.Fortified and Dessert WinesThose of us who keep fortified and dessert wines in the cellar tend to forget they are there, or can’t justify opening them when it’s just two of us on a Tuesday night. A lazy, long weekend away with close friends, when the fireplace is crackling and conversation continues long into the evening, is the perfect time to enjoy them. Both should keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator after they are open.Ramos Pinto RP20 Quinta do Bom Retiro Tawny 20 Years Duoro Valley ($71)A tawny port is a wine lover’s answer to Cognac or single-malt—it’s just the thing to nurse for a few quiet, peaceful minutes before turning in for the night.