A dry white wine is refreshingly crisp and makes a great drink on a summer’s day. It’s also one of the easiest wines to cook with since it has a low alcohol content and high acidity, which balances out the richness of heavy sauces or creamy risotto.
You can find dry whites in most regions around the world. However, some are sweeter than others and may not pair well with certain dishes.
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio is a popular white wine that’s made from the grape variety of the same name. It’s typically a dry wine with citrus flavors and acidity that makes it refreshing to drink.
It’s also a light-bodied wine that’s popular for pairing with seafood and cheese. Its taste can vary based on where it’s made, but it usually has fruit flavors of lemon, lime, green apples, and honeysuckle.
In Italy, Pinot Grigio is produced in Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli, Trentino and Alto Adige, which are all hilly areas where warm winter winds protect the vines from harsh weather conditions. This allows the grapes to ripen and produce wine year-round, making it one of the top white wines in Europe.
Italian Pinot Grigio is often a lighter-bodied wine that’s more crisp and fresh, with high acidity and some bitter almond notes. It can also be slightly sweet with a hint of residual sugar.
The flavor profile of Pinot Grigio differs depending on where it’s made, and what winemaking techniques were used during production. Some Italian Pinot Grigios are harvested early to preserve freshness and acidity, while others are left to ripen for a richer taste that will age better in bottles.
American and Australian versions of the Pinot Grigio grape are harvested a bit later than Italian Pinot Grigios to highlight fruit-forward, slightly richer flavors. They can be slightly sweet, too, with some grapes producing additional sugar in the process of ripening, resulting in a richer, more tropically-flavored wine.
France’s Alsace region is another place where Pinot Grigio is grown, and it’s typically a medium to full-bodied wine that offers subtle stone and orchard fruit flavors with spicy floral notes. Its aromas can range from saline-like minerality to faint honeyed notes and floral aromas like honeysuckle, depending on where the grapes are grown.
Pinot Grigio is a popular wine in the United States, too. It is the second most popular imported white wine in the country, after Chardonnay. It is also produced in Central and Northern California, Washington, and Upstate New York.
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc is a versatile grape variety that produces dry, sparkling and sweet white wines. Originally from the Loire Valley in France, it is also popular in South Africa and California.
In its most classic form, Chenin Blanc is a lean, minerally wine with flavors of pear and quince, ginger, chamomile and passion fruit that are cut through with mouthwatering acidity. These are often complemented by orchard and citrus fruit, as well as floral notes like honeysuckle.
This is a style of wine that pairs best with light meals like fish, chicken salad and spicy Asian dishes. Oak aged versions of this wine are especially nice with creamy pasta and potato bakes.
Chenin is a high-acid white grape that can stand up to long aging. Depending on the producer and how they want to age it, Chenin Blanc can be fermented in both oak and stainless steel barrels. The type of barrel used can affect the flavor and aroma.
When a wine is made with oak, the tannins and vanilla flavors that come from oak can add a certain richness to the wine. Some producers use chestnut or acacia wood to avoid these flavors, as they do in Savennieres.
During the fermentation process, winemakers can adjust the temperature and time to produce different styles of Chenin Blanc. Some wines are fermented at a warmer temperature, such as those from the Loire Valley, while others are fermented at a cooler temperature, like many examples produced in South Africa.
The ripeness of the grapes is also important to the styles of Chenin Blanc that are made. Growers typically select the grapes by hand in successive pickings called “tries” to achieve optimal ripeness and balance between sugars and acids.
In France, where the majority of Chenin is grown, winemakers emphasize its orchard and citrus fruit aromas and flavors, as well as its floral notes. These are particularly apparent in the dry bottlings of Vouvray and Coteaux du Layon, as well as the luscious dessert wines from Quarts de Chaume.
Chenin Blanc is prone to botrytis, which can develop and add honeyed characters to the wine. This can happen at the very end of the harvest, when a lot of the grapes are beyond ripe. It’s the same fungus that gives Sauternes and Trockenbeerenauslese their signature sweetness.
Riesling
Riesling is one of the most widely grown and well-loved grapes on the planet, producing wine in many countries around the world. It is primarily associated with Germany, but it can also be found in France and in the United States, where it is made into dry or sweet wines.
This effervescent wine has an intense, floral aroma that is very distinctive to the variety and the region where it is grown. It can offer primary fruit aromas of nectarine, apricot, honey-crisp apple and pear, often mixed with delicate floral undertones. This can also include hints of honey, jasmine, and even lime peel.
The flavor profile of Riesling can vary by region, but it usually has an abundance of ripe fruit flavors such as apples, pears, apricots, and citrus fruits like lemon and lime. The unique balance between sweetness and acidity can make it a very versatile wine.
Traditionally, most Riesling wines were sweet to balance the high acidity, but more recently there has been a rise in the availability of dry (or not-sweet) varieties. This means that it is now possible to enjoy a dry Riesling without having to compromise on its flavor and quality.
These drier Rieslings are typically lighter in body and tend to have a more refreshing, effervescent quality to them. They are typically made from younger vines and may lack the deep, full-bodied structure of more mature wines.
In contrast, more mature vintage rieslings may have more complex aromas that include spicy aromas such as ginger, cinnamon and anise. These nuances may seem off-putting, but they are actually surprisingly pleasing and offer an additional layer of sophistication to the wine.
Additionally, rieslings that are given more time to age and refine themselves can pick up hints of aromatic honey, honeybee wax and butter. These complexities are not common in riesling, but they can add another dimension to the wine.
If you are looking for a dry white wine that will pair beautifully with many foods, then you should definitely consider investing in a bottle of Riesling. This wine has a vibrant, even balance of sugar and acidity, which makes it a versatile pairing partner with a wide range of foods. The bright acids in a dry Riesling can help cut through rich sauces and any kind of spice. This allows it to tame the robust heat of a Thai or Indian dish, as well as white fish and chicken.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a widely planted grape, and it’s one of the most popular white wine varieties on the planet. It’s often blended with other white wine varieties like Chardonnay or Semillon to create Bordeaux styles, but it’s also a popular varietal in its own right.
Sauvignon is a cool-climate variety that thrives in areas where a long, dry growing season is ideal. This helps to retain a freshness that’s characteristic of the style, which is often described as “forward zing.” It ripens early, making it versatile in the vineyard.
It’s a citrus-driven variety that can showcase lime, grapefruit, and kumquat flavors with mineral aromas. In warmer-climates, it can lean toward tropical fruit.
A counterpoint to its citrus notes is typically a grassy or bell pepper note, which may arise from a compound called pyrazine, similar to that in cool-climate Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. It’s important to remember that the acidity of sauvignon blanc can linger on the palate for a long time, so it is best served at low temperatures (50-55 degrees F).
Another common way to make Sauvignon Blanc is by aging it in oak barrels, which adds a smoky flavor to the final product. This technique was pioneered by Robert Mondavi and it’s now an increasingly popular style of wine around the world.
While many sauvignon blancs are made completely dry, there are a few that are made with residual sugar to balance their acidity. This is especially true of inexpensive Sauvignon Blancs that are produced in regions where the weather is drier and warmer than their more northern counterparts.
Because of this, it’s important to look for labels that say “dry” or “unoaked.” This is the only way to ensure you’re drinking a dry wine.
It’s a light to medium-bodied wine, with high acid levels and moderate alcohol. In addition, most are made using sur-lie aging, which adds texture and weight to the wine.
This is a versatile white wine that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and tastes. It pairs well with food, especially meats or seafood. Its herbaceous flavors go great with a variety of herbs, including parsley, rosemary, basil, and mint.