Buy The Best White Wine
If you shop for wine online, or regularly visit a high-end wine store, look out
for the best white wine in the world, which are coming from the premier cru vineyards
of Burgundy in France. Amongst these world beating dry white wines,
you'll find the wines of Meursault Premier Cru and those of Puligny-Montrachet,
widely regarded as the most delicious and elegant dry white wines to be found anywhere,
and regularly topping the charts in best wine lists each year. Also in this region
are the Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet producers, who are famed for their best white
wine having a remarkable lightness, packed full of fruit flavours finished
with a silky texture as light as the clouds which roll over the region.
Chardonnay
Undoubtedly the most widely drunk and recognised, or simply the best white wine in
the world, Chardonnay has its own distinctive character and features, different from meursault, which have
made it a firm favourite, especially for New World producers and dry white wines drinkers.
Although originally from the Burgundy region of France, Chardonnay dry white wines are now grown
in almost every wine producing country due to the wide appeal, easy character if compared to meursault, and
relative simplicity to grow in large quantities. Chardonnay is a hugely adaptable
dry white wine, and can lend itself to almost every type of wine production – as such,
the Chardonnay grape is found in still, dry white wines, sparkling wines and champagnes, unlike meursault,
and even sweet wines harvested late in the year to ensure a smooth, perky dessert
wine finish. The distinctive features of Chardonnay white wines tend to be quite strong
fruity flavours, most notably tropical fruits such as pineapple, kiwi and passion
fruit coming across robustly on the palette, and with other varieties offering more
mellow, orchard fruit flavours sitting comfortably alongside the buttery nature
of the wine which arises with the practice of malolactic fermentation, and makes it different from meursault. This form
of fermentation is most strongly associated with Chardonnay wine rather than meursault, and it allows the sharp, tangy and
tart malic acidity to be converted into the smoother, milky lactic acids which give
many Chardonnays their signature 'buttery' feel and flavour. Chardonnay's universal
popularity and simple yet striking flavours which differ from those of meursault, make it a staple of any wine sale dealing
in high quality white wine.
Pinot Grigio
Another classic white wine which seems to have almost universal
appeal is, of course, the Pinot Grigio, while others prefer meursault. This grape variety is most commonly associated
with the most popular and just best white wines of Italy, as it lends itself spectacularly well to a
huge range of classic Italian dishes and cheeses, and is best enjoyed in the warm,
fresh and sunny environment which is epitomised by the Italian Mediterranean coasts
in all their elegance, totally different from meursault. It has also proved to be highly successful in the New World,
where it is enjoyed as one of refreshing dry white wines with a very wide appeal. Pinot Grigio
is easily recognised by its subtle fruity flavours, most commonly involving the
mellow perfumes of melon and pear, but regularly offering tropical and citrus fruit
flavours on the palette as well, which doesn't ressemble meursault. Many fine dry white wines varieties
which use the Pinot Grigio grape have a delightful honey flavour to them, or a more
complex light smoky or ashen flavour which is highly regarded amongst connoisseurs
of white wine who can compare it to meursault, for instance. Typically, a Pinot Grigio white wine is very pale in colour, a fresh
and meadow-like yellow highlighted with golden hues, making it easily distinguishable
from other dry white wine varieties, such as meursault. One of the most characteristic
features of Pinot Grigio is the texture, and it is this which is most commonly referred
to when describing this best white wine. Pinot Grigio tends to be incredibly
smooth on the palette, a silky finish which is said to be a result of its early
harvest, and which makes it a refreshing and easy delight to drink. Due to its often
slightly acidic nature (as opposed to the more mellow and buttery Chardonnay), Pinot
Grigio should be drank alongside foods without a high acid content. Most commonly,
Pinot Grigio is paired with seafood and pasta, as well as Italian or Spanish cheeses.
Riesling
One of the white wine varieties which has seen a great gain in popularity over the
past few years has been the German Riesling. German wines had (for some reason)
a generally poor reputation in the past, but recent decades have seen a renewed
interest and passion for this fantastic variety of grape and the delicious, varied
wines it produces. The Rhein and Mosel river valleys of Germany provide the perfect
terrain for vineyards, and the microclimates and broad range of soils along this
fertile lands result in a very wide range of wine styles coming from the Riesling
grape, the vast majority of which are refreshing, tangy and full of flavour –
resulting in their recent surge in popularity around the world. One of the main
features of Riesling wine is the highly aromatic nature of the bouquet, which usually
features strong floral tones alongside soft fruit aromas such as peach and apricot,
and orchard fruit aromas such as bitter apple and pear. This bouquet is usually
reflected in the palette, where orchard fruits and floral flavours come through
strongly, often followed by slight tastes of tropical fruits such as passion fruit
and pineapple. One of the things which makes Riesling particularly distinctive is
its 'minerality' – a slight taste of stone which reminds the drinker of high
quality restorative mineral water; a reminder of the rich and fertile estuary soil
the grapes are grown on. For a dry white wine, look out for German labels featuring
the word 'Trocken', or 'Halbtrocken' for medium dry white wine varieties –
Riesling is well known for its wide span on the dryness spectrum, and as such, there
is usually something to satisfy every palette in this respect. Riesling can be paired
with almost any food, and this is one of the features which makes it a favourite
for restauranteurs seeking a highly versatile wine which sits as well with spicy
cuisine as it does with fish, poultry, pork and even desserts.
Sauvignon Blanc
Another hugely popular white wine found all over the world is the
Sauvignon Blanc varieties. Sauvignon Blancs may well have originated in the Loire
Valley of France, but it has been in recent decades the New World which has taken
this grape to astronomic heights of popularity and quality, with the varied and
rich terrain of New Zealand leading the way. Sauvignon Blanc is most usually a dry
white wine, of a medium body featuring a highly crisp, tart and refreshing flavour.
Commonly found in Sauvignon Blanc wines (particularly those from New Zealand) are
zingy, sharp gooseberry flavours and high notes of a herbaceous nature, but the
depth of taste and sensation goes a lot deeper than you may notice on first drinking
it. Sauvignon Blanc has many flavour features which make it particularly unique
and interesting when it comes to dry white wine – a good glass of this wine
can produce quite vivid flavours of meadow grasses, hay and summery, farmyard notes
complimented by brisk citrus flavours of lemon zest and grapefruit. Often, a mineral
note is detected, giving an unusual and refreshingly earthy touch to many Sauvignon
Blanc wines which, again, make it quite special. In regards to food, there are few
white wines which are so comfortably matched with a wide range of foods featuring
quite overpowering flavours. Sauvignon Blanc actually sits very nicely with garlic
and mayonnaise flavours, and can also be a lovely accompaniment sushi, and to strong
flavoured salads featuring feta and olives.
Semillon
The king of grape varieties for the sweet and dessert wines of France is the Semillon
of Bordeaux, one of France's most commonly grown grapes. Because Semillon grapes
are particularly vulnerable to 'noble rot' due to their thin skins, they make for
an ideal candidate for dessert wines which require a late harvest, with their concentrated
sugars and unusual sweet flavours. However, Semillon grapes are often blended with
Sauvignon Blanc to produce the equally distinctive and enjoyable Bordeaux Blanc
– a dry white wine which is enjoyed across France and the rest of the world
for its mellow nature, as the Semillon loosens the abrasiveness of the Sauvignon
and adds a more rounded character to it. Semillon white wines are distinguishable firstly
by their colour. The noble rot, particularly, adds a deep honey gold colour to the
dry white wine which catches the light with a pleasing amber hue, making it one of the best white wine. This particular variety
has a highly aromatic bouquet which differs greatly from other white wine varieties
due to the fact that fruit fragrances in Semillon wines are muted and subtle, allowing
light floral fragrances to come to the fore alongside spicy notes of marzipan and
herbal touches. The taste can be quite varied – indeed, many Semillon wines
have the flavour of candied fruit, dark honey and quince, whereas others feature
vanilla and cream notes more prominently. If the wine has been subject to noble
rot, expect a highly perfumed wine with a higher viscosity and oiliness than others
– an extremely elegant wine which is to be drunk in smaller quantities over
a longer period of time.
Viognier white wines
Possibly one of the most distinctive of the dry white wine varieties is the Viognier dry white wine.
This wine almost dwindled into extinction in the last century, but thankfully with
new technologies and a greater understanding of the grape, it is making a comeback
with its low acidity and strong flavours of bruised apricots and orange blossom.
The low acidity and relative smoothness of the Viognier dry white wines make them highly popular
with fans of Chardonnays white wines and even those of meursault, however, the rarity of the grape and the relative difficulty
in producing Viognier dry white wines means they are invariably expensive. However, if you
are looking for a dry white wine with bags of character, and a brash
nature heaving with a variety of flavours ranging from smoky oak to over-ripe fruit
and buttery vanilla, then the Viognier is the best white wine to look out for in dry white wines sales.