WINE BASICS: Ok let's talk about the 2 types of wine, red and white. Let's look at white wines first. In general white wines will work with seafood, chicken and pasta with cream or cheese sauce. Here are a few simple guides and wine suggestions. White Wine: Chardonnay: Perhaps the largest selling white variety in the restaurant setting. It was once said that the only competitor to Chardonnay in the restaurant is ice tea. That has changed somewhat but Chardonnay remains very popular. There are 2 main styles of Chardonnay: Wine aged in oak and wine aged in stainless steel. Oak aged Chardonnay will be more full flavored and sometimes have additional flavors of "butterscotch". These wines tend to overshadow lighter foods. The current trend is more toward Chardonnay that is only lightly aged in oak or no oak aging at all. This results in a more fruity, fresher tasting wine. How will you know if a Chardonnay has been aged in oak? Ask the sommelier or server. That is really the only way to know unless you have tasted the wine yourself. Chardonnay is the grape used in White Burgundy in France. French wines such as Meursault, Montrachet, Pouilly Fuisse and Macon Blanc are all 100% Chardonnay. Sauvignon Blanc:A bit more crisp than Chardonnay (more acid) Sauvignon Blanc has enjoyed an increased popularity in large part due to the wines coming from New Zealand. These Sauvignon Blancs exhibit an intensity of fruit that tends to grapefruit and "gooseberry" flavors. In California producers are moving away from the old style "grassy, herbal" Sauvignon Blanc in favor of a more clean, crisp wine. Also good examples are coming from Chile and South Africa. In France the Sauvignon Blanc grape is used in White Bordeaux and Sancerre wines. Pinot Grigio: Very popular Italian grape variety that is now second to Chardonnay in restaurant consumption in the USA. Mostly served as wine -by-the-glass. Light and tart it can be a good before dinner wine. Riesling: Good for "starter" wine drinkers. Most Rieslings are fruitier and a bit sweeter than Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. They make great summer wines and also go well with lighter foods and salads. Better Rieslings come from Germany and Washington State.
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