From Ardnamurchan and Angel’s Envy to Weller and Benromach, these bottles represent the perfect gateway whiskies for wine drinkers.
Mark Littler LTD
Most people can tell you their favorite style of wine without hesitation. They might say full bodied and dry, or name a grape like malbec, or even point to a region such as Chablis, Napa or Bordeaux. The Best Whisky For Wine Lovers, According To Experts
However, if you ask that same person about their favorite style of whisky, you often find the confidence suddenly disappears. Gone are the clear descriptors of geography or ingredients. In their place come vague answers like smooth or smoky, with most casual drinkers not being able to name a distillery or a region.
For me, that is the biggest problem when trying to get wine drinkers into whisky. The categories are not as clear and the regions are not reliable signals of flavor. Take scotch for example. The word scotch covers everything from medicinal, iodine-heavy whiskies like Laphroaig to the sweet and rich sherry cask whiskies from Macallan or Glendronach. They taste nothing alike, yet they sit in the same category.
So to help wine lovers find a bottle they will actually enjoy, I asked six experts to share their top recommendations and explain why these whiskies are the perfect bridge from the world of wine to the world of whisky.
For Fruit-Forward Red Lovers: Angel’s Envy: Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Port Finish, $50 (£65)
Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Port Finish
Master Of Malt
For Anders Erickson, cocktail educator and host of the Anders Erickson YouTube channel, the best starting point for any wine lover is a whisky with a lower ABV (proof). In an email conversation with me about the topic, Erickson explained that his current recommendation is Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Port Finish.
“The sweet profile from its high-corn mash bill makes it approachable, and the port wine cask finish offers an easy entry point for wine lovers. Also, at 86.6 proof, it’s flavorful without being too hot.”
Since whisky is often three to four times higher in ABV than wine, the lower proof of this Angel’s Envy helps reduce the alcohol burn, while the port cask finish provides a very literal bridge from wine to whisky.
If you are unsure about jumping straight into drinking whisky neat, Erickson suggests that cocktails are the perfect training tool. “For wine drinkers, a New York Sour is the obvious choice thanks to its red wine float, but my favorite whiskey gateway is the Artist’s Special. It is traditionally made with Scotch, but bourbon works incredibly well paired with the sherry and red currant. It highlights flavors that feel right at home for wine drinkers.”
For Chablis/Mineral White Lovers: Ardnamurchan AD Single Malt, $70 (£55)
Ardnamurchan AD Single Mal
Master of Malt
Both bourbon and Scotch often lean toward sweeter flavor profiles. Bourbon is typically sweet because of its high corn content, and many Scotch whiskies now spend time in sherry casks, which also adds richness. However, the world of fine wine often celebrates bottles that show complex structure, balance, and a sense of place through distinct regional minerality. These are the exact qualities that Dr. James Phillips, spirits buyer at Jeroboams, looks for in both his favorite wines and his favorite whiskies.
In an email exchange, Phillips said his preferred white wines are those that “balance vibrant, chalky minerality with fruit richness in some form.” He added, “It is no surprise that my tastes in whisky follow suit.” For drinkers with a similar palate, he recommends Ardnamurchan’s AD Single Malt. He praises the distillery for using a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks that “allows that spirit character to shine through” rather than covering it up.
This style should resonate with many wine drinkers. “It combines coastal minerality with ripe orchard fruits, toasted marshmallow, salted popcorn and gentle, smoky peat,” he said.
For Napa Valley/Bold Red Lovers: W.L. Weller 12 Year Old $70 (£55)
W.L. Weller 12 Year Old
Buffalo Trace
While port and sherry cask finishes can give wine drinkers a familiar shortcut into whisky, anyone with a more developed palate may appreciate the nuances that come from whiskies with longer maturation. Henrietta Gullifer, senior private client and spirits specialist at Chelsea Vintners, drew an interesting parallel between wine and whiskey collectors when we spoke over email.
Gullifer explained that there is a clear pattern in wine collecting: “They start with the rich, fruit-forward reds and whites, predominantly collecting Bordeaux and Napa, before expanding their collection into the more niche Burgundies, Rieslings and Barolos.” For someone with a more advanced palate, she believes a more nuanced gateway dram is required. “If you have solely drunk wine, you might be nervous about a cask-strength or an overly peaty style. Honestly, it is overwhelming,” she said.
For this reason, Gullifer recommends W.L. Weller 12 Year Old. Unlike Angel’s Envy, which uses rye as its secondary grain, Weller 12 uses wheat instead of rye, which delivers a notably soft, smooth and sweet profile. “The sweet, rich flavors are incredibly moreish, the balance is impeccably smooth and at a palatable 45 percent, it is not overpowering,” she notes.
Summarizing why this is the perfect bridge for wine drinkers, Gullifer explained, “The aging process is part of what makes this a great dram, but it is also defined by the mash bill. Like with wine, it is both the base product and the production that makes the uniquely opulent flavor.”
For Sauternes Lovers: Arran Sauternes Cask $70 (£55)
Arran Sauternes Cask
Arran Distillery
If you are like me and love the great sweet wines from Germany and Bordeaux, whether it is Château d’Yquem or Egon Müller’s Scharzhofberger Beerenauslese, then Henry Palmer, portfolio manager at Farr Vintners has the perfect whisky bridge: Arran’s Sauternes Cask Finish.
“That Sauternes finish really comes through on the nose with notes of apricots, peach, orange blossom and honeysuckle. Fans of sweet Bordeaux will be quite at home here,”
Henry Palmer, Farr Vintners
Don’t be put off if sweet wine is not usually your go-to style. Palmer notes that the “creaminess and rounded sweetness should appeal to fans of white wines both dry and sweet.” The resulting flavor profile has an elegant structure where stone fruits, vanilla, sweet spice and blossom combine beautifully.
Crucially, Palmer highlights an element that is very familiar to more advanced wine tasters: texture. The Arran has a “pleasing viscosity, probably down to the 50 percent ABV, but remains light and floral with only a touch of warmth coming through on the finish.” This mouthfeel is a key quality that makes the spirit feel more like a structured wine.
For Structured Sherry/Fortified Wine Lovers: Benromach 15 $100 (£75)
Benromach 15
The Whisky Exchange
It was inevitable that a sherry cask–influenced whisky would appear on this list, and for Geoff, whisky educator and YouTuber at G Whisky, the perfect expression of this link is Benromach 15.
“My recommendation is Benromach 15. It is matured in first-fill ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, giving it a rich, sherry-forward character,” Geoff explained to me over email. He draws a direct parallel to wine: “Since sherry is a fortified wine, it brings plenty of red fruit notes that I think wine lovers will really enjoy.”
In line with several of the other whiskies on this list, the ABV is a modest 43 percent, which Geoff argues is key to its appeal. Unlike some heavy or overpowering styles, Benromach 15 is all about finesse. “I think wine lovers will appreciate its balance and sophistication,” he said, highlighting the very qualities that define complex wine.
Similar to the Ardnamurchan, this whisky also works as a gentle stepping stone into the world of peat. It includes “a light, gentle smokiness that adds depth without being overpowering.” This nuance adds complexity without intimidation, making it approachable even for those who do not usually enjoy heavily peated whisky. As Geoff concludes, “For me, it’s a standout whisky and a staple on my shelf.”
For Rhône/Rioja Lovers: Wire Works LBV Port Finish, White Peak Distillery $90 (£75)
Wire Works LBV Port Finish, White Peak Distillery
White Peak Distillery
While some wine finished whiskies offer simple sweetness, the best examples also deliver structure. For anyone who enjoys the bolder, more phenolic styles of the Rhône or the spicy, complex character of cask aged Rioja, this structural impact of the cask is key.
Steven Cook, spirits specialist at Nickolls & Perks, points to a recommendation that speaks directly to this level of sophistication: the Wire Works LBV Port Finish from Derbyshire’s White Peak Distillery.
In an email conversation with me, he explained that “The long maturation of the Port has allowed the cask’s wine and wood tannins to soften, imbuing the succeeding malt whisky with spice and grip without being overly astringent.”
This balance of red fruit, spice and structure is further shaped by the distillery’s character. Because White Peak “lightly peats its malt for a whiff of smoke,” Steven argues that the overall profile “will resonate with fans of phenolic Rhones or cask-aged Riojas too.”
Steven’s recommendation shows how a quality wine cask finish can develop and refine not only the flavor but also the texture and structure that define both great wines and whiskies.
A common thread runs through all of these expert recommendations. A successful gateway whisky needs to use a structure that feels familiar. Whether it is the rich port-cask influence found in the American whiskies like Angel’s Envy and Wire Works, or the balanced bourbon and sherry maturation used by Ardnamurchan and Benromach, each bottle relies on processes a wine drinker already understands. Even the bourbons, such as Angel’s Envy and Weller 12, highlight the importance of the base grain, which mirrors the role of the grape variety in wine.
Ultimately, these expert choices show that whatever your preference, from the complex sweetness of Sauternes to the savory structure of Chablis, there is a gateway whisky for you.
Dining and Cooking