How to Choose a Bottle of White Wine

If you're a beginner to the world of wine or white wine in particular, get to know a few of the bottles out there. Choose your next wine with at least an idea of what you might expect. You might be wrong, but you'll learn more about choosing wine.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

A Few White Wines to Choose From

1. Fill up on a full-bodied Chardonnay. Give this popular wine a taste, noting its buttery oak flavor, often with notes of citrus or tropical fruits.

2. Compare the Chardonnay to a bottle of light-bodied Riesling, with its floral aromas and apple, peach or pear flavors. Try both a dry and a sweet Riesling to find out which taste suits you.

3. Sample a medium-bodied Gewürztraminer to experience a spicier edge to the Riesling.

4. Experiment with bottles of each varietal from several different vineyards--following the advice of your local wine vendor. The specific characteristics vary greatly, even among the same varietal. Explore and compare to find the wine that works for you.

Pairing Food and Wine

5. Decide what kind of food you want to serve, and then select a bottle of white wine that will compliment or balance the flavors of the meal. Think about sweetness, bitterness, saltiness, texture and overall flavor strength. Try not to overpower the food with the wine, or vice versa.

6. Head to the wine store and ask for advice on matching a specific bottle of white wine to your meal. Go with something in mind to help narrow things down, perhaps one or two varietals that spark your interest.

7. Use an online wine and food pairing guide for more ideas. Depending on the site, browse a list of suggestions, check out a pairing chart, or enter in a particular food for a list of good wine matches.

8. Experiment on your own with different selections of white wine.

Tips & Warnings

• Have a seafood buffet in a sea of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay--fish, lobsters, oysters and crabs. Have some chicken, if seafood's not your thing or go light with mild to strong cheese.
• Balance a salty plate of ham with a somewhat sweet Riesling or Gewürztraminer. Or, sneak off with some mussels, shrimp and lobster from a seafood buffet, and top it off with some sushi or another Asian dish. If you want some cheese, try to keep it mild.

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Resources

• Learn more about white wine at Damngoodwine.com.
• Pair your dinner with a white wine at Wineanswers.com.