MAIN Wine White Wines

White wines actually cover a wide range of different tastes and colors. From clear white colors to golden yellows, dry, sweet or semi-sweet, they are the wines that are defined by their light color, body, and complex taste.

White wines are produced all over the world, but the most famous are probably those made from the Chardonnay grape in France. You've probably tasted these in Champagne, Chablis, and white Burgundy from France, but the Chardonnay grape is equally at home in New Zealand and California.

Other white grapes from France that have found root around the world are Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Voignier.

White wines from Italy are also rising in reputation as Vernaccia wines from Tuscany and Pino Grigios from Veneto steadily gain in popularity in restaurants and on home dinner tables across the US and Europe.

Meanwhile, oaky California chardonnay remains one of the most popular white wines in America.

White wine fun fact: The most sought-after white wine in the US is a full-bodied
Chardonnay, followed in popularity by Riesling, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc.

Rieslings from Germany also produce quite a few stunning wines that are slowly regaining their rightful place at the tables of the world. The popularity of lower quality, sugary wines passing as rieslings have given these wines a reputation that they don't deserve. A fine Mosel, Rhine or Saar wine produced from the Riesling will erase any doubt about the quality of these white wines. Australian and American white wines made from Rieslings are also helping to reinstate the reputation of the grapes.

Take a tour of the Web's best sites for finding out more about white wines and where they come from, along with appropriate food pairings, pronunciation, and a bit of history...

More information about white wine around the Web:

Cooks Thesaurus: White Wines - Illustrated guide with brief descriptions, taste, character, suggested food pairings, and helpful pronunciation guide.

Characteristics of White Wine Grapes - Good, general overview of astringency and tastes, plus an extensive table describing color, body, aroma, and other characteristics of the classic whites.

Exploring Wine: Italy's Top White-Grape Varieties - From Italian Wine for Dummies, and another good intro to the whites including a review of wines you'll recognize - Trebbiano, Pinot Grigio, Verdicchio and a dozen more lesser-known varieties.