How Do You Choose the Right White Wine?

This is the first question to guide your choice. Among the different types of white wine, some are vinified to produce dry white wines, others to produce sweet white wines. Depending on what you're looking for, the white grape variety, i.e. the type of grape, can already give you some clues about the style of wine and its aromas. The Chardonnay grape variety, for example, is almost always vinified as a dry wine, as are Sauvignon Blanc and Melon de Bourgogne. The Sémillon grape variety, found particularly in the Bordeaux region, often produces sweet wines.

Faced with hundreds of possibilities when it comes to making your purchase, how do you choose a good white wine? It's not a simple question when you're not an expert, and the world of wine can be intimidating with its hundreds of bottles! In order not to confuse you too much, the following recommendations relate only to still white wines and not to sparkling white wines.

In winemaking, the alcoholic fermentation stage transforms the sugar from the grapes into alcohol. When all the sugars have been converted into alcohol, the wine is dry. Certain appellations or wine-growing regions are known for producing only dry white wines. This is true of Burgundy, where all white wines are dry. In Alsace, you often need to know the winemaker's style to know whether the wine is dry, semi-dry, or off-dry with a hint of residual sugar, since noble grape varieties such as Riesling or Gewürztraminer can be made into both dry and semi-dry wines. White wine tasting is therefore essential to determine the true level of sweetness in white wine.

Not all white wines are alike. They all have different aromatic profiles. This is mainly due to the grape variety used. Some grape varieties are said to be aromatic, revealing pronounced fruit and floral aromas. This is the case of the following grape varieties, to name but a few: Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Muscat.

Depending on what you want from your white wine, it's wiser to choose certain bottles over others. If you want a bottle of white wine that's ready to drink, choose young, simple, supple and fruity wines that can be aged for two to three years maximum. These wines are normally inexpensive and are not intended for ageing, but for quick consumption. Most white wines on the market are ready to drink. The white wines of Languedoc-Roussillon, including the Côtes de Gascogne IGP, are all supple, fruity wines that are ideal for quick drinking. If you want to give a bottle of white wine as a gift to a connoisseur, choose a complex white wine for ageing. If the intention is to drink it quickly, choose a wine that is already several years old, between five and seven years. Not all wines are intended for cellaring. Instead, select the Premiers Crus and Grands Crus or appellations renowned for ageing, such as the white wines of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC.

Some wines have absolutely incredible ageing potential. This is true of sweet and luscious wines, which can be aged for a very long time. The sweet wines of the Sauternes appellation, including the famous Château d'Yquem, are particularly well suited to ageing. The same is true of Vin Jaune from the French Jura region. These wines, made from white grape varieties, are produced under a protective film of yeast that allows them to age for up to several decades! So there's no need to worry about 'forgetting' these wines in your cellar!

You can also choose a wine to match your menu:

• Fish, sushi, shellfish and crustaceans: a young, dry, simple white wine. A Muscadet, Chablis or a Côtes-de-Provence white wine, for example.
• Cheese dishes: young, dry and fresh white wine. Nothing beats a wine from the French Savoy region! Roussette de Savoir or Apremont, for example.
• White meat in sauce, poultry: a white wine a few years old, especially if your recipe contains mushrooms! Chablis 1er Cru or a white Saint-Joseph, for example.
• Desserts or blue-veined cheeses: sweet, semi-dry or dessert white wine. A Sauternes, a Coteaux du Layon, a Tokaj or a late harvested Vendanges Tardives from Alsace.

Of course, it's not always possible to know in advance what you're going to eat when you're invited somewhere. In any case, you should keep in mind that no pairing is ever bad in itself. A wine adapted to your dish will simply enhance the elements contained in your meal, and the meal will enhance the cuvée selected.

As neophytes, the best advice we can give you is to taste white wines whenever you get the chance, and of course to talk to the connoisseurs around you. Why not subscribe to specialist wine magazines? These will give you information on the different styles of wine available, as well as information on new vintages! Because while all wines are different, not all vintages are the same! Take an interest in both horizontal and vertical tastings, which will guide you through the particularities of different vintages and grape varieties.

Although some labels give very little information about the style of wine and its aromas, there are a few clues that can give you an idea of what the wine will taste like. A wine with very little alcohol is likely to be a sweet white wine, or at least contain a certain amount of residual sugar. In Europe, and particularly in France, the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system gives you an idea of the style, since the cuvées with an AOC must comply with specifications that are often very restrictive and precise.

The terms 'fine wine' or 'special cuvée' have no enologist value in themselves. They are at the discretion of the winemaker. The term 'Cru classé', on the other hand, refers to an estate listed in the famous Bordeaux classification of 1855. Often a guarantee of quality thanks to the estate's reputation, winemakers listed in the famous classification use this label. However, we strongly recommend that you take an interest in the Crus Bourgeois. These Bordeaux wines do not feature in the 1855 classification, but they are tasted by a committee and are therefore just as much a guarantee of quality, while being much more affordable than the 1855 wines.