White wine: an amazing wine with multiple aspects

The characteristics of a white wine

More lighter and easier to drink than a red wine, white wine is nonetheless a complex wine that brings real pleasure to the taste, whether for an informed oenophile or for the occasional lover of good wine.

Whether they are dry or sweet, organic or biodynamic, white wines bring a good dose of freshness and acidity which allow them to be an ideal complement to red wines.

All in delicacy and finesse, the best white wines most often deliver aromas and flavors fruity, flowery, with a typical mineral touch.

In order to answer a question very often asked by neophytes, a white wine is made from grapes with white flesh, whether the grapes have black skin or white skin.

It is therefore possible to make a white wine with black grapes, with the difference, compared to red wine, that the bunches will be pressed directly, without prior maceration.

Finally, unlike red wines, white wines are characterized by an absence of tannic structure, which makes them lighter, allowing them to be enjoyed as an aperitif and to pair more easily with delicate dishes .

It is in particular because of this lack of tannins that white wines are more difficult to vinify than red wines, and require special know-how.

Discover the collection of white wines from the Gérard Bertrand estates.

The different kinds of white wine

Here is a quick overview of the different kinds of white wines:

  • Dry white wine

It is characterized by a very low sugar level. This wine, of a beautiful freshness, finds its balance only at the level of acidity and alcohol.

Chablis white wine is surely one of the most popular dry wines.

Less known than the white wines of Burgundy or Alsace, the white wines of Languedoc-Roussillon, such as the famous Picpoul de Pinet, produced of a limestone terroir bordering the Mediterranean Sea, are real pearls to discover.

  • Sweet or sweet wine

These white wines have the particularity of being sweet, unlike dry white wines.

The best known sweet white wines are Sauternes, Monbazillac, Bergerac or Jurançon.

Their high sweetness is the result of the deliberate addition of sugar to the wine. This particular type of white wine offers an interesting balance with acidity and alcohol.

Note that sweet white wines are less sweet than sweet white wines, so these are two kinds of sweet wines, which can be enjoyed at different times

  • Sparkling white wine

A sparkling white wine is a wine containing ever-less fine bubbles, due to the presence of carbon dioxide, a fermentation gas.

Bringing a sparkling touch to the tasting, it represents the wine of celebration and celebration par excellence.

Sparkling white wine is most commonly associated with champagne wine, but there are many other types of sparkling white wines, all of which are worth tasting.

This is particularly the case with Clairette de Die, Crémant de Bourgogne, Bordeaux and Loire.

More economical than champagne, but just as good and pleasant to taste, we recommend the cuvée Code Rouge, a sparkling wine AOP Crémant de Limoux, Blanc de Blanc (produced exclusively with white grapes), from the Gérard Bertrand estates.

  • Muted white wine

You may not be familiar with this appellation and yet you have surely tasted it!

Muted white wines are natural sweet wines, such as Banyuls or Maury, Moscato d'Asti, and sweet wines such as Pineau des Charentes or Macvin of the Jura.

The mutage of a wine consists of stopping fermentation by adding alcohol (for natural sweet wines) or eau-de-vie (for sweet wines).

These wines are often enjoyed, either before or after a meal.

This is the case, for example, with Muscat de Rivesaltes Gérard Bertrand, a sweet natural white wine with a good balance that will be enjoyed with delight, served chilled (10 °C) as an aperitif

With what and when to drink white wine?

As an aperitif, thanks to its fresh and fruity flavors, white wine can easily compete with rosé wine, the true king of “aperitifs” and pre-meals for several years.

The goal is to select a wine that whets the appetite, without saturating the taste buds.

We must therefore favor light wines, we will therefore avoid wines with too much character.

Served chilled, just like rosé wines, dry white wines and sparkling white wines are therefore ideal for aperitifs.

The Clairette du Languedoc Adissan from Gérard Bertrand's Art de Vivre collection is a good example of a light wine to enjoy as an aperitif.

For lovers of sweet wines, sweet white wines can go very well with your aperitifs, provided you serve them very chilled and select delicate sweet wines.

During the meal, the choice of white wine will generally be made according to the dish served.

The ideal and best-known combination is with seafood, whether fish in sauce (cod, salmon, etc.), grilled fish (sea bass, sea bream, etc.), but also shellfish (oysters , scallops, clams, sea almonds, etc.) and shellfish (lobster, crab, shrimp, langoustine, lobster, etc).

White wine can also accompany white meats, such as turkey or chicken, but also pies, quiches, and other mixed salads.

White wine with the cheese? And why not ? It all depends on the associated wine and cheese, it will be quite possible to taste a hard cheese like a matured Comté or Beaufort, goat's or sheep's cheese, with a glass of dry white wine.

For stronger cheeses, such as Munster or Maroilles, a lightly sweetened white wine, such as Alsace wines (Gewurztraminer), is preferable.

Finally, cheeses like blue cheese or fourme (from Ambert or Montbrison) go perfectly with a natural sweet wine like a Banyuls.

For dessert, whether to accompany a cake, pies, flanks, or a fruit salad, we will favor either sweet wines, sweet wines, or sparkling wines that will replace champagne with panache.

A selection of our best white wines

chateau l'hospitalet grand vin rouge la clape 2018 vin bio biodynamie or decanter 95 IWSC
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chateau l'hospitalet grand vin rouge la clape 2018 vin bio biodynamie or decanter 95 IWSC
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chateau l'hospitalet grand vin rouge la clape 2018 vin bio biodynamie or decanter 95 IWSC
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chateau l'hospitalet grand vin rouge la clape 2018 vin bio biodynamie or decanter 95 IWSC
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chateau l'hospitalet grand vin rouge la clape 2018 vin bio biodynamie or decanter 95 IWSC
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chateau l'hospitalet grand vin rouge la clape 2018 vin bio biodynamie or decanter 95 IWSC
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Learn more about wine:

And all about orange wine, red wine or rosé wine

Discover the best wines Gérard Bertrand:

Best red wine

Best white wine

Best rosé wine

Best Orange Wine

Discovering the Gérard Bertrand estates:

Its Languedoc-Roussillon wine castles

Its know-how in the design of biodynamic wines

And discover the Gérard Bertrand wine collections.

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