Do we under-value white wine?

How come I’m willing to spend $xx for a red wine, but not that much for a white wine? Do you find you “discount” the value of a white wine?

Yes, without a doubt as can be witnessed by my extreme lack of white wines that cost more than $25 a bottle…save Sauternes.

Absolutely, and since I love Riesling, for example, and know how beautifully it can age, I have no good excuse. It’s sheer bias.

The place we went to for Valentine’s Day had three or four Dagueneau wines on the list, and as much as I wanted to order one, I just couldn’t bring myself to pay the restaurant’s (very reasonable) mark-up. If it were a red of the same quality, I would not have balked at it.

I don’t feel I under-value white wine. I merely value it quite a bit less than red wine, which, to my palate is where it belongs. I can’t think of a white wine that has really wowed me…ever.

i adore white wines and seek out restaurants with strong white lists. i pay without a moment’s regret. one of the great aspects of living inland Nor-Cal is the very warm weather mid-June to Sept. white wine season for me.

Yes to some extent we under value white wines. I think of reds as more versatile for me though. Increasingly I think of white wines only in the context of food. Reds can be with food, just a drink to enjoy or something to share with friends to enjoy for me.

I think that most under value them, which is fine by me as they stay a bit more reasonable on price. For me, there are few things better in the Spring and Summer months than sipping a Souv Blanc or Riesling on the back deck.

Please PLEASE PLEASE continue to undervalue them and discount their value.

That makes complete sense but when is the last time you paid $40+ for a Sauv Blanc? Now how about a cab or a pinot (insert favorite red varietal here)? I don’t think it’s ever happened to me.

We have numerous Italian whites (Riserva Verdicchio, Tocai Friulano, Malvasia Istriana, Faraone Trebbiano d’Abruzzo and, yes, even Sauvignons from Friuli and Le Marche) that sell well at $35-45. North of that is very, very tough.

I think it was Wes Hagen that said something to the effect of, ‘dollar for dollar you get more bang for your buck with a white wine.’ Funny, while I can completely understand his point - and even embrace that concept, it’s still tough to pull the trigger on an $50+ Chardonnay.

hell, i am still thinking about Vineyard 29 Sav Blanc which is ~ $120/btl! i don’t want to buy but hear only incredible things. i am passing on Lail Georgia, which i adore, now that this wine hit $90/btl in this economy.

For Souv Blancs, never bought in that range though the '07 Merry Edwards is the closest to that price point that’s peaking my interest. For Rieslings, its definitely easier to cross that price point.

And Glenn, I hope those price points stay far and few between for Souv Blancs. At a buck twenty, that better be some ethereal wine.

I TOTALLY have a bias - for some reason, a $50 white wine is absolutely insanely priced, but if it is red, it’s no big deal, really. I think of Raveneau, for example, always three bills or so, and that seems so ridiculous, yet any number of '05 Bordeaux bottles will run that easily, and that’s a ‘good deal’. I have no idea why that is…

never have enjoyed this Vineyard 29 bottling but word-of-mouth is spectacular.

Check out some of the prices for white Northern Rhones and white Burgundies. They will compete dollar per dollar costwise with their top red counterparts. Bought a Y’quem lately, how do they compare price wise to a port (both dessert wines).

Overall your point is well made, however.

I’ve had it…great SB no doubt, probably the nicest domestic SB IMHO, but the $120 tag is nutz.

Gordon, I don’t think anyone would dispute that you can spend as much on a white as a red, but most of just don’t. Year after year, my favorite Riesling producer is JJ Prüm, but I’m starting to balk at the $50 Auslesen. By contrast, I never think twice about blowing $60+ each on multiple bottles of Vieux Telegraphe, a producer who I don’t hold in the same very high esteem as Prüm. It’s a bit irrational, I guess.

Because of my love of Burgundy’s I would love to say that I don’t have that bias. However, anything American, I do.

Exactly. This goes to my poll on “wow” wines and if you prefer bubbly, white, red or dessert…

I’ve had some WOW whites, but many more WOW reds. But if I see a killer white, I’m very likely to buy at a restaurant BECAUSE the restaurant undervalues it.