Dry White Wine: Why is it Golden?

Wine and good times go hand in hand, and numerous varieties of wine have evolved over the centuries. White wine plays a predominant role in many a cuisine, delighting many a palate with its complex taste. Each wine is unique to the region the grapes are grown and the manifold process it undergoes, and this is what makes a wine red, rose or white.

Why is "white" wine, not white at all, but yellow, golden or straw-like in color? The most famous example of a golden colored white wine is Champagne. The color can be derived from an assortment of grape varietals. White wines are made exclusively from the grape juice and the process carefully excludes the grape skin of green, gold or yellowish colored grapes or from just the juice (not the skin) of select red grapes. The coloration of the skin and seeds is not allowed to escape into the grape juice in the making of white wine, while in the case of the red wine, the color of the skin gives the characteristic deep reds and dark colors.

White wines are usually served chilled in fluted glasses with long stems. This keeps the drinkers hand well away from the drink and keeps the wine cool. Wines are sorted by the effect they have on the drinker's palate. The sweetness of the wine is due to the amount of sugar left over during the fermentation of the grape juice into the wine. When there is very little or nil amount of sugar in the wine, it is known as a dry wine.

White wines do not boast of the same health benefits of their red wine cousins, due to the absence of the antioxidant compounds present in the grape skins and seeds, which are excluded while crafting the white wine. But they have lesser amount of tannins and alcohol making it very light and easy to enjoy, an ideal choice for any beginner who has begun to explore the wine world.

The most popular of the dry white wines is Chardonnay, which derives its name from the Chardonnay grape variety. It is a vine that adapts well to a variety of climates, and is low maintenance, resulting in fairly high yields worldwide, which translate into millions of bottles of Chardonnay wines, which are relatively, priced at 8-15 dollars a bottle. The other famous dry white wines are Riesling, Savignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and so on. Wine connoisseurs describe the taste of dry white wines as cool and crisp, warm and buttery, light, fruity and so on. There are many styles and types to choose from, but the king of all dry whites is the Chardonnay that comes from Burgundy in France.

Chilled dry white wine is usually served with white meat like fish or chicken. It can also accompany other foods where the acidity balances the other flavours. White wine is used in making of many sauces and in salad dressings and in cooking where the pungent acidity is gives the simplest dish an exotic touch.