White Wine Favorites

If you look closely, white wine isn’t actually white, but a golden, straw-like color. These wines develop their color from the grape skins. Here’s a little background to understand the wine making process. Immediately after picking, white wine grape skins are removed. The grapes are pressed so the juice runs freely from the grape without drawing much color extract from the skin; thereby, creating the golden or yellow appearance of white wines.

 

White wines have proven unique, characteristically they are the main grape in champagne and most dessert wines. These wines cover the full spectrum of taste, color and complexity. Here are a few of the more popular white wine grape varieties:

 

Chardonnay

This is the standard for the general public. Most people feel safe with a chardonnay. Little do they know the vast area that a chardonnay can cover. Typically, American and Australian chardonnays are fruit-forward, syrupy tropical delights. On the opposite end, the bone-dry Chablis from France is famous for using the chardonnay grape. One item most people might not know, chardonnay is the main grape in most champagnes and the only grape in the Blanc de Blanc Champagne. So ordering a simple chardonnay may not be a simple as it seems.

 

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc is a great summertime wine. It’s the perfect wine for an evening of sitting on the front porch and watching the sun fall over the horizon. It’s crisp to the taste with a fruity vivaciousness and earthy undertones. Fume Blanc, an alternative vinification style of Sauvignon Blanc, yields a richer wine. This style was made popular in California in the 1960’s by legendary winemaker Robert Mondavi.

 

Riesling

Rieslings are slowly showing they are a force to be reckoned with on the world wine stage. This grape variety originates from the Rhine region in Germany and is often planted in cooler regions. Rieslings gained the reputation for having a sweet taste; however, this is not completely true. Bone-dry Rieslings from Austria and the Alsace region in France are quickly changing that trend. Young Rieslings are extremely aromatic, and have shown to age extremely well, some better than traditional white favorites.

 

Viognier

This is a relatively rare grape, only grown in the upper Rhone region of France and a fairly recent addition to California. However, it’s one of my favorites! I particularly enjoy white wines from the Rhone region in France, however, they are often hard to come by and expensive. Viognier leans to the drier side of the white grapes and serves as a nice alternative to the chardonnay. Even though Viognier wines are dry to the taste, they still provide a nice aroma of peaches, apricots and flowers.

 

Pinot Grigio

Pinot Grigio is the “white” clone of pinot noir. It can be somewhat deceiving since its grape skin takes on a grayish-blue color. However, pinot grigio seems to have found a home in the Great Northwest of the United States. Many wineries in the region found great success with the grape. Depending on the ripeness at harvest, pinot grigio can be tangy and light or rich and full-bodied. Typically, a pinot grigio smells of a hint of honey, soft pine and citrus.