White wine sweetness spectrum?!
Answers: I have recently begun to enjoy white wine at the local martini bar, and am trying to learn some basic principles to the level of sweetness. I know that I enjoy a good Riesling, which I have been told is one of the sweetest types of white wines. I know the spectrum goes from very dry to very sweet, and that I prefer sweeter whites. Could someone give me a easy-to-remember guide to buying and ordering white wines? Possibly list the types of common white wines from driest to sweetest? That'd be a huge help! Possibly even an identical spectrum list for red wines as well, as I plan on trying those soon. Thanks!
Dear JoeS,
You are asking for a tall order. There are far too many grapes and wines to list in a spectrum from dry to sweet. However, I am going to list a few to give you an idea along with their typical taste:
Chardonnay: Butter, melon, apple, pineapple, vanilla (if oaked, i.e. vinified in new oak aging barrels). Chardonnay can be dry or sweet. depending on fruit content and length of harvest period.
* Chenin Blanc: Wet wood, beeswax, honey, apple, almond.
* Gerwurztraminer: Rose petals, lychee, spice. Tends to be sweet.
* Marsanne: Almond, honeysuckle, marzipan.
* Meursault: Full-bodied, dry, oak.
* Riesling: Citrus fruits, petrol, honey. Tends to be sweet.
* Sauvignon Blanc: Gooseberry, asparagus. Tends to be dry.
* Semillon: Honey, orange, lime. Tends to be sweet.
* Viognier: Peach, pear, nutmeg, apricot. Tends to be sweet.
Canary wine - a sweet white wine from the Canary Islands
white Burgundy, Chablis - dry white table wine of Chablis, France or a wine resembling it
Montrachet - a white Burgundy wine. Dry white, excellent taste.
Pinot Chardonnay, Chardonnay - dry white table wine resembling Chablis but made from Chardonnay grapes
Pinot blanc - dry white California table wine made from white Pinot grapes
Sauvignon blanc - a California wine
Moselle - German white wine from the Moselle valley or a similar wine made elsewhere
Muscadet - dry white wine from the Loire valley in France
hock, Rhenish, Rhine wine - any of several white wines from the Rhine River valley in Germany (`hock' is British usage)
sack - any of various light dry strong white wine from Spain and Canary Islands (including sherry)
Soave - dry white Italian wine from Verona
Sauterne, Sauternes - semisweet golden-colored table or dessert wine from around Bordeaux in France; similar wine from California
Chenin blanc - made in California and the Loire valley in France
Verdicchio - a dry white Italian wine made from Verdicchio grapes
Vouvray - a dry white French wine (either still or sparkling) made in the Loire valley
Yquem - a sweet white French wine, classified as the Ultimate dessert wine.
Okay, here is a short list. If you want to focus on sweet white wines, there are a few listed above. Typically white wines should be served cold around 45 degrees to maintain the proper taste.
The amount of sweetness within a wine is based upon the amount of sugar present in the grapes prior to harvest. The sugar content is known as the Brix level. The higher the Brix level, the sweeter the wine and higher the alcohol content as approximately 55% of all sugar is converted to alcohol in the fermentation process.
I would recommend these sweet wines to try if you haven't already:
Gewürztraminer: A German wine with a sweet and crisp taste.
Muscato: a Delicious sweet wine served cold. Muscato can be served alone or with desserts.
Late Harvest Rieslings: A sweet wine, delicious in taste as well, some describe it as Nectar of the Gods.
Sauternes: The finest French dessert wines. Typically very sweet and syrupy in texture.
The only way to learn about wines is to try them. If you visit wineries or a wine bar or try a tasting at your local wine store, you will learn about wines and which ones are dry versus sweet. Ultimately, it's your palate which will decide are the best wines. The more you read about wines and taste them, the more you will be fascinated by the different varieties and their tastes.
I hope this was helpful to you.
Doctor K
The sweetest white wine would be Niagara. As much as I like sweet wines... that seems a bit syrupy to me.
Muscato is a nice white wine. Pinot Grigio (pronounced as Peenyo Greejeeo) is also very nice. They're a little on the dry side, compared to the Reisling, but still sweet enough to satisfy.
A good red to try would be Merlot (pronounced Mer-low). It's a little on the dry side, but usually has a good body and flavor. Pinot Noir (Peenyo Nwar) is another one. A bit dry, but still with good body and a flavor like no other.
Some wines are blended with other fruits to help enhance the sweetness. For whites, they blend in apple and pear. The wine may start out rather dry, but by adding the other fruits, it adds to the sugar content, and makes it taste sweeter.
Reds are often blended with blackberry, blueberry or cherry. One of my favorites is a Blackberry Merlot. The blackberry pulls the Merlot up in the sweetness scale, and gives it a different taste.
If you ever have the opportunity to go to a wine tasting.... GO. There will be plenty of wines to try from different wineries. There's usually a list of the different wines from each winery, and you can make notes as to the ones you thought were good, which ones you thought were garbage... and even which winery has the better tasting one of a particular variety. You can also get a decent deal on the wines you buy there.
I hope I was able to help you out some.
Penguino and Doctor K have a very good answer...However...Try them all...There is nothing written as to which wine goes with each.meal
Doctor K's reply was excellent at trying to answer a very complex question. I don't think there's much more to add. But if you like sweet white wines, I'd also suggest Lexia from Australia (check out Alice White)--