A Quick Guide To White Wines (and an easy recipe to serve with your choice - please see below the article)
By Xavier Moldini
The color and characteristic of a wine is derived from the grapes used. In this article, we take a quick look at white wines commonly enjoyed by wine enthusiasts.
When discussing white or red wines, it is always important to remember that much of the discussion falls into a bit of a fuzzy area. Why? Well, white wines are rarely white for the first thing. Second, many a winery actually mixes wines of all varieties together to produce a desired flavor and aroma. Thus, the “white” wine you are drinking may not be entirely white. Having said that, there is little reason to avoid discussing what are traditionally known as white wines.
The dominant grape in the white wines is undisputedly the Chardonnay. It is a rare day you can find any wine drinker who has not sipped more than a few Chardonnay whites. The wine is incredibly popular for a number of reasons. First, there is a lot of it because the vine can be grown practically anywhere and is! Second, the wine is known for an “oak” flavor, which is extremely popular with wine drinkers. Third, the wine is very flexible and can be produced with a wide variety of fruit aromas and flavors. Chardonnay white wines traditionally have been very dry and full bodied. With the wide range of wineries producing vintages, however, a wide variety of flavors and bodies are on the market.
Sauvignon Blanc should either be next or dead last on our list of whites. This is a take it or leave it grape. The taste is sharp and dry. This is a not a wine where you will find fruity mixes and such. It is a classic, traditional white that people either love or hate. Personally, I love it and it goes number two since I am writing this article!
Riesling white wines are next on our list. This is a German wine that is excellent if you buy from a German winery. You can find French and American wineries producing it, but it simply isn’t the same. This is a light wine often described as “refreshing” although I must admit I have never understood that term. The Riesling whites take a beating by wine gurus, but you can find this dry, light white to be just the trick. It is markedly different than the Chardonnay, so give it a try.
There are a variety of other white grapes that are used to produce interesting vintages, but we are going to skip them to discuss a less-known grape that is up and coming. The Viognier grape is found in the Rhone Valley in France and is used to produce a flavorful, dry white that is excellent. It is typically a medium body wine with low acidity and often has a fruity aroma to it. It is a personal favorite that I suggest you try.
When it comes to white wines, there is no disputing Chardonnay is the king of the vine. Still, you should make an effort to move beyond the king to discover the interesting other vintages available.
As this is a page about white wine, I have included a favourite shrimp recipe of mine which is quick and easy and goes really well with white wines. I have this posted as an Ezine Article and this is a copy here for easy reference. I hope you enjoy this tasty shrimp dish. In my humble opinion, I must say that I disagree with the above author's Sauvignon Blanc review. I find this white wine to be quite delightful so perhaps it depends on what winery yours came from. Do not discount it, is what I am saying. Now on to the recipe................
"How to put that frozen shrimp to excellent use this evening".
Just follow these few simple directions and you will have your friends and family asking you for this wonderful, easy recipe. You can adjust it up or down, to suit the number of guests who will be joining you at the table.
(If you are using raw shrimp, you should defrost them first, and clean them of their skins and tails, and de-vein them also. I find using a paring knife and running the point of it along the vein, is a real time saver for the de-veining, and if you start to peel the shrimps on the underside by pulling at those little leggy things, the skins will come off much easier, too.)
Okay, we are ready to go now. In a large skillet, preferably a non-stick one, heat some virgin olive oil. Add some chopped garlic, or use the ready for use one that comes in the small jar. I use about 1 teaspoon for mine but you can use more or less, to suit your taste buds. Add a medium-sized chopped onion, and stir all this until the onion just is transparent. Chop a couple of red, yellow or green peppers and throw them in the same pan and stir until they are tender. If you can find them, add one really hot small red pepper, chopped finely. However, do not do this if you are afraid of hot food!
Now, add one can of coconut milk, one can of spiced tomatoes - use the ones that have the most spices and herbs that you can find - United States shops seem to carry more of these than the Canadian ones, I have found - the spicier the better for this tasty dish.
Add a little salt and pepper if you like, and simmer this until it has reduced most of the liquid but still leaving enough to place the shrimp in a liquid cooking base. Do not put the shrimp in just yet.
If you have a rice cooker, set it as you would normally but use jasmine rice. Mine usually takes about 10 minutes, so I make my rice first, then add the shrimp to the liquid you already have simmering in the pan. They will cook in five minutes or less, so the rice will stay hot that long and then you can place both on the table at one time.
I usually just add a side salad. Serve the shrimp over the rice. Enjoy!
To recap and to help you with the shopping list, you will need:
Virgin olive oil, regular will be okay also
Shrimp, usually allow about 8 to 10 per person if you can
Onion, one medium, chopped
Red Pepper, hot, one small, finely chopped
Red, Yellow or Green pepper, as many as you like, chopped
Garlic Minced or by the Jar, approx. 1 tsp
Canned tomatoes, 14 oz., spiced with as many spices as you can find
Canned coconut milk, not the light one. 14 oz. good quality
Salt and pepper to taste
Jasmine rice
Salad if you wish. (The packaged ones from your grocery store are quick and easy, just like this simple meal with flavors that never quit.)
Serve red or white wine whichever you like. Enjoy!
