Chardonnay
Can be a light, apple-y, flinty wine or a full-bodied white marked by caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, and nuts. Often, more subtle flavors prevail from Old World producers while more prominent flavors appear in New World wines. Fairly neutral in varietal flavor and is marked by simple green apple and mineral notes. Barrel- fermentation can with time what originally starts out as a fairly neutral, lean, crisp, flinty white wine will develop into something quite intense, nutty, and minerally with honey-butter flavors. In this approach, the wine is allowed time in the bottle to develop. Usually dry but can taste semi-sweet or sour, heady or light, depending on where it’s grown & how it’s fermented. Typical flavors are apple, tangerine, lemon, lime, melon and oak. Cool-climate Chardonnays have subtle overtones, while Warm-climate Chardonnays are more flavorful & full tasting.
Should be served around 48F
Pairs well with: Poultry, Seafood (Lobster & Scallops), Light red meat dishes
Good cheeses are Gruyere, Provolone, Brie & any Aged cheese
Sauvignon Blanc
An Aromatic white with high acidity. It is known for its sharply etched flavor profile and crisp nature. Usually light to medium bodied, but will pick up weight if put into a barrel. The wood tends to subsume the fruit and aromatic high notes and craft a wine that is broader & more mouth filling. Sauvignon Blanc, labeled as Fume Blanc, has noticeable barrel influence. Has a pronounced flavor of an herbal variety, with grassy, apple, olive & a soft smoke. Can be anything from sweet to dry, but are typically very light, tends to be crisp and acidic this helps the wine cut through heavy food flavors.
Should be served around 52F
Pairs well with: Pasta, Poultry, Seafood, Thick sauces & Stews
Good Cheese is Goat cheese
Use in recipes calling for a dry white wine
Riesling
A high acid wine & can be incredibly long lived. Can produce a sleek & tangy wine, or a soft & fruity table wine, or a viscous, honeyed dessert wine. The charm of Riesling is its kaleidoscope of flavors, aromas & the taste bud’s tantalizing play of acidity, sugar & fruit across the palate. As a table wine although full-flavored are seldom power-packed. Desserts are high-impact. Usually a sweet wine it can be dry. Rhine wine is a Riesling from France. Californian Rieslings tend to be dry & have a melon taste. Germanic Rieslings more tart & ‘grapefruity’. Other typical flavors are fruity, floral, honey & musky.
Should be served around 47F
Pairs well with: Desert (one of the few that goes with chocolate), Seafood, Oriental, & Spicy foods
Good cheeses are blue-veined cheese
Use in cooking bold or spicy flavors
Pinot Grigio
Can be high-acid, low-extract, mineral-driven, light white or a fleshier, rounder, high-extract white with lower acid & more pronounced aroma. A refreshing white wine, not know for overt complexity. Italian pinot grigios are typically dry & light with a mineral taste. Californian pinot grigios tend to be richer in flavor, but still have the mineral taste, finish with a lemony or citrusy flavor. French pinot grigios are more fruity & flowery than Italian, with the mineral aroma. Flavors can range from peach to grapefruit to melon. A wine able to hold its own against richer flavors.
Should be served around 48F
Pairs well with: Pasta, Poultry, Pork & Seafood
Gewurztraminer
A high alcohol, high extract, aromatic white that tends to be quite low in acid. Will have floral/spice notes that are just a powerful on the palate as they are in the nose. Tends to be a sweet white wine, the aroma is a flowery, spicy one with particular odors of roses & lychees
Should be served around 50F
Pairs well with: Spicy foods & Pork
Use for cooking bold or spicy flavors
Chenin Blanc
Can be a simple & straightforward with delicate fruit or a complex mélange of flavors & aroma that aren’t associated with fruit, flowers, herbs or spices. A crisp, well balanced wine that ages well. Tends to taste of apples, pears & tropical fruits. A dry to semi-dry wine
Should be served around 48F
Pairs well with: light fare, fresh salads, roast pork loin, wild turkey, thai, & moderately spicy Asian food
Moscato
Can be a lean, high acid, high-perfume & bone dry or a sweet, full-bodied, viscous & honeyed with a pronounced dried fruit flavor
Should be served around 48F
Pairs well with: Fresh fruit, Pistachios or Light pastries that are not too sweet
White Zinfandel
Pale pink in color, with aromas of raspberry and blackberry, a light & sweet wine
Should be served around 40F
Pairs well with: Pasta, Poultry, Pork & Seafood
White Merlot
Pink in color with aromas of blueberry and vanilla, a light & sweet wine
Should be served around 40F
Pairs well with: Chicken, Seafood, Ham, & Spicy cuisines such as Vietnamese and Chinese
