What Do You Know About White Wine?

Choosing, tasting, smelling--people have made consuming wine an art form. Unfortunately, most of us are far from artists. So, let's look at the basics of white wine.

White wine is often more refreshing and lighter than red wine. Many restaurants and people use white wine as an Apéritif--a drink, usually alcoholic, before a meal. However, they're also served during meals, with dessert, or as a refreshing drink between meals. Because of its light taste, white wine is perfect for summer and spring occasions.

Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc are two particularly well-known French-originated white wines.

Chardonnay is probably the most versatile and well-known of the white wines. You can find Chardonnay with flavors of green apple, plum, citrus, pineapple, peach, melon and papaya flavors. Some Chardonnays are also smokey.

Because Chardonnay can be so diverse, you can pair it with a variety of foods. However, many drink it with white meats: turkey, roast chicken, etc. I would recommend pairing heavily oak influenced Chardonnays with smoked fish, spicy southeast Asian cuisine, garlic and guacamole dips. More acidic Chardonnays go well with tomato-based dishes and dishes with sweet onions. Older, more mellow Chardonnays taste great with more earthy dishes like mushroom soup and aged cheese.

Wine experts have used the phrase "crisp, elegant, and fresh" to describe Sauvignon blanc. Unlike Chardonnay, Sauvignon blanc has distinct and precise aromas and flavors--you can identify this wine much more easily.

The wine's flavor ranges from aggressively grassy to sweetly tropical. If you get a chance to smell this wine, you might get hints of grapefruit, lemon, melon, grass, herbs, vanilla, spices, or smoke, depending on the wine. Sauvignon pairs well with fish, cheese, and, surprisingly, sushi.

Stay tuned for a post about red wine!