It is very difficult to please someone who doesn’t know what she wants. And wine, like food, can only be enjoyed when we part-know and part-imagine what to expect. Hotel wine lists with no descriptions of the wines whatsoever don’t exactly help either.
So once again, it’s time for Wine Sense to talk about some basic white grape varieties and the type of wines they produce.
Pinot Blanc: I read some very interesting stuff about this grape this morning. An eminent someone described it as a Chardonnay without the fat. For me, it gives a simple medium-dry wine with a fruity mouth. Alsace and Germany do the most commendable wines with this grape. Its easy acceptability makes it ideal as an aperitif, or to be drunk when thirsty!
Muscat: A grape which has the most unmistakably floral nose with a hard-to-miss honey note. While Alsace and Loire valley make dry wines with this grape, most vintners exploit it for muted (fortified with alcohol, hence sweet) wines.
Gewurztraminer: Sadly, and ignorantly enough, this grape is touted as the best match for all cuisines East of Europe, by even the most respected of heads on wine! People who write don’t travel and taste enough, it seems. Having an easily recognisable rose and litchi nose, the wine can be made in dry or sweet style. Alsace and Germany dominate the production of wines with this grape.
{{/usCountry}}Gewurztraminer: Sadly, and ignorantly enough, this grape is touted as the best match for all cuisines East of Europe, by even the most respected of heads on wine! People who write don’t travel and taste enough, it seems. Having an easily recognisable rose and litchi nose, the wine can be made in dry or sweet style. Alsace and Germany dominate the production of wines with this grape.
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