Top Tips From the Wine Cellar: 6 'ABC' whites to try

Living in the north this time of year, it’s easy to become antsy as stubborn Old Man Winter hangs around outside. For a good antidote, embrace the moment as a perfect opportunity to expand your white wine horizons. Use the tried and true “ABC” approach — “Anything But Chardonnay.”

Chardonnay wines — especially those aged in oak barrels for a rich butter style — remain a blockbuster. They handily outpaced cabernet sauvignon in volume sold in the United States in 2018. And while there is a chardonnay white to fit every taste, it can be fun to explore white wine alternatives.

Discovering new grape varieties delivers diverse aromas, zesty flavors and subtle textures to perk up jaded tastebuds. Choose white without lot of oak influences that mask other fruity aromas.

“ABC” white wines also create endless possibilities for food pairings. Try the dishes from the grape growing regions of the wines for a departure from more familiar food and wine paths.

Taking the “ABC” approach does not require spending a lot. Good bargains abound. In fact, you might just find new favorites costing less than many chardonnays which frequently command premium prices. Try the following “ABC” little gems:

• The 2018 Domaine des Cassagnoles, “Reserve Selection” Cuvée Gros Manseng, Côtes de Gascogne, France (Luxury 82250; $12.99) comes Gascony in Southwest, France, where growers use Gros Manseng grapes in several appellations. For generally good quality and value, though, keep an eye peeled for the wines from Côtes de Gascogne. This wine delivers fresh grapefruit and light grassy aromas. Citrus, quince and peach flavors follow balanced by snappy, fresh acidity, a touch of creaminess and a clean, dry finish. Enjoy it as a refreshing aperitif with almonds and olives. Recommended.

• The 2019 Laurent Miquel, Solas, Viognier, I.G.P. Pays D’Oc, France (Luxury 82247; $12.99) comes from Cessenon sur Orb, a small village near the city of Beziers in southern France. Two thousand years ago, Romans exported white wines from this region. It’s an ideal location for grape growing just inland from the Mediterranean. The Miquel family has grown grapes in the area since 1791. This wine uses Viognier, a perfect “ABC” variety. But Viognier (pronounced Vee-own-yay ) grapes can easily overripen and turn heavy. The Miquels deftly avoid this problem and instead offer a wine with admirable delicacy and charm. Honeysuckle and peach aromas open to juicy ripe peach and apricot flavors. A healthy dose of fresh acidity lifts the flavors and enlivens the fruity, but dry finish. Pair the wine with grouper baked with green peppers and a light citrus sauce. Highly Recommended.

• The 2018 Ippolito, Mare Chiaro, Cirò Bianco, Italy (Luxury 82758; $14.99) comes from Greco Bianco grapes. The vines grow in sandy, limestone soils in beautiful vineyards near the Ionian Sea in Calabria, Italy’s southern-most province. You won’t see Greco Bianco grapes planted much outside of Calabria, but do not overlook Calabrian whites. They have enjoyed a vast improvement in quality over the last couple of decades. To preserve fruity freshness, the grapes for this wine ferment in stainless steel tanks and then ages on fines lees to create subtle creaminess. The wine’s light golden color offers charming white flower and peach aromas with understated herbal notes. The lush palate delivers ripe tropical and citrus fruit flavors with ample freshness and a dry, clean finish. Pair it with a whole branzino seabass baked with lemon slices, herbs and Calabrese red chili flakes. Highly Recommended.

• The 2017 Guilhem et Jean-Hugues, Bourgogne Aligoté, France (available by shipping from Gary’s Wines at 888-99-GARYS or online at garyswine.com; $18.99) comes from aligoté grapes grown in Saint Bris in northern Burgundy. Highly prized limestone and clay soils surround this quiet, medieval village for a terroir similar to more famous vineyards in neighboring Chablis. Until recently aligoté has been dismissed as Burgundy’s “secondary” white grape. But with careful guidance from dedicated growers, stunning, delicious aligoté wines are possible. This wine’s irresistible purity and precise balance reflect the Goisot family’s meticulous, labor-intensive biodynamic vineyard work and their minimalist winemaking methods. The wine’s fruity, floral aromas and vibrant, crisp texture offer a nice contrast to chicken thighs with a sauce of cream, grated Comté cheese, white wine and Dijon mustard. Highly Recommended.

• The delicious 2017 Weingut Hans Wirsching, Scheurebe, V.D.P. Gutswein Franken, Germany (Luxury 75222; $22.99) comes from Scheurebe (pronounced Shoy-ray-bah ), a variety unfamiliar to most American wine drinkers. First cultivated in 1916 by Georg Scheu, the grape derives from a hybrid of riesling and a mysterious wild vine known only to Herr Sheu. This Scheurebe delivers exotic perfumes of black currants, elder flowers, grapefruit and nutmeg. Fresh, fleshy fruit flavors of mango, pineapple and grapefruit balance with pronounced acidity. The wine may “smell sweet,” but it finishes dry and beautifully balanced. Pair it with a Thai red curry and brown rice — a perfect bottle for BYOB restaurants. Highly recommended.

• The 2017 Bodegas Pazo de Señoráns Albariño, Rías Baixas, Spain (Specialty 82311; $22.99) offers a superb introduction to one of the ultimate “ABC” whites, albariño. The grape finds its natural home along the wind swept, rainy coastal inlets of Galicia in northwestern Spain. The area’s cooling maritime breezes and granite soils yield albariño fruit that is intensely perfumed and ripe, yet fresh and beautifully structured. In 1970s, Marisol Bueno recognized albariño’s potential for international recognition when she restored Bodegas Pazo de Señoráns. This traditional Galician country manor sits surrounded by trellised vineyards, a formal garden, a dovecote and cypress trees. Today her children carry on the effort to make quality wines in traditional style. This wine’s lovely aromas of apples, peaches and citrus open to flavors of pineapple and citrus. Refreshing acidity and mouthwatering minerality carry the elegant, dry finish. Pair the wine with halibut baked with herbs. Highly recommended.