White Wine

Why is it so dominant? Well, probably its versatility has something to do with it. It takes to most climates, produces a half-decent wine in most regions and gives even the laziest of winemakers a relatively easy time, if they want it. More importantly, though, its homeland, Burgundy, has forged its reputation as the grape behind one of the finest wines in the world-so it's no surprise that many other winemakers across the globe want to get in on the act and emulate such greatness.

What's also wonderful about the grape is that, because it has such a diversity of sources, there is an infinite variety of styles. It can be wooded or unwooded, depending on the winemaker's preference of the quality being produced, Chablis being the perfect example of an unwooded Chardonnay. If it comes from the New World (Australia, New Zealand , South Africa etc.), it could be more tropical in terms of fruit flavours - lots of pineapple and mango. If it comes from the Old World (e.g. Burgundy, Italy, Spain), it tends to display the more classic citrus fruit flavours of lemon and lime. And that means you could literally spend the majority of your years working your way through Chardonnay and still keep on turning up new and exciting versions. The downside of that, of course, is that you'll also have to work your way through quite a few duff ones while you're at it.

Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most distinctive grapes around, both in aroma and in flavour. It's almost instantly recognisable, even for the newest of wine buffs, with its freshly cut grass and gooseberry nose. In classic Sancerre you even get what they call a whiff of cat's pee - a slightly ammonia-like, powerful scent. It's not really a description that I would use for such a lovely grape, but, hey, whatever floats your boat.

What Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, and a host of others from New Zealand during the 90s, did was prove that the New World could take a grape variety that had been grown for centuries in the Old World, and give it a new lease of life. They emphasised the fruity, forward nature of the grape and illustrated how the New World could give structure (i.e. balanced zip, or acidity) as well as flavour to a wine.

Like Riesling, Sauvignon is rarely oaked, but there are one or two versions in California, known as Fume Blanc, where this occurs. Generally, it doesn't work all that well. Sauvignon is a grape variety that is designed to be drunk young, very young-with most versions being consumed within a year of their 'birth', and few designed to age.

Germany is of course the major source for Riesling - though a lot of the Riesling that has made its way over here in the past has been in the form of Liebfraumilch or Piesporter.so the impression given has never been the most positive one. However there are both dry and sweet versions produced in Germany and in neighbouring Alsace in France that would surprise the average wine drinker with their power, finesse and downright deliciousness. Elsewhere in the world, Riesling is being picked up as the newest next big thing - with Australia, New Zealand and even California and Chile getting in on the act, and producing some mouthwatering versions.

One of the delights of Riesling is that again, like Chardonnay, because it is planted in so many different places, the range of flavours and characteristics is wide. From Germany you can expect dry Rieslings with a slightly mineral (a bit like biting on slate) or oily texture to them, while the sweeter versions develop more honeyed, nutty tones. From the likes of Australia or New Zealand you get very limey, citrus-fruit-driven styles. In all, though, the sign of a good Riesling, dry or sweet, is a good chunk of bite or zing - otherwise known as acidity, but easier to understand as that zip at the finish of a white wine that lets you know there's life in it. It's also, incidentally, what makes Riesling a very versatile food wine.