Most white wine is produced from white grapes. it is possible though to make white wine out of black grapes by carefully extracting the juice and keeping the skins separated. Champagne is the most famous example. It is made from a blend of grapes which include Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier (black grapes).

Besides color, not allowing the skins and stems to soak in the juice also reduces the amount of tannin in the wine. Tannin has a mouth drying quality that causes the wine to feel firm in your mouth. Sometimes though, a white wine will be allowed to ferment or age in oak barrels. The oak barrels will impart some tannin to the wine, but not as much as in a typical red wine.

Major White Wine (Grape) Varieties that you can find in our stores:

Chardonnay - The world's most popular white variety. It is usually oak aged and has a buttery flavor.

Chenin Blanc - Common in the Loire Valley of France. It is a highly acidic wine that can range from very dry to very sweet.

Gewürztraminer - The most intensely aromatic of all wines. The aromas are of florals and spice.

Muscat - Produces the only wine to actually smell like grapes. Can have a variety of styles and popluar in sparkling wines.

Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio - A very wide variety of styles from dry to sweet to spicy. Often they will have a hint of honey.

Reisling - A low alcoholic wine with striking acidity. Many are very sweet but they can also be dry.

Sauvignon Blanc - Meant to drink young, these are the most tangy and pungent of the wine varieties.

Additional white grape varieties

Colombard - Produces a crisp every day wine with tropical fruit aromas.

Pinot Blanc - Highly acidic and low sugar levels resulting in a dry, crisp wine.

Trebbiano - A very mild grape producing a neutral wine that won't interfere with most foods.

Rosés

Rosé, is considered a white wine. They are made by allowing the skins to soak for only a short period of time before extracting. A good rosé should be delicate and refreshing, not cloyingly sweet. The best rosés are made from the Grenache grape

Enjoying White Wine

White wines are typically less complicated than reds because of the effect tannin has on red wines. Therefore, white wine can be enjoyed whenever and wherever the mood strikes you. White wines can make an excellent aperitif or before dinner drink instead of a cocktail.

General Temperature Guidelines

• Simple and dry white wines should be consumed at the coolest temperature.
• Complex, heavier wines should be consumed at the warmest temperature (but still cool) of the other whites. 
• More expensive, higher quality wines should generally be served at the warmer temperatures. 
• Less expensive wines generally need to be served at lower temperatures.

The important thing to know is that a white wine needs to be refreshingly cool, but if its too cold, you will lose the subtle nuances of that expensive chardonnay.

Tip - It takes about 3 hours to chill a bottle of wine down to the temperature of the refrigerator. To quickly chill a bottle of white wine, fill a bucket full of ice water. Add some salt and then put the bottle in and twist several times. This causes more of the wine inside the bottle to come into contact with the cold glass. Let sit and occasionally repeat twisting for a few minutes. We wouldn't recommend this with sparkling wines for obvious reasons!

Tasting Characteristics of White Wines

Dry, Neutral – The term dry is simply the opposite or absence of sweetness. Some white wines are extremely refreshing when you’re very thirsty. The fact that they are neutral means that they do not exhibit any particular strong quality. The Italians tend to stay away from aromatic, strong flavored white wines. Most Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanco, Verdicchio, Soave, and even Chardonnay (if it is unoaked) from Italy will have this characteristic.  All of these are an excellent complement to shellfish.

Tangy, Zesty – Wines of this style are typically described as sharp or green. This is due to the higher level of acidity that is only partially balanced out by sweetness. Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand is the pinnacle of this style. Rieslings, when young, can exhibit this quality. Age tends to cause them to mellow out a bit. These wines are mouth-watering and intense enough that most people either love them or hate them.

Perfumy, Aromatic – Aroma plays a huge picture in tasting wine. The best example of this is made from the Gewurztraminer grape. They have very exotic floral, fruity and spicy aromas. The Germans create the most aromatic and intense versions and the Italians try to tone theirs down somewhat. Because of the lack of subtlety, stick with strong tasting, spice foods with these wines. The Viognier grape is also known for its apricot and floral aroma.

Toasty, Butterscotch – These flavors are typically a result of fermenting and or aging the wine in oak barrels. Other associated flavors are nutty, vanilla-like, and sometimes smoky. The classic wine of this style is Chardonnay. Chardonnay is typically dry and very fruity.

Sweet, Rich – For the sweet tooth out there, the classic examples are from Germany and the Sauternes district of Bordeaux. When grapes are allowed to stay on the vine for a longer than average amount of time, they will sometimes become infected by a fungus called botrytis. This fungus, sometimes called noble rot, dehydrates the grapes which in turn intensifies the sweetness of the fruit. It also produces a rich, honey-like flavor.

Wine and Food Pairings

The whole purpose for finding good wine and food pairings is simple. Since wine can change the way your food tastes and vice versa, you want to pick a combination that will make the whole dining experience a pleasurable one. At best, you will find a combination that makes both the wine and the food taste better together than they ever would by themselves. At worst, you will find a combination that makes an otherwise great wine or entrée completely unpalatable. Taste is more art than science. Just because something tastes good or bad to you, does not mean that they will taste bad to others.

Some Suggested Wine and Food Pairings

Don’t Forget the Sauce – Sometimes a strong tasting sauce or seasoning is more important than the meat itself.

White Wines	Recommended Foods, Sauces, etc	Avoid
Chardonnay	Salmon, Grilled Chicken, White Creamy Sauces, Veal	Very Spicy Foods
Gewurztraminer	Chinese, Swiss Cheese, Pork, Ginger, Foie Gras	Light Foods
Pinot Grigio	Creamy Sauces, Turkey, Shrimp, Veal	Tomatoes, Spicy Foods
Riesling (Dry)	Chicken, Shrimp, Lobster, Smoked Trout	Sweets

Again, the art of wine and food pairing is a very personal thing. Experimentation is the best way to figure out what works for you.

Wine and Cheese Pairing

When setting up a tasty wine and cheese pairing, the only thing you have to know is: If it tastes good, do it!
Even though it comes down to personal taste, certain guidelines have been proven favorable by a majority of enthusiasts. Here are some of those basic truths:

• White wines match best with soft cheeses and stronger flavors.
• Red wines match best with hard cheeses and milder flavors.
• Fruity and sweet white wines (not dry) and dessert wines work best with a wider range of cheeses. 
• The more pungent the cheese you choose, the sweeter the wine should be.

When offering several cheese choices in a wine and cheese pairing spread, white wines fair better than reds. That’s because several cheeses, particularly soft and creamy ones, leave a layer of fat on the palate that interferes with the flavor in reds, rendering them monotonous and bland.

Quite the opposite, most of those sweeter whites nicely complement a full range of cheeses. Additionally, the “sparkle” in a sparkling wine or champagne can help break through the fat in heavier cheeses. Therefore, the spicy zing of a Gewürztraminer or the peachy zip of a Riesling is ideal if you’re going for wide-reaching appeal.
If you’re a cheese adventurist, meaning you go for the stinkiest of cheeses, pick a big wine to back it up.

Tip - For a safer bet when serving several wines, choose Parmigiano  cheeses. They go with most wines.

A Few Common Wine and Cheese Pairings

White Wines	Recommended Cheeses
Champagne or sparkling	Brie, Camembert
Chardonnay	Mild Cheddar, Gruyere, Provolone
Gewurztraminer	Swiss, most German cheeses
Riesling	Gouda
Sauternes	Roquefort, Blue
Sauvignon Blanc	Goat Cheese

Red Wines	Recommended Cheeses
Amarone	Gorgonzola, Parmigiano-Reggiano , Asiago
Cabernet Sauvignon	Camembert, Sharp Cheddar, Blue
Port	Stilton, Gorgonzola
Shiraz	Sharp Cheddar

A Wine and Cheese Pairing Party to Remember!

Here are a few tips for setting up a memorable and fun wine and cheese pairing party for your friends:

• Purchase your cheeses in large wedges for an ideal presentation.
• Cheeses should be served at room temperature. Pull them out of the fridge a couple hours before your party.
• Serve most wines fairly cool — whites between 50-55 degrees and reds between 60-65 degrees. 
• Let your reds breathe 15-20 minutes after you open them. 
• Make handwritten name cards for all your cheeses and use a pretty upside-down fork display the card upright in the cheese. 
• Display cheese on a pretty china platter, a wood cheese board, or even a slab of marble.

Ultimately, the perfect wine and cheese pairing is not a match made in heaven. It is a match made on the palates of individuals of all tastes.