Tastings - White Wine

Question 1

Pinot Gris (Grigio)

Answer 1

• Pink or grey-skinned grape that produces several styles of white wine.
• Best grown in cool climates, paticularly Alsace, France. Here, the ample sunshine allows it to produce rich, weighty, almost oily wines with exotic, musky aromas of spice, smoke, honey, and stone fruit.
• In northeastern Italy where the climate is warm, it is harvested earlier to produce a crisper, cleaner, citrusy style of wine.

Question 2

Chenin Blanc

Answer 2

• Native to the Loire Valley and an ideal grape for a wide variety of styles. In Vouvray, it is crisp & fruity. In Savennieres, it is steely & nervy. It is also widely planted in South Africa where it is sometimes reffered to as “Steen”.
• Typically refreshing, dry, medium-bodied filled with crisp apple & herb flavors. It develops flavors of honey, toast, and lanolin with age.
• Generally consumed as a young, fresh wine, but it can also age extremely well, due to naturally high acidity and balance.

Question 3

Chardonnay

Answer 3

Cool-to-Moderate Climates
* Chardonnay performs best in these climates on limestone soils.
* The wine retain its lively acidity & flavors of citrus, tree fruit, and mineral.

Warm-to-Hot Climates
* The wine is lower in aciditiy, higher in alcohol, and fuller in body.
* Noticably fruit-forward & have flavors of tropical fruit such as pineapple or mango.

Aromas
* Non-aromatic grape variety, meaning its aromas are fairly neutral
* The use of oak can introduce vanilla and spice to the wine.
* Partial or full malolactic fermentation is often responsible for the buttery aromas that Chardonnay is known for.
* Lees aging can also add dimension, richness, and flavor to the Chardonnay-based wines.

Question 4

Saugvignon Blanc

Answer 4

• Vibrant acidity which does very well in blends with lower-acid grapes (such as Semillon).

Cooler-to-Moderate Climates
* Performs best in cooler sites where it can develop its characteristic herbaceous, green fruit, and citrus aromas.

Warm-to-Hot Climates
* Flavors give way to riper melon, peach, and tropical flavors, and the distinctive grassy note disappears.

Question 5

Riesling

Answer 5

• Styles vary from bone dry to very sweet, but because of its very high acidity, it remains beautifully balanced.
• Intensely aromatic and oftem shows aromas of stone fruit (peach & nectarine), apple, citrus, white flowers, and wet stones.
• As it ages, it often takes on an aroma reminiscent of petrol (gasoline).

Question 6

Viognier

Answer 6

• Aromatic white variety with floral (honeysuckle), stone fruit (peach, apricot), and citrus (tangerine) notes.
• Medium-to-full-bodied, with low to medium acidity & medium to high alcohol.
• Grown throughout the south of France, but is one of the few white wine grapes that can thrive in warmer areas and, as such, has spread to many New World areas.