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Wine tannins are polyphenols found in the skins, seeds and even stems of grapes. Some examples, you ask? Chardonnay is a common dry white wine, Riesling is a common off-dry white wine and Moscato is a common sweet white wine.
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And a sweet white wine will have a sugary, often fruity taste. An off-dry white, meanwhile, is just a little sweet. What is a dry white wine? A dry white wine is simply a wine that isn’t sweet. A Chardonnay, for instance, has a medium body while a Riesling has a light body, which means the Chardonnay feels heavier in your mouth than a Riesling. Body typeīody type simply refers to how heavy or light a wine feels in your mouth.
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A varietal refers to a wine made from a single variety of grape, such as a bottle of Chardonnay or a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. Variety and varietalĪ variety refers to different types of grapes, such as Chardonnay grapes or Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Not to be all “the tannins in this varietal are positively tannic,” but if you want to discover which white wines are your favorite, it can help to know some basic wine lingo.
#WHITE WINE COCKTAIL HOW TO#
For more wine-tasting tips, check out our guide on how to host your own wine tasting. White wines vary in taste depending on traits like wine type, wine region and even the year that the wine is made, but in general, white wine tastes fruity, floral and citrusy-much more so than red wine. Red wine is made by macerating the red grape juice with the grape skins, stems and seeds. White wine is made by removing the white grape juice from the grape skins immediately, before fermentation (more on that below). Red wine, on the other hand, is red in color and made from red grapes.Īdditionally, white wine and red wine are made differently. White wine is simply wine that ranges in color from pale yellow to gold. (And, while you’re at it, don’t forget to check out our guide to red wine types.) What is white wine and how is it different from red wine? To make it easier to navigate, we’ve created this in-depth guide to all things white wine, from the types of white wine to white wine terms to know and white winemaking basics. The world of wine is complex, and it’s hard to confidently order from a wine list or online wine delivery service like Gopuff. “Maybe this Chardonnay,” you practically whisper to the waitress as you point and hope for the best. To make stunning fruity ice cubes that are nice and clear, use distilled water.Have you ever been handed an extensive wine list at a restaurant and struggled to pick one? You may have narrowed it down to “something white around x price,” but then what? As you scan the many types of white wine (the Chardonnays, the Sauv Blancs, the Pinot Grigios-and somehow also the Pinot Grises?), your eyes start to blur. Making beautiful, fruit-filled ice cubes to garnish your spritz is as easy as popping some fresh fruit into ice cube trays, filling them with water, and freezing until solid. All that to say, stay away from fruit-flavored sparkling water or diet drinks-the artificial flavors in them take away from the pure, refreshing flavor that's the soul of a white wine spritzer. Don't panic, it's definitely not like drinking sea water but there is a subtle saltiness (which is kinda nice, actually). But take note: Club soda has a lot more sodium per serving that these sparkling mineral waters (there's about 80 milligrams of sodium in club soda versus 10 milligrams in mineral water). Club soda is a popular choice for spritzers because it is very neutral in flavor, unlike fancier sparkling mineral water (like San Pellegrino, Perrier, or Topo Chico that's used in Ree Drummond's Ranch Water drink), which have subtle flavor differences based on the springs from which they're bottled.
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What sparkling water is best for white wine spritzers?Īny plain (unflavored) carbonated water will make a perfectly lovely spritzer, but there are slight differences.
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Since the wine will be diluted by the sparkling water and not masked with a flavorful mixer, start with your preferred wine then accent it with fresh fruit to match the wine's fruity notes (often mentioned on the back label). Love rounder, softer whites? Try an unoaked Chardonnay, or even a semi-dry riesling. Into dry, crisp whites? Go with a Pinot Grigio or a Vhino Verde, a Portuguese wine that already has a hint of effervescence to it. The secret to making the best white wine spritzer is to use a white wine that you already love. It's one of the easiest cocktail recipes that's guaranteed to cool things down, keep folks hydrated, but keep the party going strong! If there's a big summer cookout in the works, add this drink to the menu! Enter, the white wine spritzer: a super-cold blend of crisp, fruity white wine, sparkling water, and a little fruit for fun. Wine is always a drink of choice, but it's not the most refreshing drink when summer rolls around.
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