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White Wine


Boris

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To compliment the Red Wine thread, what are everyone's top tips for white wine?

 

Will be buying a couple this evening and tend to go for a French Chardonnay, but like the Vina Sol and also New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but that tends to be a bit pricey.

 

Over to you, JKB!

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Play it safe and go for a Chablis.

 

ASDA do a rather quaffable white burgunday for about ?7. Better than the Chablis I bought at the same time pre-Xmas, imo.

 

But yes, Chablis isn't that bad a shout!

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A friend who kens their stuff had me try Viognier a while ago and I've rarely looked back. If I want a really nice white, that's what I look for.

 

My standard tipple of choice when it comes to white is usually a pinot grigio though. Far more difficult to end up with a bad pinot grigio than it is most other whites, from my experience. In bars and stuff anyway. Different when you're buying bottles in the shops.

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A friend who kens their stuff had me try Viognier a while ago and I've rarely looked back. If I want a really nice white, that's what I look for.

 

My standard tipple of choice when it comes to white is usually a pinot grigio though. Far more difficult to end up with a bad pinot grigio than it is most other whites, from my experience. In bars and stuff anyway. Different when you're buying bottles in the shops.

I like white wine but there's so much tasteless Pinot Grigio, I wouldn't touch it. If you like that but want to try something similar, try a Gavi, Fiano, Verdicchio, Vermentino or Alberino.

 

I like a good Sauvignon Blanc or a blend with Semillon. And I like a crisp Riesling (not the sweeter ones though). Viognier, Chablis, Marsanne etc I can only drink in small doses as I find some of them a bit floral.

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I like white wine but there's so much tasteless Pinot Grigio, I wouldn't touch it. If you like that but want to try something similar, try a Gavi, Fiano, Verdicchio, Vermentino or Alberino.

 

I like a good Sauvignon Blanc or a blend with Semillon. And I like a crisp Riesling (not the sweeter ones though). Viognier, Chablis, Marsanne etc I can only drink in small doses as I find some of them a bit floral.

 

The pinot grigio is my safe go-to wine, generally speaking. There's a type of white wine that to me tastes like a hangover and pretty much gives me a headache the minute I've sipped it. That's essentially what I'm trying to avoid when I'm out drinking in bars with no real wine list to choose from. A bad white is so much worse than a bad red, much much much worse!

 

Chablis is up there with Viognier as my preferred whites, but I've noted the others. I'm really a red drinker but don't like blue teeth so if I'm out and about it's usually white I look for.

 

Tbf, lately I've developed a bit of a prosecco and champagne thing. It may take over entirely as my 'white' option at some point. :biggrin:

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I was buying Sancerre at Christmas as it was on offer from ?12 to ?8 odds a bottle and it was lovely, don't usually spend as much as that on a bottle, usually spend about ?5 or ?6, but could definitely taste the difference, will get it again when it's back on offer

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New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, its the only one for me.

 

It CAN be pricey but there usually an offer on a particular bottle, for a real treat its a bottle of Cloudy Bay

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Chablis is up there with Viognier as my preferred whites, but I've noted the others. I'm really a red drinker but don't like blue teeth so if I'm out and about it's usually white I look for.

 

Tbf, lately I've developed a bit of a prosecco and champagne thing. It may take over entirely as my 'white' option at some point. :biggrin:

 

Voigner is pretty good - have usually had it as a blend, and saw it blended as a red the other day too.

 

Fizz is the mutts! Love the stuff. Aussie sparkling is usually as good a sub for champagne as anything else imo and at ?7 a bottle a steal. I probably prefer Prosecco though as it's creaminess is less acidic.

 

I was buying Sancerre at Christmas as it was on offer from ?12 to ?8 odds a bottle and it was lovely, don't usually spend as much as that on a bottle, usually spend about ?5 or ?6, but could definitely taste the difference, will get it again when it's back on offer

 

Mmmm... had this once. My sis has a restaurant and so gets sent loads of bottles for tasting. The Sancerre was genius!

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The pinot grigio is my safe go-to wine, generally speaking. There's a type of white wine that to me tastes like a hangover and pretty much gives me a headache the minute I've sipped it. That's essentially what I'm trying to avoid when I'm out drinking in bars with no real wine list to choose from. A bad white is so much worse than a bad red, much much much worse!

All the others I listed are all similar but with a bit more flavour. Wine in most bars is pretty ropey though, so I know what you mean.

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Don't drink much white wine as it tends to give me heartburn unless I'm very careful / moderate with it, but when I do, I usually go for one of the following:

  • Verdejo, Central Spain. The best are from the Rueda region, but you get decent ones from La Mancha and Valdepe?as as well. It's tangy and tasty and has its own distinctive character and taste. The verdejo / sauvignon-blanc blends are very nice too.
  • Albari?o, Galicia in NW Spain. Not the cheapest, but - again - very characterful and tangy. It has a slightly more full and richer taste than the Verdejo. Usually tends to be a bit more expensive too.
  • Gr?ner Veltliner, Austria. A lovely wine. Don't be put-off by any memories of the Austrian / Italian wine-adulteration scandals from 30-odd years ago, as they've completely cleaned-up their act since then. Austria's best-known and most prestigious grape-variety: best enjoyed in 1/4 litre mugs in Vienna's wine-gardens, or overlooking the Danube in the Wachau wine-valley, but pretty damned tasty from the fridge at home too! The Moser family wines are good quality and usually at a reasonable price, but there are a lot more expensive ones out there if you want to go upmarket.
  • Verdicchio, northern Italy. Maybe a related grape variety to Verdejo? The names are similar, and both are tasty, tangy, and refreshing wines, excellent with fish & seafood.

What these wines have in common - as far as I'm concerned - is that they have unique tastes and characters, and could not have come from anywhere else than where they do. (Having said that, Portugal also produces Albari?o - Albarihno - and Gr?ner Veltliner is also grown in smaller quantities in Hungary and Germany, but you don't often see any of those wines here anyway. Avoid the Hungarian version if you do see it as it's nowhere near the quality of the Austrian.)

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Brian Whittaker's Tache

Love a decent riesling

 

Had a bottle of Dr L's with the goose for Christmas dinner. So much bang for your buck.

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Love a crisp, dry, flavoursome white wine. Spanish Albarino and a non-sweet Riesling being favourites. Gavi from Italy is very nice too.

 

Waitrose sell a really nice dry English wine from Chapel Down called Flint Dry, well worth a try if you can get it at around a tenner a bottle.

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alwaysthereinspirit

To compliment the Red Wine thread, what are everyone's top tips for white wine?

 

Will be buying a couple this evening and tend to go for a French Chardonnay, but like the Vina Sol and also New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but that tends to be a bit pricey.

 

Over to you, JKB!

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has to be Cloudy Bay. If to pricey try a Chilean. Not quite as good but also not quite as pricey.

Should have read the thread before posting.

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The Mighty Thor

Again like the red wine thread there's plenty unusual things out there you can pick up for sub ?10 which are stunning.

 

Gavi de Gavi, Falanghina, Fiano all out of Italy or Sicily and my absolute favourite at the moment, Picpoul de Pinet from South West France.

 

Agree with the Viognier shout, again from the Languedoc especially.

 

There's a big world out there beyond Chardonnay & Sauvignon Blanc.

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The People's Chimp

Out of left field, but I love the Savoie whites. Probably because they're what I drink in the Alps, but they are quite soft but acidic and they cut right through a rich fondue, or mountain sausage. Would work well with something with a white or cheese sauce.

 

A good Apremont or a Chignin would be the ones to look out for.

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The Mighty Thor

I didn't see Zico's post but in terms of floral whites I'd add in Torrontes from Argentina and Gewurztraminer from Europe or sth America.

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Rudolf's Mate
I was buying Sancerre at Christmas as it was on offer from ?12 to ?8 odds a bottle and it was lovely, don't usually spend as much as that on a bottle, usually spend about ?5 or ?6, but could definitely taste the difference, will get it again when it's back on offer

 

I don't drink hardly any white wine but when I do its Sancerre!

 

Sainsbury's sell one which was given a gold label award and costs around ?10.

 

It might even be their own make (not sure) but of all the Sancerre I've tasted it's one of the nicest I've had.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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I don't drink hardly any white wine but when I do its Sancerre!

 

Sainsbury's sell one which was given a gold label award and costs around ?10.

 

It might even be their own make (not sure) but of all the Sancerre I've tasted it's one of the nicest I've had.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

It was sainsbury I got it from, not sure if it's their own make or not, but will be getting it again

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Rudolf's Mate

 

 

It was sainsbury I got it from, not sure if it's their own make or not, but will be getting it again

 

May well have been the same one mate as they only had two in the huge Sainsbury's I was in.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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The Mighty Thor
South African Sauvignon Blanc

Neil Ellis or Klein Constantia particularly nice

Ellis' Groenekloof sauvignon blanc was the dogs balls.

Used to work for his UK importers and drank it just about every night.

Springfield Sauvignon from Robertson is stunning too

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Ellis' Groenekloof sauvignon blanc was the dogs balls.

Used to work for his UK importers and drank it just about every night.

Springfield Sauvignon from Robertson is stunning too

Iona Sauvignon Blanc is another cracker. Better bang for your buck drinking SA or French SB than the kiwi stuff. As good as some of it is, I think it's overpriced.

 

Halfway through a Gavi that was a fine accompaniment to the Bloody Mary mussels I made for dinner (with thanks to Jamie Oliver).

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Albari?o is really nice chilled, loads of supermarkets sell it here now, slightly sweet but not overly so. If you go to Portugal its called alvarino - i reckon its the same grape. Weirdly its sometimes referred to as a verde wine rather than vino blanco.

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New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc has to be Cloudy Bay. If to pricey try a Chilean. Not quite as good but also not quite as pricey.

Should have read the thread before posting.

 

See, I told you :P

 

Also, going with 'alwaysthereinspirit's excellent taste. An old friend of mine who knew his wine and invested in it once said 'you can't go wrong with a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc'...

 

In fact, is that you. Alan :o

 

 

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alwaysthereinspirit

 

 

 

See, I told you :P

 

Also, going with 'alwaysthereinspirit's excellent taste. An old friend of mine who knew his wine and invested in it once said 'you can't go wrong with a Chilean Sauvignon Blanc'...

 

In fact, is that you. Alan :o

Sorry but I'm not an Alan.

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Can't beat a NZ Malborough Sauvignon Blanc. Cloudy Bay (for a treat) or Villa Maria from Asda at half the price it was 6 yrs ago. However for an even bigger treat IMHO, how about Italian SB (yes!) Ponte del Diavolo only downside is price and I've only found it in Valvona & Crolla.

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Can't beat a NZ Malborough Sauvignon Blanc. Cloudy Bay (for a treat) or Villa Maria from Asda at half the price it was 6 yrs ago. However for an even bigger treat IMHO, how about Italian SB (yes!) Ponte del Diavolo only downside is price and I've only found it in Valvona & Crolla.

 

Ponte del Diavolo Pinot Grigio is excellent. Really shows the worth of spending a few more pounds when it comes to white wine. Cornelius may sell it as they stock a lot of Liberty Wines - think I saw the Martin Codax Albari?o last time I was in back in November which is great too.

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Out of left field, but I love the Savoie whites. Probably because they're what I drink in the Alps, but they are quite soft but acidic and they cut right through a rich fondue, or mountain sausage. Would work well with something with a white or cheese sauce.

 

 

Ah yes. With some brie, un pan, saucisson, all prepped with an Opinel knife - perfect lunch.

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Ponte del Diavolo Pinot Grigio is excellent. Really shows the worth of spending a few more pounds when it comes to white wine. Cornelius may sell it as they stock a lot of Liberty Wines - think I saw the Martin Codax Albari?o last time I was in back in November which is great too.

The Martin Codax is a lovely drop.

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NZ Sauvignon Blanc is always good. Most Hunter Valley Verdelhos are also good.

 

Tried a new grape variety (arneis?) I had never had before at the weekend when we visited a winery in Shoalhaven south of Sydney. It was really good.

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NZ Sauvignon Blanc is always good. Most Hunter Valley Verdelhos are also good.

 

Tried a new grape variety (arneis?) I had never had before at the weekend when we visited a winery in Shoalhaven south of Sydney. It was really good.

 

Off topic but I got caught in a downpour of what can only be described as frozen golf balls in Shoalhaven :(

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The People's Chimp

Ah yes. With some brie, un pan, saucisson, all prepped with an Opinel knife - perfect lunch.

 

Preferably after a hike to find some empty powder fields under a blue sky.

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