In Defense of White Wine

So during all the time I was gone the weather finally got warm. Yes, even here in Kansas City. There was that one beautiful day on Opening Day for the Royals (where I did not drink any wine, but I did have a lovely order of chili-cheese fries to get the summer officially started), but then it got cold again. Now it finally is heating up.

Which of course means it’s time for me to start the regular defense and promotion of white wines that all wine people have to make on a regular basis. It’s a regular struggle, trying to convince people that not only is white wine every bit the equal of red wine, it also is at times for superior. Summer is obviously one of those times. So for the next several months I will be trying to convince people that they should by a light-to-mid bodied white wine (and save themselves a few bucks) and for the most part my pleas will fall on deaf ears. So one again, here is a quick primer on great white wines and why you will love them.

Riesling: Probably the greatest white wine grape in the world. There are plenty of sweet ones out there and I enjoy lots of them. They are bright, low in alcohol, relaxing, and simple enjoyment of fun fruit flavors. You can find good values in Washington, but I would normally recommend going for the German stuff where $10-$15 a bottle will get you plenty of great white wine. If you’re looking for a bit more zip go with something from Alsace, where the wines tend to be drier and the acidity and raciness comes out more. Alsatian wines tend to cost a bit more, but there’s plenty to love about them.

Sauvignon Blanc: Everyone loves the big grapefruit out of New Zealand, but don’t be afraid to branch out and try some different things. Domestically there are finally signs of promise for Sauv Blanc, with Lake County turning out several wonderful wines. Or you can go to France and find great Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre, where the minerality and the fruit intermingle with wonderful inspiration. Of course there is also Bordeaux, where Sauvignon Blanc pairs with Semillon to produce wines of vibrant acidity (admittedly, Semillon is the driving force behind the best white Bordeaux).

Chenin Blanc: I admit this is one it took me a while to come around to. Used to make the fantastic wines from Vouvray, it can also be found for a bargain basement price in South Africa (when it’s done right). Made either dry or sweet, although I tend to prefer the slightly sweet style.

Viognier: While it may never be “the next Chardonnay” like so many people predicted for so long, this is still a wonderful wine. Tropical fruits and lusciousness, ripe flavors and full-bodied texture, this can be quite the succulent summer wine.

White Rhones: I’m not going to tell everyone to go out looking for these varietals, I’m just going to once again tell you how yummy they are. Honeysuckle is the defining characteristic for the region and the wines offer a lovely balance of fruit, acidity, richness, and are just wonderful, along with the fact that they are powerfully versatile when it comes to pairing with food. Go find some of these now.

Chardonnay: It is by far and away the best-selling white wine in America, and by a humongous margin. Having said that, I’m a bit wary of California Chardonnay at the moment. Much of it over-oaked, and to be perfectly honest I’m just not liking the prices I’m seeing out of California for the most part. There are exceptions of course, but for the most part I think you can find better value Chardonnays (Argentina and to a certain extent Australia) and if you’re looking to spend a little money on a top-flight wine then you really should be looking in Burgundy. At it’s finest white Burgundy achieves a level reached by very few wines in the world (and I mean very few). That said there are plenty of white Burgundies starting at $15 a bottle and working there way up.

As an addendum to this post I feel I should tell a story that illustrates not only the challenge wine folks face in convincing people to embrace white wine but also how wonderful white wine can be. I attended a dinner several weeks ago with about a dozen wine aficionados where myself the highly-respected Joyce Angelos (The Wine Goddess herself) were the only two “industry insiders” present. The following question was posed to the two of us: “what is the greatest wine you’ve ever had?” We both thought for a moment but answered quite confidently.

Her answer was Grand Cru Montrachet while I answered white Rhone (specifically the Chateau Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Roussanne Vieille Vignes). The crowd was completely stunned. They pressed both of us, since no one really believed we both chose a white wine. The reality is that when done properly there is a level of brilliance in white wine that red wines can’t touch.