I cannot seem to get into white wines outside of desert wines, and maybe champagne. For awhile I was trying out American chardonnays, but I couldn’t justify continuing to pay $25-$45 per bottle, when I enjoyed so many other red wines much more in the same price range.
I recently had the 2008 Bollinger La Grande Annee and that was exceptional, but this not quite in the price range I expect to be drinking very often. I also recently tried 2005 Domaine Daniel-Etienne Defaix Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys, expecting that it might change my perspective, since I haven’t had many whites that have been aged that long, but still it didn’t do too much for me. I enjoyed it, but would have enjoyed plenty of reds from rioja, piedmont, tuscany, bordeaux… much more. I have also been trying a variety of Riesling over the past year, but still nothing really drawing me to buy more.
The last bottle that I went back to buy more of was the 2016 Teruzzi & Puthod Terre di Tufi (80% Vernaccia/ 20% Chardonnay), but that was mostly because I was paying $13 per bottle and it was good to have with guests in the summer.
Obviously, this may just be my preference and it may never change, but I want to know what I am missing. What is it in white wine that you enjoy? Was there any specific wine that drove you into white wines? Is it the pairings?
Some people cannot stand eating sweetbreads, some love pastrami, whereas some wouldn’t touch meat with a 10-foot pole.
Like people that never eat their broccoli, what can I say to them?
Well, for me, the fruit is obviously different in white wine and I think that fruit combined with acid (in Riesling, for example) is what makes it so fascinating at a very basic level. Aging brings in other notes that are different than in red wine, too.
One specific suggestion I would have is the Bollinger Brut Special Cuvee NV, which is the basic Bollinger wine. Have you had it? While not cheap, it costs something like 60% less than the Grand Annee, so I might start there if I were you. The fact that you singled out a vintage champagne with long lees aging as a white wine you particularly enjoyed while not enjoying other white wines may mean that those fruitier notes that for me are such a selling point for white wine just aren’t appealing to you.
Of course, your situation is its own unique one and may end up differently, but I would say that I and many others I know experienced something like this in the overall wine journey, described chronologically:
Started out liking big, ripe reds, mostly interested in reds rather than whites
Didn’t like chardonnay, based all or mostly on trying the big oaky ones that are so common, but was okay with things like sauvignon blanc
interest started to grow in old world reds and more balanced styles of new world reds
gradually started to discover there were chardonnays that I loved. It just was a matter of finding new world producers that made more acidic, more minerally, less oaky styles I like (Kutch, Rhys, Chanin, Copain, many recent Oregon producers), plus finding Burgundy, Chablis and other international wines made in styles that clicked for me. Also discovered Loire chenin blanc, California grenache blanc, and other whites that work for me. Also might be finding the styles and ages of riesling that click for you around here.
percentage of wine consumed which was white started to rise significantly
I’m not saying that is how someone ought to end up, or that you will end up that way, but it is a fairly common journey. My guess is that you’ll gradually find more whites that fit the style and price you’re looking for, and once that happens, the percentage of white wine in your overall consumption will rise.
First off, I think it’s important to note that it’s ok to not like a type of wine. Preferences are just that, and there’s nothing wrong wit just drinking reds, champagne and dessert wines if that’s your preference.
I’m curious to know what type of rieslings you’ve tried. I feel like rieslings with some sweetness like feinherbs, off-dry kabinets, and spatleses would probably appeal to your palate given your taste for dessert wines. Not sure if you’e had a chance to try any of those
I agree with all of what Chris says. There’s no reason you have to like whites.
I drink red 95% of the time, but sometimes I just have to have a dry white. It might be a white Burgundy, a Vouvray or a not-over-the-top California chardonnay. I recently had a Ravines Finger Lakes Dry Riesling, which was surprisingly complex after it had been opened a while. I’m going back to buy more at $17.
A few random additions:
Sometimes the best Old World whites need decanting to really show their stuff, or are better on day 2 if they’re refrigerated. You can miss a lot popping and pouring, particularly if the bottle is straight out of the fridge at 40F.
See if you can find a white Lopez de Heredia - Rioja, either the Tondonia or Gravonia vineyard. Freaky, funky, fascinating wines, they’re released 10+ years after the vintage. They aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but they are the answer to the claim that all white wines are boring.
Some of the most profound, fascinating whites I’ve ever had have been aged Austrians, riesling and gruner veltliner. If you can find some with 10 or 15+ years age from a top producer, they’re worth trying.
I’ve found some mass market Argentine torrontes bottlings really interesting. The grape is related to muscat and is very aromatic (a bit soapy at times). Something a bit offbeat and generally very cheap.
What types of domestic chardonnays were you trying, and what didn’t you like about them?
As I indicated in my prior post, if you were mostly trying (a) widely available supermarket / Costco / big winery type chardonnays and/or (b) chardonnays that tend to get good scores in Wine Spectator, you may have just been stuck among styles that don’t appeal to you. The very frequent comment I get when I have non-geek friends over and pour them a chardonnay is “I normally don’t like chardonnay, but this is great.”
I’m totally guessing, but whether my guess has merit or not, at least answer my first question. Thanks.
Fair question, and as someone who evolved from drinking 100% red wines to now 60/40 red/white I can relate to the journey.
My response is informed by white burgundy, which is mostly what I drink. I find white burgundy thought provoking and structured like a good red wine, with a very different aroma and flavor profile. The aromas that I love have lemony, floral, spicy, mineral driven, chalky and flinty elements. The palates have a lively texture, high acid, and are very tactile like a red wine. The flavors are more subdued with mineral driven, lemon/citrus and orchard fruit elements. They can be very complex wines, but I find you need to work harder to tease out the characteristics compared to reds.
Ultimately for me whites are a great complement to the foods that I love. Shellfish, sushi and really all seafood, cheeses, some pasta dishes etc. all match great with white burgundy.
A few examples:
Oysters and Chablis
Lobster and Corton-Charlemagne
Sea bass and Meursault
We probably drink about 2/3 whites, bubbles and rose and 1/3 red wine. I think whites/rose/bubbles are often more food-friendly than reds, and can handle a wider variety of things at the same sitting. I also like the fruit/acid/terroir balance better in young whites than young reds, so I often drink them on the young side while waiting for the tannins to subside in the reds I enjoy. If you really want to try to enjoy whites, try a variety of them from lesser known regions. There are a lot of really interesting, dry, white wines for under $25. However, there are some people who just don’t enjoy white wines, and I’ve met a number of them in my 30+ years of wine drinking. I’ve found most of them are people who generally like the bigger, more intense red wines and whose palates just don’t seem to appreciate things that aren’t “in your face.”
For me, it’s not necessarily a question of whether white is better than red, it’s more of which is better in a given situation. If I’m having sushi or shellfish, I’m going to want a white. If I’m having poultry, depending on my mood and how it’s prepared, I might want a white instead of a lighter red. If I’m hanging out outside during the day and it’s hot, I’ll probably want a cold white wine. I like white wine, especially off dry and sweet Rieslings, more than merely when pairing with food calls for it, but these are just some examples. My collection is about 50/50 white and red, however, so I likely just have different tastes than you.
fair point. I think it is mostly the complexity. That is what stood out for me with the La Grande Annee. I drink a pretty wide range of red so there isn’t really one particular thing I like, but I heavily favor old world over new world.
It may turn out to just be my preference but I guess I’m hoping that I am just missing something that I will someday discover.
kabinette & Alsace. I enjoyed both, but not enough to go seeking out more, outside of experimenting again. I do have a few bottles still though. Planning on opening a Spatlese soon too.
they were mostly bought from Pops in NY, before their ownership changed. I couldn’t tell you specifically what they were as it was before I was recording anything, but more likely towards (b)
White wine isn’t just chardonnay. Maybe you don’t like chard, but there are so many other choices.
Sauvignon blanc, reisling, albarino, marsanne, rousanne, viognier, gewurztraminer, gruner veltliner, pinot gris, vermentino,
And the the food pairings: albarino with shell fish. Gewurz with spicy Thai food, etc. Even lot of cheese goes better with white.
Agree with others there is no reason to force it so drink what you like but do continue to experiment and check in from time to time because tastes do change/evolve for a lot of people. I’ve always enjoyed white wines but always in the clean and crisp profile. I have had great aged white burgs and others that while interesting, are not something I would reach for daily with dinner. What we drink at home is heavily influenced by what we are eating and what we are eating is influenced by weather and season. So more reds and heartier foods in the winter and more whites the rest of the year. We are probably 70% white/30% red these days when looking at a full year.
I certainly have no intention to force it, just want to be open to what is out there. My cellar is 1.6% dry or sparkling white wines, and I don’t think that there will be a dramatic change anytime soon, but I never expected to like Sauternes, and now it is among my favorites. Who knows what will be next.
My guess is that you prefer your coffee black, right? It that is the case, you are generally not going to dig a lot of white wines as many will seem ‘too sweet’ to you compared to other folks. I would think you’d like high acid and ‘minerally’ whites like Chablis - or rich Rhone whites like Roussanne or Marsanne.