White Wines (chart)

White Grapes There are over 50 major white wine grape varieties but for our purposes we are only covering the more common varietals

Varietal	Origin	Body/Color	Aroma	Taste/Style	General	Pair with
Riesling	Germany	Light to medium/ pale yellow	Apple, peach, lemon	Citrus, pineapple, honey/ Very Sweet to dry depending on where the grape is grown; high acid	Most Rieslings are best consumed within a few years of bottling and best grown in cool regions	Very sweet wines Desserts: •Dessert Fruit pizza Peach and Blueberry cobbler Cheese: •Blue Cheese Sweet wines Fruits: •Poached pears with Mascarpone Light curries: •Chicken Curry Vinaigrettes: •Apple and walnut salad with balsamic vinaigrette Cheese: •Blue Cheese Semi sweet (medium dry) •Cheese: Brie, Munster, Gruyere •Classic Cheese Fondue •Herbs/spice: Dill, Lemongrass, sage/ginger, clove •Sauces: Light cheese
Riesling	Alsace, France	Medium/Pale yellow	Peaches and lime	Fruit/Crisp and dry; high acid	The more complex, expensive wines are best when aged 5-10 years, these wines are usually higher in alcohol	•Layered Mint Salad •Sushi •Cheese: Asiago •Herbs: mint, rosemary •Sauces: Light cheese
Gewuerztraminer (German word for spicy grape)	Germany	Medium to full/Pale yellow	Spicy, rose, smoke	Fruit/The majority of the wines have a sweet style; low acid	Best consumed within a few years of bottling There are 6 levels of ripeness, the more ripe the grape the fuller the body & sweeter the style of wine. Beginning with driest: Kabinett Spatlese Auslese Beerenauslese Eiswein Trockenbeerenauslese	Curry Dishes: •lLamb Curry (see Chicken Curry) Cheese: •Smoked Gouda Herb/Spice: •Anise/ Curry, Ginger
Gewuerztraminer	Alsace, France	Light to medium/ pale yellow	Citrus and peach	Citrus, spice/ Range from very sweet to dry, depending on where the grape is grown	Means spicy grape and it is capable of producing wonderful dessert wines	Very sweet wines Desserts: •Lemon Chiffon Cake with Apricot & Orange Coulis Semi-dry wines •Slow cooker Pork Roast (Chinese BBQ) Cheese: •Munster Herbs/spice: •Mint, Lavender/ginger, curry
Albarino	Northwestern Spain	Light	Almonds, peaches and citrus	Fruit/ high acid	Best consumed early, a wonderful summer wine	Pairs well with seafood, duck: •Duck Quesadillas with apricot jam and caramelized onions •Encrusted Sea Bass in Truffled Wild Mushrooms Cheese: •Goat cheese especially with fruit jam Herbs: •Cilantro
Sauvignon Blanc	California; Loire Valley, France; Bordeaux, France	Light to Medium/Pale yellow, greenish straw	Herbs, grass, grapefruit lemon	Citrus, grass, vanilla, spice/ Crisp and dry; high acid	The flavor depends on where it is grown; Sometimes called Fume Blanc; a very food friendly wine	Grilled & Roasted foods: •Chili ginger grilled tuna Cheese: •Goat Cheese, Ricotta, Feta •Goat cheese tart Herbs: •Dill, Italian Parsley, Oregano/black pepper, garlic
Pinot Grigio	Italy; California	Light to medium/Light yellow	Fruit flavors -- apples, pears and some citrus	Pear, apple, lemon/Crisp, dry	Also called Pinot Gris; grows best in cool climates, producing better wines; the more expensive Italian Pinot Grigio are fuller bodied with more flavor	Fruits: •Mango & Papaya salad Seafood: •Pan seared sea bass with lime pepper Cheese: •Ricotta, Fontina, Provolone Herb: •Dill, Thyme
Chardonnay	Burgundy, France	Dry to medium dry/ Yellow to golden	Vanilla, spice and oak, buttery; apple	Apple pear and orange/ Crisp, smooth, buttery	The world's most popular white wine; the grape used to produce Champagne; ranges from simple to complex The majority of the whites grapes grown in Burgundy are Chardonnay, The Chablis area produces white wines from this grape as well	•Citrus Bow Tie Pasta •Roasted chicken with Garlic and Lemon Seafood: •Sherry deglazed Shrimp Cheese: •Brie, Munster Herbs: •Tarragon, Sage, Dill
Chardonnay	California	Dry to medium dry/ Yellow to golden	Vanilla, spice and oak	Vanilla, spice and oak Oak, vanilla, spice/ Crisp and smooth	American's most popular wine, does best in cooler climates such as the Sonoma's Russian River Valley; increase in price when aged in oak barrels	Seafood: •Smoked salmon quiche Cheese: •Jarlsberg, Camembert Herbs/spice: •Thyme, sage/clove, ginger
Champagne	Produced exclusively in Champagne region of France	Dry (brut), sweet (sec) to very sweet (doux)/ light straw to soft pink	Apple, pear, flowers	Citrus fruits, spice	Contains carbon dioxide that adds bubbles to the wine ; the more expensive Champagnes tend to have smaller bubbles; three main grapes use to make Champagne- Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay	Food pairing depends on the style of the Champagne Dry style •aged cheese •roasted meats Lighter style •creamy cheeses •pork, poultry and seafood Sweet style Desserts •Strawberries and Cream Cheese on Puff Pastries
Sparkling wine	California, Italy, other areas of France	Dry to sweet/light straw to soft pink (Rose)	Peach, melon	Citrus fruits	Spain: Cava, Italy: Asti or Spumante, and the popular Prosecco	Have a Champagne Brunch: •Cheese, Rice and Vegetable Strudel •Classic Crepe Suzette •Leek Tart with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Other White Wines

Conundrum -- A blend of many grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Muscat Canelli, Semillon and Viognier grapes; pairs well with spicy foods, desserts and Asian cuisine, a true California wine.

Sauternes -- A French sweet wine from the Sauternais region of the Graves area of Bordeaux. Sauternes is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes; amazing with Blue Cheese.

Semillon -- Those from Sauternes, France are rich, honeyed and very sweet; try with Orange and Almond cake with Caramelized Oranges.

Trebbiano -- It is estimated that it may produce more wine than any other variety in the world. Used most for blending.

Viognier -- From the northern Rhone region of France, a dry wine with peachy aromas with nut and spice; rich and complex; pairs well with mild cheese and chicken; try this wine with Chicken Paillards with Mango salsa or Chicken Washington Rolls.