A look at the styles of white wines available, vintage pricing and recommendations, producing regions, appropriate food pairing ideas, storing and serving tips and a bit of demystifying vineyard vocabulary that often accompanies white wines. First things first, why is "white" wine, not white at all, but yellow, golden or straw-like in color? Its color can be derived from an assortment of grape varietals. White wines are made from the grape juice and grape skin of green, gold or yellowish colored grapes or from just the juice (not the skin) of select red grapes (as in some Champagnes). The Champagne we know and love comes exclusively from the Champagne region of France, and claims the honor of being the most famous of the sparkling wines. Technically, it is the only sparkling wine that may be referred to as "Champagne." Bubbly from all other regions in the world are simply referred to as "sparkling wine."
When you’re learning to drink wine, it helps to think of white wines as being one of these four styles: crisp, sleek, soft, or rich. When people discuss the revolution in wine that has happened over the last thirty years, they must emphasize the astounding leap white wine has taken to reach the highest standards of its red wine counter-parts. Thanks to the contributions of New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs and Rieslings, Australian and Chilean Chardonnays and the continued exploration of the finest French Burgundies, Bordeaux Blancs and Champagne, there are world-class white wines to match any occasion - and they are available at most any price. White wines in the region can be crisp and dry; aromatic with pungent and exotic notes; or rich, oaky, full bodied and deeply scented. Our crisp and dry and aromatic whites are un-oaked and perfect as aperitifs or paired with a wide range of lighter foods. Rich oaky whites are more complex and stand-up to heartier, sauced dishes.
White wine glasses vary enormously in size and shape, from the delicately tapered Champagne flute, to the wide and shallow glasses used to drink Chardonnay. Different shaped glasses are used to accentuate the unique characteristics of different styles of wine. Wide mouthed glasses function similarly to red wine glasses discussed above, promoting rapid oxidisation which alters the flavour of the wine.[citation needed] White wines which are best served slightly oxidised are generally full flavoured wines, such as oaked chardonnay. For lighter, fresher styles of white wine, oxidisation is less desirable as it is seen to mask the delicate nuances of the wine.[citation needed] To preserve a crisp, clean flavour, many white wine glasses will have a smaller mouth, which reduces surface area and in turn, the rate of oxidisation. In the case of sparkling wine, such as Champagne or Asti, an even smaller mouth is used to keep the wine sparkling longer in the glass.