White Wine Really isn't...but is

Why is it that white wines are never white? Golden, straw or even yellow but never white. It all has to do with the amount of time the crushed grape skins sit with the juice during fermentation. White wine is typically not fermented on skins, so the color of the juice becomes the color of the wine. The grapes aren't white either. Usually, they are some variation of light lime green or golden yellow. It all depends on how much sunlight they've been exposed to. The sunlight also affects the wine flavors!

Wine making dates back to 6000 b.c. Early-on wine was either made with few grape varieties (red and white) and fermented with grape skins or without -Red or white. Ah, the simplicities of a simpler time. Fun fact: White wine was discovered in King Tut's Tomb! If it was good enough for a king it might be worth a try.

For white wines acidity plays a big role. "Crisp" is another way to describe high acidity. This can really affect the taste factor.

There are too many white wine varietals to cover, so I'll apply the KISS model. Let's go with a few of the most popular. Careful to discriminate against wines just because of color! There are some very interesting white wine varietals out now:

Chardonnay (Shar-don-A): Chardonnay basically comes in two forms, Oaked and non-oaked aka naked. Basic descriptors are apple, melon, citrus, various stone fruits, tropical fruits or a combination of these. If oak barrels, staves (long oak planks), chips or dust is used during fermentation and/or aging, the wine will pick up the characteristics of the wood. Winemakers do like their wood and use it often! Oak characteristics smell and taste "toasted", No. 2 pencil, vanilla, butterscotch. Oak also influences the texture and body of the wine on your palate. Non-oaked Chardonnay has become popular because it's more about the vineyard and vintage influencing the wine's characteristics. It's like prom night: Sometimes the girl with the fancy dress has the best time and sometimes the simply dressed girl has the best time. You get to choose your date with Chardonnays. Maybe you ask them both to dance!

Sauvignon Blanc (Saw-vin-yawn Blon-k): People either love Sauv Blanc or hate it. It is very distinct and where it's grown matters. Cool climate Sauv Blanc descriptors are often big and bold: Freshly cut green grass, boxwood aka cat pee (I know, I know-just go with it) grapefruit, lemon or green chilies. New Zealand Sauv Blancs have become wildly popular producing this wine style. Warmer climates produce descriptors such as: Hay, passion fruit, citrus and dry grass. It's all a matter of preference. Either way, Sauv Blanc is crisp (refreshing acidity), multi-layered and interesting. So worth a try. I lean toward the cat pee and jalapenos; it challenges my palate!

Viognier (Vee-on-yay): Fairly new to the scene, this is a very different white wine. It's got appeal for those who want more than the bevy of Chardonnays out there. Descriptors are: Exotic, luscious, musk, spice, apricots, peaches, citrus blossoms and lychees (lychee fruit can be found at any Chinese buffet worth it's salt- try one!)

White Zinfandel: This one is admittedly a ringer but I place it under white wines because it is often misunderstood as a white varietal. Not at all the case. White Zinfandel is the result of fermenting red Zinfandel grapes in a different way - no skins and no barrel aging and it comes out pink! Don't dismiss this one. True, it has more appeal with your grandmother's bridge club but done well it's a great, light-hearted wine. Easy on the senses: Strawberries and watermelon. Great on a warm, spring day.

Remember, newbies, don't be afraid to try something new and find the white wine you like!

Yes, You Have a Palate

Not all Cabernet Sauvignons taste the same. If they did, it would all come in milk cartons. To me, the only reason to drink wine is to experience to complexities of flavors, textures and aromas each delivers. The question is how do you know there are differences? Our palate; something we all have. Like anything else done for enjoyment, training is the key. Here’s your guide for your own personal palate training program: This is the part where I use one of my $3 words and Ipromise not to get technical ever again – Olfaction– our sense of smell. Did you know that our senses of smell and memory areas of our brains are closely related? We’ve all had an experience when we smelled something and it reminded us of another time and place. To me, smelling a freshly cut pine tree is instant Christmas. Our sense of smell can bring up both good and bad experiences that help us to identify a smell. Taste- Better known in the wine and cooking world as your palate. There are four areas on your tongue that help identify different tastes you experience. Sweet, sour, salt and bitter identifier taste buds are also enhanced by supertasters in each region. Your palate will also detect textures – what’s known as mouth feel. Mouth feel is important in wines. Tannins in the wine can produce a multitude of textures or structure in the wine: Chalky, astringent, soft, layered. If all you had to do is taste an overripe banana it wouldn’t be so bad. But when you put that slimy bite in your mouth… It’s all part of the overall impression of a wine that makes you go back for more or pour it down the drain. Visual- The color and clarity of wine is important. Red or white, the clarity and color help our brains to determine if the wine is going to worthwhile or not. There’s a lot of chemistry involved; something I will, for good reason, will not tackle in this forum! It’s supposed to fun after all!! Descriptors – This term is used in the wine world often. It captures the words used to describe the wine’s aromas, tastes, textures and colors. Wine is made from grapes but you rarely taste the “grape” in the wine. Good descriptors -For reds, it’s about cherries, blueberries, licorice, mint and even leather. For whites, it’s peaches, apples, nectarines, honeysuckle and jasmine. Bad descriptors –burnt rubber, diaper pail and barnyard. Keep in mind; this is the tip of the descriptor iceberg. There are thousands. Your palate training will be simple. Be aware of smells and tastes you experience. Good and bad. Now, grab a bottle of wine and pour aglass. What does it look like in the glass? If it’s white, is it clear or cloudy? If it’s red, how deep is the color? Spend some time gently swirling the wine in the glass, smell, swirl, smell. Close your eyes and let the aroma identify itself to you. Now, taste. Let the wine settle on your tongue a moment. Swish it around before you swallow. Again, let the taste identify itself. This is your wine experience, your descriptors. You might be very surprised at the results! The more you take the time to breakdown the aromas and tastes of each wine, the better trained your palate becomes. Plus, it’s fun! Make sure you’ve got a few folks around for two reasons: 1) it’s depressing to drink alone and 2) you can exchange your opinions. Believe it or not, this can help with palate training as well. You might agree with aromas others found that you didn’t- all part of the identification process. There are many other, more sophisticated, ways of palate training and I’m sure I’ll get panned for this simple method. But, hey, you’re not looking to impress party crowds with flowery interpretations of what a wine should be. You’re looking to enjoy the wine you drink. I once tasted with a superb winemaker who described a particular Cabernet as “cow pie with a cherry on top”. I couldn’t wait to taste it! It was hideous! She made good on her claim and it was all part of my palate training. Taste on!

What the Hell is a Varietal?

Var-eye-et-al. You see this a lot. In wine ads, on wine labels and in liquor store aisles. The word varietal simply defines the grape type of the wine. A wine has to be 75% of a singular varietal to be labeled as such. So, a wine labeled Cabernet Sauvignon (Cab-er-nay Saw-vin-yawn) is at least 75% of that grape variety. Often, winemakers will add up to 25% of one or more additional grape varietals to a wine for flavor or color enhancement. I like this concept. It's like a bunch of different grape varieties playing on a basketball team. Each brings a unique skill, different from the others, and often assisting one another to get the score.

Your assignment is to get to the wine aisle, grab a bottle and read the labels. Yes, there are two. The "front" label will list the winery or brand, the wine region and, most importantly, the varietal. Wines that have multiple varietals are listed as blends. For example: "Red Blend". That does not mean lack of quality. Quite the contrary. My current faves are red blends!

Then, turn the bottle around and read the "back" label. This is where the winery tells their "story". The place where you are won over and pick this bottle over the thousands of others shelved right next to this one. There will be a lot of fluff, often winemaker commentary on their craftsmanship and painstaking work on the wine. More often, this is written by a marketeer who's never even been to the vineyard, let alone tasted the wine! Don't let this paragraph woo you. However, I would encourage you to read it. You may find a kinship with the winery or region.

Now, keep reading. Usually, on the very bottom of the back label, there will be the breakdown of grape varietals that make up the wine. For example: A Cabernet Sauvignon wine may show a breakdown as" Cabernet Sauvignon 80%, Merlot 10%, Petite Sirah 10%. Three varietals with a majority varietal being Cabernet Sauvignon. This can also be listed on the front label when there is not a majority varietal in the blend. Sometimes, more often than not, however, if the wine is listed as Cabernet there may not be a breakdown at all. Can you see why this can be confusing? Know that even if a single varietal is listed, there's probably a little something else in there - like adding salt to a make a good dish great!

My next post will be a deeper dive into the world of varietals. Til then, get out there and grab a bottle of wine. Price doesn't matter. Country doesn't matter. Region doesn't matter. Varietal doesn't matter. Cork doesn't matter. Just try something. If you like it, take note. If you hate it, take note.

Wine shouldn't be intimidating. It's just fermented grapes! Lot's of choices. Some good, some bad but all worth a try!