Wine article - White wine 

UNCORKED
By ED SOON

white wines, the stems, seeds and grape skin are removed from the grape juice after pressing and before the fermentation process.

As such, white wines do not have the astringency of tannins and its light bitterness, and the chewy character of red wines.

Usually, winemakers wish to preserve the delicate flavours of the grape variety in whites and the fermentation temperatures are not as high as that for red wines. Ultimately, white wines are more delicate in taste. 

If one is having a light meal, white wines, with their lighter body, go much better than reds, the complexity of which is a better match for strong flavoured, complex and heavy dishes.

Because of their lighter body, white wines are ideal with a light meal.
 Simple unpretentious whites

These are wines that are economically priced. You will find them on many supermarket shelves. Rather than turn your nose up at them, select them for a specific purpose – to provide immediate drinking pleasure – for the everyday meal, picnics, BBQs and the like. There is no need to cellar these wines, which range from the blended to the varietal. Some have the designation of vin de table/vino da tavola or table wines; others may indicate the vintage on the label.

In taste, the wines are light with a dry finish. Alternatively, they may be mellow and have a faint fruity aroma. Examples are Italian Soave (basic, not the Classico or Superiore) and Frascati, Petit Chablis, Vin de Pays (country wines of France), Semillon-Sauvignon blends (Australia), and non-reserve wines from California, Chile and South Africa. Most of the wines are un-oaked.

Lip-smacking whites

These are wines that show varietal characters. They include Sauvignon Blanc (California, New Zealand); Sancerre (of the Loire Valley in France, made from sauvignon blanc); Riesling (New Zealand, Australia, Alsace in France, Austria and Germany); Chenin Blanc (South Africa) and Vouvray (of the Loire Valley and made from chenin blanc).

When youthful, the wines have flavours of citrus and also show other aromas (gooseberry and asparagus for sauvignon blancs; florals, peach and minerals for rieslings). The flavours of these wines are often zesty and their medium-long finish gives them a lip-smacking delicious taste. They are more expensive than the generic whites mentioned above.

Woody and rich whites

Mention “woody” and most wine drinkers will think of Chardonnay. This is because chardonnay is a grape variety with lots of character; fruit flavours range from citrus to peach, depending on how ripe the fruit was when picked. As a result of the strong flavours of the grapes, the wine can be aged in wood barrels. The ageing imparts toasty, vanilla and woody characters to the wine, lending it additional complexity of taste.

Chardonnay is also picked quite ripe and the sugar in the grape is converted into higher alcohol levels in the wine. As such, the wine is often rich and full-bodied. Examples are Chardonnay from Australia or California, and expensive white Burgundy. The wines may be crisp and steely, but can also be peachy and texturally creamy. You can also find other woody and rich white wines such as Fume Blanc (sauvignon blanc aged in wood, a popular California style) and sauvignon blanc-based white wines from Bordeaux.

Aromatic whites

Gewürztraminer, grüner veltliner, viognier, pinot grigio/pinot gris, pinot blanc, muscat and albariño are the various varieties that come under this classification. These wines have marked varietal characters. 

For example, gewürztraminer will often taste of lychees or roses; grüner veltliner is spicy with herbal and celery overtones; viognier may have scents of flower blossoms (including jasmine) or show tropical fruit flavours; pinot grigio/pinot gris can be spicy and smoky yet come across as citrus-like at other times; muscat tastes of freshly-picked grapes, and albariño can be citrusy, grassy and grapefruity.

Sweet whites

They call them “stickies” in Australia because they are honeyed and syrupy sweet. Otherwise, they are known as dessert wines. Wines may taste of pineapples, apricots, peaches, butterscotch and marmalade. Most of the wines are expensive, but with dessert wines, you do not need more than a glass to fully enjoy them. 

Wines include Sauternes, Barsac, St Croix du Monts, and wines labelled Vendange Tardive (France), Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese (Austria and Germany), Ice wine (Canada), Botrytis and Late Harvest wines. 

Strongly-flavoured whites

Examples of these are sherry, white port, McVin Jura and many white wines that are fortified. They may be sweet or dry, and some versions have a distinctive nutty or oxidised taste.