White wine

1. The production of white wine

When the harvest arrives at the winery, the grape bunches (white or red) are destemmed (or de-stemmed), meaning that the grapes are removed from the stems. Next comes the crushing stage. The grapes are lightly crushed to release the juice. They are then sent directly to a press.

Then begins the fermentation process, which is an essential step in defining the character of the wine. The juice from the press is pumped into a settling tank. The must obtained from the press is thus placed in a tank to allow for settling. The particles that make the juice cloudy fall to the bottom of the settling tank, and the clear juice is then collected and placed in fermentation tanks or barrels.

The fermentation period for dry white wine lasts between fifteen days and a month and a half. It is much longer for sweet wine and can extend to several months.

This is followed by the aging of the wine, except for primeur wines. Before being bottled, the wine undergoes a number of processes designed to confirm its qualities and preserve its specific characteristics. It may be filtered to give it its full brilliance.

Blending is also a crucial stage in the life of a wine. In appellations where several grape varieties are permitted, this involves combining different types of grapes to create the vintage. Next comes bottling, allowing wine lovers to continue the aging process in their own wine cellars.

2. The case of sweet or dessert wines

In addition to longer fermentation, sweet and dessert wines are produced using various methods, either individually or in combination. These include late harvesting, which involves leaving the grapes on the vine so that the sugar concentrates under the action of the sun. Off-the-vine drying is a technique that involves evaporating the water from the grapes after harvesting. In certain terroirs, climatic conditions allow for noble rot to develop on the grapes. This technique is used to produce Sauternes, Monbazillac, and certain Loire Valley wines such as Coteaux du Layon Chaume. Finally, sugar concentration can be achieved through cold pressing. The cooled grapes retain the frozen water crystals within them and, under the pressure of the press, release only the sweetest juice. This technique allows sweet wine to be produced in regions where climatic conditions would not otherwise allow it, but the aromas are altered.

3. White wine grape varieties

There are many different grape varieties used to make white wine. It should be noted that the grapes used can be white or red with white flesh, but only the white juice is used to make the wine. Maceration, which gives red wines their color, is a step that does not exist in the production of white wines. Some of the most commonly used white grape varieties include Chardonnay B from Burgundy and Sauvignon B, which is now widely grown in France, the United States, and South Africa. The vineyards of Alsace use a grape variety that is well suited to harsh climatic conditions: Riesling B. Without being exhaustive, other grape varieties include: Chenin B in the Loire Valley, Viognier in the Rhône Valley, Grenache blanc, Sémillon B in the Bordeaux region, Maccabeu B in Spain or in Languedoc and Roussillon, Ugni blanc in Italy, etc. As mentioned above, certain grape varieties with pink or red skins are also used for white wine production: Gewurztraminer, Pinot Noir, etc.

4. White wine regions

The major white wine production areas are partly determined by consumer habits. In South Africa, Australia, and the United States, white wine consumption outstrips that of red or rosé wines. Wine-growing regions are therefore more often geared towards white wine production. France is an exception, with white wine consumption representing a very small minority, but as an exporter, it nonetheless has some very large white wine-producing regions. In addition to Champagne, the Loire Valley, Alsace, and Jura produce white wines of excellent reputation. The Bordeaux and Burgundy regions also have appellations renowned for the quality of their white wines: Sauternes, Barsac, Chablis, Meursault, etc.

5. Some legendary white wines

Château Yquem Sauternes wine undoubtedly ranks among the pantheon of famous wines. This house of excellence goes so far as to sacrifice harvests in order to protect its reputation, sometimes skipping certain vintages, such as 1974 and 1992. However, this is a sweet wine. Among dry whites, there is no such marked supremacy in terms of reputation, but certain names often come to mind when discussing excellent whites: Château Laville Haut Brion in Pessac-Léognan, Beaune Premier Cru Clos des Mouches, or Montrachet Marquis Laguiche in the Joseph Drouhin estate, Château Grillet in the Rhône Valley, and La Coulée de Serrant in the Loire Valley.

6. White wine and food pairings

Pairing white wines is once again primarily a matter of taste and following basic rules; the rest comes with experience and personal choice. However, it is obvious that a sweet, syrupy wine will not be enjoyed with the same dishes as a dry white wine. The former can be drunk as an aperitif, with foie gras, lobster, blue cheese, or certain desserts. Dry white wine goes well with non-fatty fish, grilled or marinated, or white meats. Some white wines can be used to accompany certain dishes that are difficult to pair, such as soups, salads, or eggs. In this case, dry white wines that are more or less lively and more or less fatty should be used to compensate for the alteration that certain foods cause on the palate.