White Wine

Where it started

Pressing black grapes gently for white wine was a Champagne breakthrough of the late 17th century.¹ Riesling's first written mention dates from 13 March 1435.² Chardonnay was planted in California in the late 1800s but boomed only in the 1970s.³

Where and how it's made

Juice from black or white grapes is clear; color only comes from skin contact.⁴ White grapes are pressed and the juice fermented on its own, usually cool to keep aroma. Oak is a choice: Chardonnay is often aged in oak for vanilla and toast, though many California producers now use less or none.³

Climate shapes the glass. Riesling's high acidity and floral aromas develop best in cooler regions.⁵ In New Zealand, northern regions give riper Sauvignon Blanc with melon and stone fruit, southern regions more pungent, crisper wines.⁶ Chablis gives pale gold Chardonnay with green flashes, citrus and flint; the Côte de Beaune gives a deeper gold and richer texture.⁷

Some whites are blends. White Bordeaux is Sauvignon Blanc 45 percent, Sémillon 42 percent and Muscadelle 5 percent of plantings.⁸ Sémillon adds a honeyed note to Sauvignon Blanc.⁹

Sweetness is a separate axis. Riesling runs from bone dry to very sweet, and late harvest, ice wine and botrytised Rieslings are among its most age-worthy forms.⁵ In the Loire, Chenin picked early gives racy dry and sparkling wines, while Chenin picked late gives the great sweet wines.¹⁰ Germany's Prädikat names describe ripeness at harvest, not finished sweetness, so a Spätlese can be dry.¹¹ Pinot Gris shows the same range in Germany, from light dry summer wines to barrique-aged and noble sweet styles.¹²

How to taste it

Use a medium glass and serve cold but not icy; fuller whites can be a few degrees warmer. Look for clarity and depth of color, then aromas: citrus and green apple in lean styles, stone fruit and butter in richer ones. Aged Riesling can show a petrol note.² Pairings: New Zealand Winegrowers matches Sauvignon Blanc with seafood, shellfish and tangy dressings.⁶ Try Riesling with spicy food and oaked Chardonnay with roast chicken.

Styles and what the label means

• Crisp and unoaked — Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet, Pinot Grigio.
• Aromatic — Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Muscat.
• Full and oaked — barrel-aged Chardonnay.³
• Fumé Blanc — a name sometimes used for Sauvignon Blanc in California.⁹
• Muscadet — Melon B from the western Loire.¹⁰
• Skin-contact whites — amber or orange wine. natural-and-orange-wine →
• The grapes — Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and more. white-grape-varieties →