Summer and White Wines

Just recently, a friend of mine was looking for advice on finding white wines.  It occurred to me that with all the wine I’ve tasted, I have accrued enough notes on whites to provide some guidance on what’s out there, and what key words to use when seeking the white that suits your tastes.  I will begin with a review of some whites, and then provide the key words.

Lageder Pinot Gris from Italy Pinot Grigio - It is a light, young wine that smells of white grapefruit, lemon and lime.  It is a very light wine with a citrus taste and is very acidic.  It’s a great summer wine because its not too sweet or heavy, and it would also go well with summer foods like goat cheese, clams, and oysters.

Babich Chardonnay from Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand – this wine is not oaked.  It has a lot of apple flavor, so you know it’s a bit sweet for a Chardonnay.  It would be good with brie or spicy food.

Trimbach Pino Gris, Reserve Personnelle, from Alsace France – this wine also has an apple flavor, but it is much less sweet than the Babich Chardonnay.  It has an earthy finish and is a bit heavier than the above Chardonnay.  It would also go well with brie, but is made to age, which means that the flavor will improve if you buy it but don’t drink it right away.  More complex than the prior wines, it would also taste good with wild mushrooms and veal.

Key words:

Cloying – this means the wine is sweet.  If you hear or see a white being described this way, it means it is very sweet.

Bright, acidic – not sweet at all, there will probably be a citrus flavor.

Oaked – the wine maker decided to complement the flavor using wood.  This often gives the wine a heavier flavor, and it’s probably not a sweet wine.

Mineral – a flavor descriptor often used for certain whites, it’s often easy to miss for stronger flavors.  Often in the finish on the tip of your tongue, you will have a chalk-like flavor.  That’s what they mean.

Notes:

·         The lighter the color, the younger the wine.  Most young wines are not complex and have a strong flavor with little finish.

·         Greener colored wines are youngest, browner colored wines are oldest.

·         Fruit flavored wines are sweeter, citrus flavored wines are drier.