How to Buy White Wine

Are you baffled by the multitude of white wine origins, vintages and varieties available? Here's a quick guide to simplify white wine selection.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Decide if you want a dry, intense wine or a lighter, fruity wine. Dry white varieties include sauvignon blanc, pinot blanc, pinot grigio and chardonnay. Lighter white wines include chablis blanc, chenin blanc, Rhine varieties, sauterne and muscatel. White zinfandel is a blush wine that is fruity and somewhat sweet-tasting. Avoid white wines with a darker yellow color, which may indicate exposure to excessive heat during storage.

2. Start somewhere in the middle of the spectrum, with a semi-dry variety like chardonnay, then work your way in either direction of the dryness scale on subsequent selections.

3. Look for the most recent vintages in the variety you select. Most white wines do not improve significantly with age in the bottle and reach peak flavor in the first one to two years.

4. Explore all your local wine outlets, including supermarkets and discount stores, once you have decided which white wine varieties you prefer. Prices can vary widely for the same wine from different vendors.

Tips & Warnings

• Always keep your receipts. In many states, alcoholic beverages cannot be returned or exchanged without a receipt.