Category: wine

In all practicality, white wine is basically different from red wine because of the obvious color difference which is due to the skin of the grape used and the way white grapes are pressed immediately after picking. Even though it has been termed “white”, these wines actually vary in color and body, which is basically due to the type of grapes and wood used.

How to Enjoy White Wine

If you are a novice wine drinker, then this wine would be the best type to start with to avoid offending your palate. Unlike reds, whites can be enjoyed at anytime and anyplace as long as you feel like it. It can be great as an apritif and have it before dinner, or it can also be enjoyed as a cocktail. White wines are best enjoyed chilled but avoid having it too cold and the following can guide you how.

Temperature Guidelines for White Wine

One of the most important things to know with whites is that it should be refreshingly cool to enjoy, however, a temperature too low can deprive you of the subtle nuances that is characteristic of expensive whites like Chardonnay.

* If you are trying out a dry white wine or other simpler stuff, it would be best to have it very cold, particularly if you are a newbie in wine tasting and drinking.

* Heavier wines can be enjoyed at a slightly warmer temperature, but still relatively cooler than the other whites.

* An expensive and higher quality white wine can best be enjoyed at slightly cold temperatures and would be warmest compared to the other whites.

* It can take you up to 3 hours to completely chill a bottle of wine if placed in a refrigerator. The fastest way to chill a bottle is to place inside a bucket filled with iced water with a little bit of ice. Constantly rotate the bottle to even out the temperature on all sides.

White Wines and Food

In drinking wines, the age old misconception is that for fish and white meats, white wine should be drunk, while beef and red meats goes with red wine and it goes on that desserts should be taken with sweet wines. The truth is, wines can be taken with any food you like as long as you find it pleasing to your palates, although there are some guides that you can follow as a rule of thumb.

This simple rule is to pair a white wine with flavors that contrast or complements each other. Classic examples are drinking acidic dry wine with a dish rich in cream sauce or a simple fruity wine can complement well with a citrus laden dish. It is up to you actually to be open with pairings and this would be one of the fun parts in drinking wines.

There most definitely IS a red wine grape and it is, as you may have guessed, the dark black (or red) grape from which red wine is produced. If you take a green grape and a black grape and peel of the skins, then you will find that each grape is pretty much the same colour. If you squeeze out the juice of the two grapes, you ll discover that both juices are colourless or white . This may well have you asking just how it is that red wine has a totally different colour to white wine.

The answer to the colour question lies in the method of winemaking. The skin of the red wine grape is left to soak in the juice until the red colour leaks out of the skin, thus colouring the juice. While the red wine grape skin is soaking, it not only gives off its colour but produces a substance known as tannin. It is this tannin that gives the red wine a more complex texture and taste than the white varieties.
How Many Red Wine Grape Varieties Are There?
There are a great many red wine grape varieties around the world it is probably sufficient for the layman to be familiar with only the most well known and popular ones. One of the best known is Cabernet Sauvignon which is made from a red wine grape that has a very thick skin which results in a lot of tannin being found in this dry tasting wine full of body. Tannin tends to dry one s mouth somewhat, hence the statement that Cabernet Sauvignon is a dry red wine.
Merlot is another very popular variety of red wine and tends to have a slightly higher alcohol content than Cabernet Sauvignon. Where Cabernet Sauvignon is often said to taste of a hint of blackcurrant, Merlot will be described as having the taste of black cherries. It is interesting to note though that both wines are likened to a black fruit which then hearkens back to the red wine grape which is actually a black grape! This is also true of the Shiraz red wine which is said to have the taste of blackberries.
I personally like a Zinfandel wine which can be either spicy or fruity all depending on the quality of the red wine grape used. It is claimed that some of the best Zinfandel wines come from California and this is a matter for wine connoisseurs to debate. All I know that I like the red wine grape served in many forms.