A dry white wine is a low-alcohol and low-sugar variety of white wine that generally offers crisp flavors. This type of wine is popular with wine drinkers because it pairs well with a variety of dishes.
When choosing a dry white wine, it’s important to consider the grape varietals and the aromatic characteristics that the wine will give off. Strong aromas can add flavor that’s perceived as sweet or fruity without compromising the dryness of the wine.
Sauvignon Blanc
What is a dry white wine?
A dry white wine is a wine that does not have any residual sugar, making it very refreshing and crisp. It has a very high acidity, which helps it cut through butter and other cream-based dishes and liven up grilled seafood and pasta with fresh citrus flavors.
It has a range of flavors, which can include green apple, gooseberry, lime, passion fruit, kiwi, and peach. It can also evoke grassy and herbaceous notes, such as bell pepper, basil, tarragon, or lemongrass.
Sauvignon Blanc has become one of the world’s most popular wine grapes, mainly thanks to its flavor profiles and versatility as a single varietal or blended with other white wines. It is grown in countries around the world, ranging from France and New Zealand to Australia, California, Chile, and South Africa.
Depending on the region where it is grown, Sauvignon Blanc can have a range of alcohol levels and aromas. Some of the most common are gooseberry, elderflower, freshly cut grass, lime, and passion fruit.
While this grape is most widely produced in Marlborough and France, it does well in many regions across the globe. It is a great choice for wine drinkers looking for a lighter, less sweet, and more acidic option than Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.
It is commonly paired with chicken, fish, and seafood. It can also be paired with smoother cheeses, especially creamy blue and Romano varieties.
Because of its vibrant acidity and bright, fruity flavors, Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most versatile wines at the table. It pairs well with a variety of foods, from pasta with seafood to veal piccata preparations and smoother cheeses.
The best way to enjoy a Sauvignon Blanc is chilled, because the fruity flavors will fizzle out if served too warm. It is also a good idea to pair it with dishes that are not too heavy on butter or cream, like grilled or roasted chicken.
In addition, it is a great partner for cheeses, particularly chevre, which have similar hints of grassiness. It can be found in a number of different styles, from a very light-bodied bottling to a more complex, fuller-bodied one.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a dry white wine that is produced from the green-skinned grape variety known as chardonnay. It was first grown in the Burgundy region of France, but it quickly spread across the globe and is now cultivated in most major wine regions, including California (Napa Valley, Sonoma County), New Zealand, Australia, and Chile.
It is a neutral grape that can easily take on the flavors and characteristics of its terroir, as well as the winemaking techniques it’s used in. This makes it a perfect candidate for making a wide range of styles from crisp and refreshing to rich and buttery.
Depending on its climate and harvest time, Chardonnay can have different levels of acidity, flavor, and sugar. Typically, wines from cooler regions tend to have higher acidity and more lemon-peel and pear notes while those harvested earlier tend to have less acidity and more tropical fruit notes like mango and pineapple.
Some winemakers will age their Chardonnay in oak barrels, but it is not necessary to do so because stainless steel tanks and stone cisterns can also be used to age this white wine without imparting any oak flavor. However, many winemakers believe that aging a Chardonnay in oak imparts more of the signature buttery notes to the wine.
Unoaked Chardonnay is a great option for those who prefer the lighter style of this wine and will pair it well with white fish, chicken, shrimp, or other delicate foods. It is also a good choice for those who prefer a more citrus-like taste in their white wine.
A richer, full-bodied Chardonnay can be paired with heavier dishes that will enhance the buttery and vanilla notes in the wine. These include meats like roast pork and beef, as well as dishes that contain roasted vegetables and a creamy sauce.
Another option is a wine that has been aged on its lees in a barrel, which will give it a softer mouthfeel and a more subtle, buttery flavor. This is a great choice for those who enjoy a more delicate flavor profile, but it is not recommended for those who are allergic to oak.
Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio (US: pee-noh gree-jhee-oh) is one of the most widely produced and popular white wine grapes in the world. It is a variety of the Vitis vinifera species and can be found in Italy, France, and other countries around the world.
While it is often a light-bodied wine, Pinot Grigio can also be made into a fuller-bodied and richer style in some regions of the world. For example, the same grape in Alsace and other areas of France is aged in oak barrels to create a richer, mellower style of white wine.
The best Pinot Grigio will taste light and delicate with fresh fruit flavors. These flavors can include citrus fruits, pears, apples, and white nectarine. Depending on where the grapes are grown, it may also have faint honeyed notes and floral aromas like honeysuckle.
Some wines can also be crafted in contact with the grape skins, which can add a golden amber color and more nutty, stone-fruit aromas to the final product. The 2021 Conte Brandolini d’Adda Pinot Grigio Ramato from Italy is a great example of this style, demonstrating a bright, lively expression with a hint of toasted almonds and lemon peel.
In addition to being a dry wine, Pinot Grigio also has high acidity. This gives it a zesty, mouth-watering texture that pairs well with a wide range of foods.
Many of the best examples of Pinot Grigio come from Northeast Italy, particularly Lombardy, Veneto, Friuli, and Alto Adige. These regions are hilly and provide rich soils and warm sea breezes that help the grapes ripen quickly.
Other areas of the world produce Pinot Grigio as well, including Germany and Oregon. In these areas, Pinot Grigio is often a fuller-bodied and richer wine than it is in Italy.
The flavor profile of the Pinot Grigio grape varies significantly from region to region, making it an extremely versatile varietal. Some of the best wines of this grape will have a lighter body, while others will be a bit heavier and have more complex, bitter almond flavors. This enables the wine to pair with a variety of dishes, from light pasta to grilled seafood to light salads.
La Cana Albarino
A dry white wine is a white wine that does not have any sugar added to it during the winemaking process. This makes it a very light-bodied wine that is great for pairing with seafood.
One of the best dry white wines is La Cana Albarino, a white wine from Spain that is sourced from the Rias Baixas region. This area is known for its saline and maritime flavor, but it also has an abundance of grapes that produce rich flavors.
This wine has a straw yellow color with golden hints and it expresses traces of lime and grapefruit. It is a wine that is manually harvested, and 25% of the grapes are fermented in 500 and 600-liter French oak barrels. The rest of the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks. It then ages for 8 months on its lees.
Jorge Ordonez was the first person to bring Albarino to the United States and he has a tremendous passion for this variety. He believes that this variety has the potential to be a serious varietal when sourced from old vineyards and made with serious winemaking practices.
He has crafted a number of wines at Bodegas La Cana to demonstrate this. His goal is to make an Albarino that shows the variety’s complexity and intensity.
The fruit comes from a selection of vineyards that are dry farmed and hand-harvested, and it is aged for eight months on its lees. The wine has gorgeous citrus and tangerine flavors that are smooth on the palate with great balance.
When you pour a glass of this wine, it will whisk you away to the fog-draped coastline of Rias Baixas in Spain. It has a sea-spray salinity and minerality that is hard to replicate and never fails to impress.
It is a very light-bodied wine that is a great match for fish tacos, ceviche, and seafood risotto. It will also pair well with leafy greens, grilled artichokes, and pesto sauces.
The wine is a light-bodied wine with a bright flavor of lemon and minerals. It tastes similar to sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, but it is lighter in body and flavor.
