GOOD DRY WHITE WINE

GOOD DRY WHITE WINE

GOOD DRY WHITE WINE

GOOD DRY WHITE WINE

Their detractors write off the light, dry whites as boring and flavourless, but those in the know point to some of these wines as the most elegant and refreshing around. A few are even complex and satisfying, providing you know where to look. It's unfortunately true that along the way you will encounter some flavourless, mediocre bottles.

GOOD DRY WHITE WINE

A premium light, dry white has a lovely crispness, some tantalising, subtle fruit flavours and, perhaps, a pretty, aromatic hint of blossom. It may be delicate, but a good light white wakes up the palate, makes the mouth water and whets the appetite like no other table wine. It also washes down a range of summery dishes wonderfully well - leafy salads, tomatoes and basil, white fish and pasta in creamy sauces.

And it leaves you wanting more: the greatest quality of a fine, light white is how easygoing and enjoyable it is - unlike, say, a heavily oaked Chardonnay that may effortlessly win a wine competition, but which you don't want to drink in any great quantity.

GOOD DRY WHITE WINE

Light, dry whites should always be highly drinkable and moreish.So, how to avoid those dull bottles and find the right one? Cool climates count for a lot; pick a wine from a place where the grapes retain pure fruit flavours and that essential 'zing' of acidity.

Warm climates just don't do the same trick. Go for the better grape varieties - Riesling, Verdicchio and Gruner Veltliner - which are more likely to make wine with flavour, rather than second-rate ones - Muller-Thurgau and Trebbiano - which generally produce uninspiring, bland whites.

GOOD DRY WHITE WINE

Riesling, in particular, is in a league of its own. With all light, dry whites, if you can track down a winemaker who uses low-yielding vines (for more concentration in the grapes) rather than fertile, high-cropping ones, that's all to the good.

Not much on the label will tell you this, but some of the tips on the next few pages will point you towards the right wines. Trading up a notch from the basic, rustic whites, churned out as cheap-and-cheerful gluggers, will help you avoid the sort of wine that's a yawn and instead give you a crisp, zesty wake-up call to the senses! 



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GOOD DRY WHITE WINE

APPEARANCE.

Pale-straw colour, sometimes with light-green hints. Not golden- yellow like richer or sweeter white wines.

GOOD DRY WHITE WINE

TEXTURE.

Relatively thin, light,

watery, neither viscous nor weighty.

AROMA.

Good examples smell of fresh, tangy citrus fruit: lemons, limes, grapefruit and crunchy green apples. Some have a floral note, others a hint of almond. Second-rate, dull examples have little aroma or smell grubby.

FLAVOUR .

Should have a refreshing, succulent streak of acidity. Again, look out for those citrus fruits and freshly chopped apples. A clean, crisp, mineral finish.