White Wines

Grape varieties for white wine

The best-known grape varieties include Chardonnay, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. In total, several dozen grape varieties are used to a significant extent worldwide.

Influences on the quality and taste of white wine

White grape varieties need less sun and heat to ripen than red varieties. Therefore, white wine was traditionally produced in cooler areas. The temperature must not be too high during fermentation either, because at a certain point the yeast will die and fermentation will therefore come to a standstill. This is also one of the reasons why white wine has long been a domain of northern wine-growing regions. After the Second World War, however, temperature-controlled fermentation was introduced. The fermenting mash is cooled in order to be able to continue and control the fermentation. With this technology, white wine production is also possible in hot areas like Australia.

The quality of a white wine depends on the balance of sugar, acidity and alcohol content. Sweet white wines are made when fermentation is stopped early, stopping the conversion of sugar into alcohol. Slightly longer fermentation produces a semi-dry and longer still a dry white wine.

Production of white wine

The aromas are particularly important for dry wines, which is why the grapes are often harvested a few days before they are fully ripe. For high quality wines, this harvest or vintage is done by hand. At a minimum, leaves and rotten berries should be removed by hand. After the harvest, the wine is pressed, often the must is filtered and then the fermentation takes place. In the early days of wine production, this fermentation was triggered by the yeast naturally occurring on the grapes. Today, a specific yeast is usually added because otherwise random flavors result. The main fermentation lasts approximately six days, during which temperature is controlled to control fermentation.

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