Wines and Personalities

When people discuss the revolution in wine that has happened over the last thirty years, they must emphasize the astounding leap white wine has taken to reach the highest standards of its red wine counter-parts. Thanks to the contributions of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs and Rieslings, Australian and Chilean Chardonnays and the continued exploration of the finest French Burgundies, Bordeaux Blancs and Champagne, there are world-class white wines to match any occasion - and they are available at most any price.

For those interested in pinning down their favorite style of white wine, here is an overview of a handful of the most important white wine personalities...

1. Breezy and Simple
These whites aren't going to knock your socks off. They are specialties from the old world concocted to unobtrusively be paired with light foods - light Italian foods in particular. These wines are quite dry with a mellow, non-fruity aroma. With shellfish they are delightful, but people from the United States, South America and Australia may find them a bit too subtle and mellow.

Fruit / Flavors: Dry and acidic with Mellow fruit

Wine Types to Look For: Most Italian Whites (Soave, Frascati, Orvieto, Verdicchio, Lugana, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco), Unoaked Chablis (Burgundy)

2. Pucker-Up
The Marlborough region in New Zealand has become world famous for its mouth-wateringly delightful Sauvignon Blanc, replete with flavors of lime and gooseberries. A great companion to food and increasingly enjoyed on its own, this style of wine is like the life of the party - always full of new stories and new surprises. Drier-style Rieslings from New Zealand, Australia, Mosul in Germany and Alsace in France are wonderful young and also age to perfection.

Fruit / Flavors: Gooseberries, lime, peach (in Riesling), Asparagus

Wine Types to Look For: Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand, Chile, South Africa), Riesling (New Zealand, Australia, Alsace in France, Mosul in Germany), White Bordeaux (Dry-white Bordeaux from France), Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume (from Loire Valley in France)

3. Sleek and Nutty
These wines are often over-looked in the new world today, but they are the style that began Chardonnay's popularity in the new world back in the 70's. A Chardonnay from Australia or California would give you little idea of what defines wines from this group - typically French oaked whites from Burgundy and oaked whites from Graves and pessac-leognan in Bordeaux. These wines will be crisp, sleek and described as more minerally and steely than peachy or butterscotchy.

Fruit / Flavors: apple, lemon, undertones of nuts and cream

Wine Types to Look For: White Burgundy (Burgundy in France), Graves, Pessac-Leognan (Bordeaux in France) (Tynan Szvetecz - savoreachglass)


See also : dim sum, burger king