Preferred Wine Cellars
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Wine Tasting - White Wine Information
If you are interested in white wine tasting it might help to learn a little about white wine before you go. White wines are often enjoyed with lighter meals, either aperitifs or a delicately flavored entree such as fish, veal, or chicken.
Red wine might be red in color (or orange-red or blue-red) but white wine is never white. It is straw-colored, yellow, or golden. This color comes from various types of grapes. It is made from the juice of the grapes and the skin of the gold, green, or yellowish grapes or from the juice of red grapes (without the skin).
They tend to be lighter in taste and style than red wine and more refreshing. White wine is very popular during the spring and summer months. It is usually the case that white wine is the color of choice to match with light meats and fish but there are exceptions to this rule.
You need different wine glasses for white wines than for reds. White wine is better presented in narrow glasses, which taper at the top. This allows the delicate aromas to concentrate. Serve white wine between 45 and 50 degrees F.
Well Known White Wines
Popular words used to describe the flavor of white wine include lime, lemon, apple, honey, butter, floral, herbal, melon, citrus, earthy and pear. It is interesting to know that the best-known grapes are not necessarily the best for making wine - Concord, Cayuga and Niagara are great for making jam but they make dreadful wine!
There are eight main white wine types and these are Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Grigio (or Pinot Gris), Chenin Blanc, Semillon, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc (or Fume Blanc). Chardonnay grapes are bland but they taste great with oak flavors. Sauvignon Blanc has an herbal, grassy taste and the resulting wine is lively and crisp, making it a good one to pair with many different dishes, especially seafood and fish.
Chenin Blanc is floral, fruity, and light. It is often made into sweetish wines. Lesser known varietals include Malbec, Muller-Thurgau, Voignier and Gruner Veltliner. Riesling is fruity and floral. It can range from dry and crisp to floral and full-bodied. It has nectar and citrus flavors and the German grape makes really good light and medium-bodied white wines, as well as dessert wines. Pinot Gris, or Pinot Grigio, is a low acidity wine. It is lightly perfumed and can be quite complex. Spice cake and pear are flavors you find in the best Pinot Gris wines.
Champagne and sparkling wines range from very dry to sweet. "Blanc de blancs" means the wine is made with white grapes, as opposed to "blanc de noirs" which would mean red grapes were used. Gewurztraminer is a white wine, which can be dry, medium, or sweet. It smells like grapefruit, vanilla, gingerbread, and honeysuckle and it goes well with pork sausages or Asian food.
Muscat is floral and spicy and has a strong grape flavor. Muscat wine ranges from dry to very sweet and honey, apples, peaches and apricots are common words used to describe the flavor. Muscat is often served with dessert.
The next time you go white wine tasting you will be armed with some great background information about wine. The more you know about wine the better you can appreciate its subtle flavors.
