Learn
About White
Wine
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Color:
From clear as water to a straw
yellow. Green tinges are not
unheard of, especially in youth.
With time and oxidation, a golden
color is common.
Fruit:
A wide variety of fruit flavors
are represented in white wines.
Lychee nut, peaches and tropical
fruits are all
common.
Tannins:
Since white wine is made with
minimal skin contact, there
is almost no tannin associated
with the grapes. There is tannin
that results from oak aging,
but they are much lighter than
the tannins associated with
red wines.
Astringency:
Some white wines exhibit signs
of astringency, a drying out
of the mouth. This is mostly
found in Rhone whites and the
richest Chardonnays.
Off
Tastes as Smells:
- Wet
cardboard - Corked wine.
- Wet
horse blanket - Brett, a common
bacterial spoilage, in smaller
concentrations it is more
like dirt than merde. Much
rarer in whites than in reds.
- Slight
sparkle - if it is slight
it is dissolved CO2, if it
is accompanied by a wet forest
floor smell, than it is Malo-Lactic
fermentation in the bottle.
Wine
Making Flavors:
Malo-Lactic
Fermentation - The process of
changing the sharp malic acid
(in apples) into the softer
lactic acid (in milk). The process
also leaves the by product DIACETYL,
the taste of butter.
Oak
- If it is complex with cloves
and woody spices, it is French
oak. If it is forward with vanilla,
it is American oak. If it is
musty it is from old barrels.
Oxidation
- Caramel, or a burnt sugar
smell. Deep golden hues in the
wine are another hint. This
is most common with older white
wines.
Blending
- While not always obvious,
a wine that tastes complex may
have been blended with several
grape varieties.
Climatic
Characteristics:
Hot
weather - A deep rich flavor
lacking in acidity or bright
fruit. The hotter the region
the more flabby (less acidic)
the wines tend to be. Because
of the overripe fruit, and the
propensity to oxidize hot fruit,
the color tends towards golden
shades of yellow.
Cool
weather - Cool growing conditions
pronounce the acidity. If the
fruit is picked too early, it
will be sharply acidic. If they
are picked too late, there is
a chance of damage from freezing.
Temperate
weather - If it is not too hot
nor too cool, the ideal grape
varieties are those with long
growing seasons. A balance between
acidity and sugar levels are
more easily accomplished.
Note:
In white wine especially, modern
winemaking techniques help to
counteract many of the shortcomings
of climate.
Varietals
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Bordeaux
wine (white) Pronunciation:
bore-DOUGH: The Bordeaux region
in France is renown for its
red wines, but it also produces
excellent white wines, made
with Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon
grapes.
Burgundy
wine (white): Burgundy
is a region in eastern France
that produces excellent red
and white wines. Some of the
better wine-producing areas
in Burgundy are Chablis and
Pouilly-Fuissé, both
of which produce exquisite white
wines from Chardonnay grapes.
Burgundy wines produced in the
United States are usually inexpensive
blends of different grape varieties.
Chablis
Pronunciation: shah-BLEE: If
made in France, this is a very
dry, delicately flavored white
wine that's made with Chardonnay
grapes. It's great with seafood,
especially oysters. If made
domestically, like a California
Chablis, it's a sweet and cheap
jug wine.
Chardonnay
Pronunciation: shar-duh-NAY:
This elegant white varietal
wine is crisp and dry, and great
with seafood, poultry, ham,
egg dishes, salads, and any
dish with a rich cream sauce.
California Chardonnays are often
excellent. Substitutes: Pinot
blanc OR Chablis (French Chablis
wines are made with Chardonnay
grapes.) OR Muscadet OR vermouth
(Use this substitute for cooking,
not drinking. Use dry vermouth
only.)
Chenin
blanc = White Pinot:
This is a grape variety that's
often blended with others to
make inexpensive white jug wines
and domestic Chablis. It's relatively
inexpensive and goes well with
salads, seafood, poultry, ham,
and spicy foods.
French
Colombard: This is
a variety of grape that's often
made into white jug wine.
Gewürztraminer
Pronunciation: guh-VURTZ-trah-mean-er:
German and domestic versions
of this white wine are somewhat
sweet, flowery, and relatively
low in alcohol. They're very
good with curry and spicy Asian
food. Imports from Alsace tend
to be drier and are excellent
with seafood and poultry.
Johannisberg
Riesling Pronunciation:
yoh-HAHN-iss-berg REEZ-ling:
This is a grape variety that
produces a fragrant, fresh-tasting
white wine that's great with
ham, sausages, smoked fish,
shellfish, or spicy Asian food.
It's the grape that's used to
make excellent Rhine wines in
Germany. Don't confuse these
excellent wines with domestic
Riesling wines, which are usually
made with inferior cousins of
the Johanissberg Riesling grape.
Late harvest Johannisberg Rieslings
are very sweet, and make excellent
dessert wines.
Muscadet
Pronunciation: moo-skuh-DAY:
This is a district in Brittany,
France, that produces a crisp,
light white wine that's especially
good with seafood. Always serve
it chilled. Don't confuse this
with Muscatel or Muscat, which
are both dessert wines.
Pinot
blanc Pronunciation:
pee-noh BLAHN: This is a good,
but unexceptional, dry white
wine that's good with seafood
and poultry.
Pinot
Grigio = Pinot
gris: This is a dry white wine
that goes especially well with
seafood. Pinot Grigio is the
Italian name, Pinot Gris the
French.
Pouilly-Fumé
= Fumé de Pouilly = Pouilly-Fume
= Fume de Pouilly Pronunciation:
pooh-YEE few-MAY: This is a
highly regarded dry white wine.
Pouilly-Fuissé
Pronunciation: pooh-YEE fwee-SAY:
This is an area in the Burgundy
region of France that's renown
for its exquisite white wines.
Made with Chardonnay grapes,
these wines are great with seafood
and hors d'oeuvres. Notes: Chardonnay
retsina
Pronunciation: ret-SEE-nah:
This is a white Greek wine that's
flavored with pine resin. It's
popular with Greeks, but hasn't
caught on elsewhere. It should
be served at room temperature.
Riesling
Pronunciation:
REEZ-ling: If made in Germany
or Alsace, a Riesling is a very
good, somewhat sweet white wine.
If made in America, it's usually
a so-so white wine that's usually
made from Sylvaner = Franken
Riesling, Gray Riesling and
Emerald Riesling grapes, mediocre
varieties which coast on the
reputation of their superior
relative, Johanissberg Riesling.
Sauvignon
blanc = blanc fumé
= blanc fume Pronunciation:
so-vee-NYOHN BLAHN: This light
white wine is often described
as having a "grassy"
flavor. It's terrific with seafood,
poultry, and other delicately
flavored dishes.
Sémillon
= Semillon Pronunciation: say-me-YOHN:
This is a grape variety that's
sometimes developed into a dry
white wine, sometimes into a
excellent dessert wine.
Viognier
Pronunciation: vee-ohn-YAY:
This assertive white wine from
California exudes a complex
perfume of flowers and fruit.
It's expensive and hard to find,
but it's delicious with seafood
and poultry.
Vouvray
Pronunciation: voo-VRAY:
This is a slightly sweet French
white wine made with Chenin
blanc grapes.
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Links about White Wine
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Wines
for a Sweet Tooth
NoMerlot.com
- White Wine Ratings - The latest
award winners or otherwise highest-rated
by site members, and click around
for more on their top ten picks,
wine search, registration details.
White
Wine Making in France -
A step-by-step description of
the process starting with the
crushing of the grapes followed
by fermentation, maceration,
raking and aging.
White
Bordeaux wines - How Bordeaux
is produced, grape varieties
used, plus details on color,
aroma and taste, and a quick
guide to serving and appreciating
Bordeaux.
Cooking
with Whte Wine - A full
range of recipes that use white
wine. Have a sip while you cook!
Professional
Friends of Wine - If you
want to know what the grapes
look like, how to pronounce
them, and every bit of information
about a varietal. This is the
place for you.
Wine
Ratings and Reviews - Learn
how to buy the wine you really
love.
Library
of Great Wine Articles -
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of topics.
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