WHITE WINE 101

As you’re browsing through the fruit and veg aisle of your supermarket have you ever stopped, picked up a bag of grapes and wondered to yourself how these delicious little balls of fruit can turn into wine – and whether you can make this at home – and if it’s as simple as making your own kombucha? Well, no!

Wine grapes are not your average supermarket type of grape. Wine grapes are smaller, sweeter and have thicker skin. There are literally over a thousand types of wine grapes (not in your local supermarket!), but for now we are going back to basics and breaking down what the most popular white wine options are.

RIESLING

Mention to your friends you want to split a bottle of riesling with dinner and you’ll be met with outrage! It’s a polarising wine. Many people think it’s too sweet – and it certainly can be, but don’t let this put you off.

The sweetness of a riesling is ultimately up to the winemaker and it all comes down to the fermentation of the grape sugar. More fermentation will produce a sweeter wine, while less fermentation will create a drier flavour. Unfortunately, this is hard to tell by just looking at a bottle so I recommend trying a few brands to find what works for you.

PINOT GRIS

Pinot gris (or pinot grigio) has been gaining popularity with long-lunching Aussies and for good reason. It’s an all-foodfriendly white wine that does not cloud your palate with oak.

It’s a very easy to drink, dry, light-bodied white wine with hints of delicate citrus and light floral notes and a delicious tingly aftertaste. Some regions may produce a more tart wine, making it more acidic.

SAUVIGNON BLANC

Sauv blanc is the most popular white variety for Australian wine drinkers. It’s a dry wine, typically tart and very citrusdriven (think grapefruit) but also quite grassy and refreshingly crisp.

Due to its incredible popularity you can generally pick up a great bottle for less than $15, but to make a good impression at that next dinner party, take a bottle of Sancerre. Sancerre is a sauvignon blanc from Sancerre in the Loire Valley region of France. It’s all the rage in the Parisian bistros and, as they say, so Frenchy, so chic!

CHARDONNAY

Most of us think of chardonnay and just think of a mouthful of oak. In the 1980s and ’90s winemakers, particularly massmarket ones, went a little too heavy with the oaking process.

This turned off a lot of people (including myself ). Thankfully, this process has pretty much stopped and we have gone back to a more gentle touch with oak use. Chardonnay is a dry, fullbodied white wine, with a buttery aroma and a toasted vanilla scent.

If you’re still not a fan of oak? Try an unoaked chardonnay for something more refreshing and crisp!

CLEO MUNNS

WHO Art Director