What's in your glass: Whites 101

Somewhere in between is the answer most of us expect: simply the name of the varietal, be it cabernet, merlot or zinfandel. Or a chardonnay or sauvignon blanc if it’s a white. Nearly all commercially produced and consumed wines in the world are of the same species – Vitis vinifera. The distinctions arise largely in regional cultivars, and very occasionally in subspecies. Let’s look at the most common local varietals – first the whites, then the reds, then the pinks and bubbly stuff – and see if we can give that casual conversation an extended life.

White Wines

There are two main varietals of white wine in the American market, with a third coming on strong, and a lingering standby. Over in Europe there are more to choose from, but the European wine-drinker makes his purchase more often based on location than varietal. This holds true for red as well as white: the French are more likely to request a Rhône than a Syrah, a Sancerre than a Sauvignon Blanc.

Chardonnay is one of the most widely grown white wine grapes in the world. It’s the grape of dry, crisp Chablis as well as the more buttery Mersault. For years California winemakers have tended to favor the richer flavors and texture of the latter, achieved by longer periods in oak barrels and a secondary fermentation process known as malolactic fermentation (turning malic acid into lactic acid, producing the buttery characteristic). It’s also a primary grape in sparkling wines, or “Champagne” to the less pedantic.

What kind of oak the juice is aged in—if at all—makes a big difference in flavor, as does the soil (or “terroir”) of its origin. Many of the flavors associated with Chardonnay, such as vanilla, butterscotch, even smoke, are usually derived from the wood, not the grape. If it’s produced in an unoaked process, usually a stainless steel tank, its natural delicacy is more likely to flourish, and flavors of apple, pineapple, mango or kiwi can to be tasted, and appreciated. Still, the wide adaptability of chardonnay also gives it a stature, complexity and, occasionally, age-worthiness that other white whites can only envy.

Sauvignon Blanc is more frequently produced without oak aging, especially in California. This is at least in part because the grape’s varietal characteriscs are stronger, and easier to identify. Aromas of grass or grapefruit, flavors of lime, melon or passionfruit, make it a pleasing wine without being burdened with oaky character. It can be barrel-aged, when it’s often called Fumé Blanc (somewhat inaccurately), but on the whole it’s neither as complex nor as age-worthy as chardonnay can be. It makes a good companion wine to sushi or other fresh but strong dishes, and you can’t beat it on a picnic.

Which is not to be dismissive: Sauvignon-based Sancerre, from the Loire region of France, boasts intoxicating floral aromas and a lingering finish. And one of the most celebrated wines in the world is Chateau d’Yquem, a late harvest sauvignon-semillon blend that is nothing short of remarkable, richly flavorful and deeply satisfying. The most expensive white wine ever sold was a 1787 Chateau d'Yquem, for $56,588. (Of course the fact that the bottle came from Thomas Jefferson’s cellar may have had something to do with it.) More affordably, Hanna Winery’s Russian River Sauvignon Blanc earns a persistent 90-point rating in Wine Spectator, and you can sometimes find it for about $13.

Viognier is a relative new-comer to the local white wine shelf, filling the niche of a flexible, flavorful white wine with some backbone. Its floral aromas are at some disconnect with its dry style, and its low acidity makes it a good softening adjunct to harsher wines such as Syrah (yes, they do mix white wine grapes with red on purpose). Some believe its name is a corruption of via Gehennae, roughly translated as "road to Hell" because of the difficulty in growing the grapes.

In Europe it is the only grape permitted in the French wine Condrieu in the Rhone valley, and can be quite expensive. And its popularity in California is attributable to the so-called Rhone Rangers, such as Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon Vineyards, who drove the acceptance of non-Bordeaux varietals in the U.S. market (primarily Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre in the reds, and Marsanne and Roussanne in the whites). It is a good sipping wine before a meal, or as a companion to shellfish, such as local crab. And, if you’re really looking to this article for help, it’s pronounced vee-on-nYAY, more or less.

Riesling is a very popular wine in Europe, more so than in California, possibly because it grows well in the cooler climates of the Old World. It has a strong floral character on the nose which can lean uncomfortably toward petrol, and a nuttiness that can also be too strong for the domestic palate. In many of its best-known incarnations it’s a bit sweet, or off-dry in the parlance, all of which can add up to a glass that’s hard to match with the preferences of the domestic wine drinker. But if you have a spicy meal, such as Szechuan, Thai, or even Mexican mole, give Riesling a shot, it can reveal itself in unexpected ways. Pacific Rim from Bonny Doon Vineyards is a non-vintage Riesling that makes a good introduction to the varietal, from which your tastes can only develop.

In the same-but-different category is Gewürztraminer, like Riesling a cool-climate white that is most often off-dry to sweet. Its floral character and spiciness ("Gewürz" means spicy in German) can overpower a simple dish, though again it can pair well with richer dishes such as sauerkraut, sausages and strong cheese. Late-harvest Gewürz is by definition sweet, thick, and complex, and may be the perfect after dinner drink for Grandma. Or Grandpapa, for that matter. Navarro Vineyards in Philo (Anderson Valley) makes both dry and late-harvest Gewürztraminer, as well as a non-alcoholic Gewürz grape juice for the grandkids.

A handful of other white wines find their way from area vineyards into local bottlings. We've already meantioned, in passing, Marsanne and Roussanne, two Rhone varietals that Preston in Dry Creek (among others) bottles as the yeild allows. Chenin blanc, most often used as a blending grape in California for its tree fruit character, is the primary grape in whites of the Loire Valley in France, such as Vouvray. But at least one area winery--Dry Creek Vineyards--puts it on the label as a varietal.

But what about red wines? That's the subject of the next article...