Top 10 Things You Never Knew About White Wines
There are hundreds of varieties of white wine grown all over the world, with the majority of them being dry. White wine is not only delicious on its own or being partnered with food, but it’s also used in cooking to create incredible flavours in your meal, soften meat (go fantastically well with steak) and deglaze sauces. If you’ve ever cooked a risotto, you’ll know all about the wonderful ability of a wine to make a difference.
There are many varieties of white wine and grapes come in different styles depending on where and how they are grown. Here are the Top 10 Things You Never Knew About White Wines.
- Did you know that one grape cluster (around 75 grapes) gives us one delicious glass of white wine? Therefore 4 clusters (300) give us a whole bottle to ourselves!
- As it ages white wine gets darker. But red wine gets lighter as it ages.
- Wine is fat-free and contains no cholesterol.
- There is increasing scientific evidence that moderate, regular wine drinking can reduce the risk of heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, and gum disease.
- Traditionally, the wine was never stored standing up. Keeping the wine on its side kept the wine in contact with the cork, thereby preventing the cork from drying, shrinking, and letting in air.
- White wine has no colour but grape juice.
- It is traditional to first serve lighter wines and then move to heavier wines throughout a meal. Additionally, white wine should be served before red, younger wine before older, and dry wine before sweet.
- Temperature is very important. If a glass of wine is too cold, it will feel tight and you’ll miss all the lovely aromas and flavours. Too hot, and the alcohol will overpower the fruit and literally feel hot in the mouth. Here is the breakdown: Serving temperatures should be lower for white wines 7 – 10ºC (45 – 50ºF) than for red wines 10 – 15ºC (50 – 60ºF).
- Wine has about the same number of calories as the same amount of grape juice.
- You should drink the majority of wine you find on the shelf soon after you buy it. We often have this romantic idea of drinking old wines, thinking they must be better and more complex. But the truth is, only a small percentage of very fine wines actually benefit from excessive ageing.
