Who doesn’t love a chilled glass of white wine to beat this Bali heat? Lighter than beer and less boozy than spirits, it’s the perfect brunch, lunch or dinner companion, and with such vast options available, there’s a white wine that pairs perfectly with every palate.
In this post, we’ll go through the most common types of white wines on the market and get you ready to start discovering your palate.
We hope that by the end of this guide, you’ll expand your understanding of white wine and be able to order your next glass or bottle without hesitation. Now let’s get ready to explore the beautiful world of white wines. Get ready to take some notes. There’s a lot to learn!
How Its Made
A fun fact that you may not know is that white wine can be made with either purple or white grapes. Unlike red wine, which is caused by fermenting purple grapes with the grape skins, stems and seeds still intact, white wine is made by extracting the grape juice from the skins and then fermenting only the juices with yeast to convert the sugars into alcohol. This process gives white wine its straw-yellow or yellow–gold colouring.
Wine Classification
Similar to red wine, white wine is categorized based on the grape varietal it’s made with, there are over 20 grape varieties used around the world! We’ll go through 6 of the most famous wines and grape varietals later in this article.
Along with the grape varietal, a wine’s region of origin can affect its taste considerably. Factors such as a region’s climate, the soil the grapes were grown in, the amount of sunlight the grapes receive, the minerals in the water used and altitude all play parts in forming a wine’s final flavour.
Warm climates, for example, tend to yield fruitier wines because the grapes grown in warm temperatures ripen quicker, produce more sugars and have thicker skins. Higher sugar levels allow for higher alcohol content, and these wines often have full bodies, are darker in colour and are sweeter than cold climate wines.
Cooler climates produce grapes lower in sugars, preserving their acidity and making it harder for them to ripen, giving them more of a tart flavour. These wines are often dry with a light body and lower alcohol content.
Wines are classified by the year they were produced. This is referred to as “the vintage of a wine.” Generally, white wine doesn’t have as much tannin as red wines and doesn’t last as long when stored. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule.
A wine’s vintage reflects the weather patterns of the year it was produced. Based on that year’s weather, wine drinkers are able to determine the harvest quality and in turn, the quality of the wines made that year.
Wines that do not have a vintage date are called blended wines. These wines are usually more affordable everyday table wines.
Another classification you’ll be hearing is a wine’s body type. This refers to the wine’s texture, weight and the way it feels in your mouth.
A full-bodied wine feels heavier with a thicker coating, light-bodied wine is more watery in texture, and a medium-body wine sits somewhere in the middle.
Other customary classifications include the way wine is vinified, for example, still or sparkling, and the sugar content of the wine; dry (less sweet), semi-dry or sweet.
6 Classic White Wines To Try
1. Chardonnay, the most popular white wine in the world, is named after a grape variety that originated in Burgundy, France. Chardonnay is a dry (not sweet) white wine with a medium or full body, medium acidity and low in tannins.
You’ll come across oaked chardonnay, meaning it has been aged in oak barrels giving it a richer flavour and texture or un-oaked chardonnay, meaning it fermented in stainless steel instead of oak barrels.
Oaked chardonnay flavours are often more creamy and buttery; flavours ranging from butter, vanilla, lemon, grapefruit, cashews and spices are commonly found in oaked chardonnay.
Un-oaked chardonnay is more floral and fruitier. Flavours may include apples, pineapple, pear and citrus.
2. Sauvignon Blanc originates in the Bordeaux region of France. It’s drier than chardonnay, light-bodied and has high acidity. Sauvignon Blanc is an excellent choice if you want a light wine with more subtle flavours.
3. Pinot Grigio, also known as Pinot Gris, is a light to medium-bodied wine with high acidity. It is lighter than chardonnay and with a similar body type to sauvignon blanc. The main difference between the two is their aromatics and feel in your mouth.
Pinot grigio’s primary fruit flavours include nectarine, citrus, pear, and apple.
4. Riesling is known traditionally as a dessert wine and sits on the sweeter side of the spectrum with high acidity. Fruits you’re likely to taste in Rieslings are apricot, apple, peach, pineapple, citrus and nectarine.
5. Moscato hailing from Italy is made from muscat grapes, is sweeter than Rieslings, and is fruity. Moscatos can be still or have a light fizz. Expect to taste notes including honeysuckle, orange blossom and mandarin orange.
6. Contrary to the name, White Zinfandel isn’t a white wine. It’s a pink-coloured white wine ranging from dry to extra sweet. Originating in California, it was initially made on accident at Sutter Home winery and sold off as cheap sweet wine; white zinfandels have since gained popularity, especially with new wine drinkers that prefer a sweeter wine. Taste notes include strawberry, melon, cherry, raspberry and vanilla.
There is no one size fits all when it comes to wine; wine tasting is so subjective so try your best not to make any preconceived judgments before tasting each wine for yourself and figuring out what your preferences are. We hope you’ve learned a thing or two about white wine, and we wish you the best of luck on your white wine journey.
If you have any wine suggestions, we’d love to hear them; let us know at info@theboogaloobali.com and if you’d like to shop online for your next bottle of wine, click here.