Each month, our resident wine expert, Vicky Hampton, selects her pick of wines that befit the season for those on a budget and those with a little more cash to splash. All featured wines are available here in the Netherlands from supermarkets, off-licence chains, local wine shops and online stores.

As the cold months set in, the Dutch get a bit obsessed with wintersport (a compound noun, as per much of the Dutch language). And better still, they love a wintersportvakantie. Downhill skiing or snowboarding in the Alps are probably the most popular wintry activities, but cross-country skiing in Scandinavia, or ice skating right here in the Netherlands also fit the bill.

And frankly, it’s perfectly possible to go on wintersportvakantie purely to indulge in the après-ski side of things: sipping a steaming mug of glühwein while watching the sun set over the mountains, before tucking into a small lake of melted cheese.

But what if, like me, you have neither the means nor the time to jet off to snowier climes this winter? Fear not, I’m here to bring that wintersportvakantie feeling straight to your Dutch door – even if you do live four metres below sea level. So dust off your fondue set or your raclette machine, head to your local kaaswinkel to purchase your own body weight in Reblochon, and crack open a bottle of wine that’ll transport you straight to the Alps.

Alpine wines

You might think that Alpine wines would be rich and cosy – something with which to curl up in front of the fireplace. But in fact, they tend to be light and refreshing. The reason? Vines grown at altitude experience cooler temperatures (especially at night) compared with grapes grown in non-mountainous regions. And that cooling influence keeps acidity levels in grapes high.

Alpine regions often grow hardy grape varieties that might not survive elsewhere (and that you might never have heard of), and wine makers generally want to preserve their unique fruit flavours rather than masking them with toasty oak barrel ageing.

What’s more, a refreshing, high-acidity, lower-alcohol wine actually goes better with Alpine food, if you think about it. When you’re tucking into your fondue, you want something clean and crisp to cut through all that rich cheese – not a wine that’s going to weigh you down. So for this month’s wine picks, I’ve taken a trip through the mountains: from Austria in the east, through the northernmost part of Italy and into the Alpine regions of France. It’s après-ski time!

Best budget bottle: Juche Grüner Veltliner, Wagram, Austria 2023 (€8.50)

Austria’s signature white grape, Grüner Veltliner, fits the brief perfectly: its clean, mineral acidity refreshes the palate like a mountain stream. And this bottle from Familie Bauer, based in Wagram (close to Vienna although, admittedly, not that close to the Austrian Alps) is a perfect example: crunchy Granny Smith apples, zesty citrus fruits, a hint of fennel. It’s also insanely good value at only €8.50 a bottle from The Wine Spot in Amsterdam West, proving that sub-ten-euro wines need not only be the preserve of supermarkets.

Magnificent mid-range: Ca’Bolani Refosco, Friuli Aquileia, Italy 2022 (€11.29)

Moving south over the Austrian border into Italy, you’ll find similarly crisp, high-quality whites from the Alpine region of Alto Adige (which you might better know as Südtirol, where they speak as much German as they do Italian). Look out not only for trusty Pinot Grigio, but also Alto Adige’s other white Pinot: Pinot Bianco (aka Pinot Blanc or Weissburgunder) – fresh, mineral and pretty, but with ripe fruit and greater ageing potential.

Alternatively, let’s head further east towards the Slovenian border, closer to the Dolomites than the Alps, stopping at an Italian wine region known as Friuli. Cooling influences from both the mountains and the Adriatic create the perfect climate for indigenous red grape Refosco, producing brightly fruity, high-acidity wines. This bottle from Ca’Bolani was voted “wine of the afternoon” by my tasting panel, for its juicy raspberries, wild strawberries and red cherries, its white pepper and green capsicum spice, and its clean elegance. Best served lightly chilled, Ca’Bolani’s Refosco is on sale at Gall & Gall.

Something special: Baud Cousu Main Trousseau, Côtes de Jura, France 2019 (€22.95)

The best known (although still not particularly well-known) Alpine wine region in France is the Savoie – home to many of Europe’s most famous ski resorts as well as some fantastic, fondue-friendly wines. I wrote an article in praise of the Savoie wines made from Jacquère (white) and Gamay (red) grapes a couple of months ago, both highly recommended to accompany Alpine food.

But today we’re going to travel a few kilometres northwest to the Jura region – sandwiched between Burgundy and Switzerland. The Trousseau grape is rarely found outside the Jura, where it makes pale, delicate reds that pair particularly well with cheese. This example from Domaine Baud is subtly spicy, red fruited and earthy, with hints of dried rose petals. It’s light on its feet, with vibrant acidity, delicate tannins and a finely-grained texture. I bought this bottle from Bilderdijk Wijnhuis for New Year’s Eve and it was a real treat.

For more of Vicky’s wine recommendations and grape explorations, subscribe to The Wine Edit on Substack, follow @TrufflesandTannins on Instagram or book a tasting!