White

Column 1

This column represents bold white wines that can have the greatest weight, texture, and flavor when you drink them. They might feel more viscous or rounder in the mouth — almost as if they were thicker. They may have more alcohol, so check the level on the label. Sometimes being fuller-bodied is due to the grape variety, or it may be because the grapes used to make the wine have been left to ripen for as long as they can; often it is attributable to the winemaker using methods that add weight to the wine, such as using oak, which adds a creamy texture or dimension.

If you like red wines, you may enjoy this style of white wine more than the lighter styles.

C CHARDONNAY: OAKED

A famous, versatile, leading or international white grape variety that makes dry wines in many wine regions across the globe. The fatter, riper style of Chardonnay is often made in hotter regions, where the grapes mature fully. This element of the table represents the full-bodied version of Chardonnay, and these wines may have high alcohol levels. Here winemaking techniques are used that can add a buttery, vanilla, creamy edge and deep color to the final wine. Once overoaking masked the super-ripe New World fruit bombs of melon, mango, and tropical fruits. Now these Chardonnays are more restrained, better balanced and textured, with refreshing hints of spice such as ginger and cinnamon as well as toasty notes; the oak and fruit are working together in a more integrated manner. Aspirational white wines of Burgundy are subtly oaked, infusing them with gentle vanilla and cream notes. This fuller-bodied oaked style of Chardonnay is often suitable to keep, and as it ages it becomes more honeyed and nutty. (Another white grape, Pinot Blanc, can be similarly styled.) Full-bodied Chardonnays can pair well with dishes with cream sauce, and the finer examples are on restaurant wine lists around the globe. For those who prefer white to red wine, oaked Chardonnays can partner with roast dinners due to the range of accompaniments.

PI PESSAC-LÉOGNAN

An esteemed French wine region, or appellation, situated in the northern part of Graves, part of the Bordeaux winemaking region in southwest France. Wines from here are dry and rich, and can be mouth-watering whites (and also reds, but see Bordeaux). Whites are usually a blend of the white grapes Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon plus sometimes a splash of Muscadelle, which adds an extra dimension as a suggestion of musky, floral perfume, and a splash of spice. When young, these pale, fresh, and lively blended whites are more subtle than a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and can have citrus, green apple, and fresh nectarine flavors. Premium blends are richer, with a fuller texture, but they are more expensive. They are made using some oak and age well, gradually turning more golden in color and developing a lusher, smoother texture accompanied by more complex, lingering exotic fruit flavors like mango and clementine, along with notes of honeyed beeswax, nuts, sweet spices, and soft leather. Be warned: they can be expensive. Alternatives for aged Pessac-Léognans include aged Chardonnays like Burgundy, and you could try riper and more alcoholic blends from the southern Rhône. Pair them with light game, hams, Asian dishes, roast pork, and creamy main courses.

Sé SÉMILLON

A leading white grape variety with thin gold skins closely associated with Bordeaux in France, but also with Australia (where it loses the "é"), especially the Hunter Valley region. It can be used to make both interesting dry and succulent sweet wines with a variety of flavors and textures. It is often blended with Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle. Famously, it is the majority grape in the luscious, silky-textured, apricot, honey, and marmalade sweet wines of Sauternes in Bordeaux (see page 128). Both dry and sweet wines can age. The more affordable wines, as well as those from cooler climates or where the grapes were harvested when less ripe, have fresh flavors of lemon, apple, pear, and a touch of waxiness, plus white flowers. This style pairs well with bass and other seafood, herbs, and pasta. Sauvignon Blancs can be an alternative here. Aged Semillons and those from warmer regions have richer flavors and aromas, such as mangos, peaches, figs, and ginger. They are more likely to be made using oak, and cost more. This maturation adds another layer of flavors like butter, vanilla, and a touch of smokiness; there may also be nuts and higher alcohol too. Richer versions are a good match for roast chicken, butternut squash, and mushroom risotto. Also try Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Viognier. Semillon can be added to Chardonnay to make the wine zippier, fresher, and more affordable, so look for this blend as a midweek sipper.

Mr MARSANNE

A weighty white grape variety found in French wines from the Rhône and farther south, and in a few other sun-kissed regions too. Often found blended with Roussanne, which adds heady perfume to the fruit, it is usually dry, with acidity levels that are not too high. It has a full-bodied, smooth texture in the mouth, with plentiful levels of exotic peach and melon fruit, honeysuckle, and alcohol. It can be almondy, quincelike, and honeyed, especially with age. Famous French wines are called names like St-Joseph, CrozesHermitage, and Hermitage, the most expensive. For more affordable Marsanne, try a white Côtes du Rhône or look for one from Languedoc-Roussillon, which might contain other grapes as well. Great with grilled food, butter sauces, and mildly spiced Asian meals. You might also like Chardonnay, Viognier, oaked white Riojas, and Pessac-Leognan.

Mn MÂCON

Mâcon is a wine region in the south of Burgundy, France. It makes mostly white wines from Chardonnay grapes, with some red Gamay and Pinot Noir wines. Mâconnais white wines are straw-colored. (They can have more specific vineyard names, like Pouilly-Fuissé, which typically signifies a better-quality wine than simple Mâcon; Mâcon-Villages is halfway between.) They are dry and fresh with a full (especially in warmer vintages) to medium, rounded, smooth, honeyed texture plus white-flower flavors, citrus fruits, and perhaps a touch of crème fraîche. Premium versions are richer, with poise, and offer complexity plus depth of flavors balanced by elegance and minerality from the limestone soil. (Compare with Chablis wines from north of Burgundy, which are more acidic and linear in style.) Food-friendly pairings include finger food, dishes in creamy sauces, and risottos. They are often better with a touch of age as they soften and are more approachable, developing earthy mushroom notes. Refreshing red Mâcons are light and juicy with red-cherry and soft, red-fruit flavors; perfumed, with light tannins. Try with ham, terrines and pâtés, and savory pastries. The lively, elegant rosés are much harder to come across, though, and being similar to...