Introduction to White Wines

• Explore the six most popular types of white wine.
• Each wine represents a different taste profile found in dry white wine.
• Understanding these wines helps grasp the diversity in the world of dry white wines.

1. Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris

• Name Origin: Means "gray," referring to the grape's pink-gray color.
• Regional Differences:
  • Italy (Pinot Grigio): Lean, dry, and minerally.
  • Germany/France (Pinot Gris): Richer with peachy flavors and oiliness.
• Tasting Notes: Ripe yellow peaches, sweet Meyer lemon, melons, oily texture, and dry finish.
• Similar Varieties: Vermentino, Arneis, Grillo, Pinot Blanc, and Albarino.

2. Sauvignon Blanc

• Name Origin: "Sauvignon" means "wild" in French.
• Flavor Profile: Notes of green such as fresh cut grass, gooseberry, and bell pepper due to methoxypyrizines.
• Tasting Notes: Pale yellow color, green bell pepper, jalapeno, peach, crushed rocks, fresh summer rain.
• Similar Varieties: Verdejo, Gruner Veltliner, Vermentino, and Colombard.

3. Riesling

• Origin: Germany.
• Aromas: High intensity of peaches, apricots, sweet Meyer lemons, and petrol aroma with age.
• Tasting Notes: Ripe peaches, apricot, fresh tarragon, chalky minerality, petrol.
• Similar Varieties: Furmint, Caricante, Loureiro.

4. Gewürztraminer

• Characteristics: Floral aromas like roses, potpourri due to high terpenes.
• Tasting Notes: Lychee, rose, ginger, grapefruit, dry with a smooth floral finish.
• Similar Varieties: Moschofilero, Torrontes, Muller-Thurgau.

5. Chardonnay

• Origin: Burgundy, France.
• Winemaking Influence: Oak barrel aging adds toasty notes of vanilla, creme brulee, buttery creaminess.
• Tasting Notes: Yellow apple, lemon balm, beeswax, creme brulee, rich and creamy with acidity.
• Similar Styles: Wines aged in oak or with malolactic fermentation.

6. Orange Wines

• Characteristics: Made with ancient winemaking methods, develop tannins and rich color like red wines.
• Tasting Notes: Pale amber color, funky with mushroom, preserved lemon, linseed oil, minerality, tannins.

Summary

• Key types of white wine: Neutral and dry Pinot Gris, herbal Sauvignon Blanc, aromatic Riesling, floral Gewürztraminer, full-bodied Chardonnay, and the unique Ribolla Gialla orange wine.
• White wines offer incredible diversity in styles and tastes.

Further Learning

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