Today more than ever before, white wine buyers are faced with a bewildering array of choices when it comes to regions, grapes and production methods.
Whereas the shelves of our supermarkets and wine merchants were once a comfortable, if a little predictable, stroll through familiar wine growing territory, today they are a veritable round-the-world adventure. Gone are the days when white wine buyers are limited to wines from the long established regions of Europe and the New World – today’s wine choices take in some regions that have not traditionally been associated with fine white wine. Russian wine anyone? How about a nice Brazilian Chardonnay?
The world of wine is now wider than ever and this can be both exciting and confusing for the white wine buyer.
With so much unfamiliar wine territory from which to choose, it can be difficult to know where to start. Which of the emerging wine regions are worthy of investigation? And which are best left as uncharted territory?
We’ve cast our critical eye over the new white wine regions that are currently battling for space on the supermarket shelves and have come up with a quick guide to those regions whose white wines really merit the attention that they are attracting.
One country whose wines are finally beginning to receive the attention and respect that they deserve is Switzerland. Small but perfectly formed (for wine-growing purposes at least), this beautiful, mountainous country produces some equally delectable white wines, but only a tiny percentage of these are exported for consumption abroad. As the country borders France, Italy and Germany, its white wine producers have been able to draw on the influences of all three of these legendary wine-producing countries, often to stunning effect.
Limited production means that Swiss wines can be pricey, but are usually worth the investment – look for white wine from the Valais region and you can’t go far wrong.
Further afield, India is finally starting to come into its own in terms of wine production. This intriguing, dynamic and enigmatic country has traditionally been better known for its cooling lagers than for its white wine, but the Nashik region in particular is now starting to generate excited chatter among white wine enthusiasts. Less than 150 miles east from the capital Mumbai, Nashik has long been the country’s largest producer of grapes for eating and the terrain that has been such a rich source of fruit is now coming into its own in terms of growing wine grapes. Much public money has been invested in the region’s vineyards in recent years and Sauvignon Blancs from this area of India are well worth seeking out.
The mountainous Serra Gaucha region of Brazil is another region that has got wine buyers in a flurry of excitement. Whilst Brazil has historically lost out to neighbouring Argentina in the wine stakes, this relatively cool region in the south of the country is producing some top-notch wine, with Chardonnays and white sparklers being good investments. Hard to find in the UK until very recently, good Brazilian wine tends to be more expensive than comparable bottles from Argentina or Chile, but increased export and sales is helping to lower prices.
Meanwhile, the UK may not boast the glamour and tropical exuberance of Brazil or the eastern exoticism of India, but British white wine producers are increasingly gaining respect in the international wine world. Southern parts of England, in particular, are coming into their own, especially as a warmer climate helps to improve conditions for wine growing. With soil conditions that are remarkably similar to the Champagne region of France, it’s perhaps not surprising that English sparkling wines are being particularly well received internationally.
Another rather unlikely producer of good quality white wine is Canada. Whilst the white wines of California and increasingly New York too, have long found favour with wine buyers and critics, Canada has traditionally been somewhat overlooked. Where the country really does excel is in its ice wines, sweet wine made by freezing the grapes on the vine; but the dry wines of the Niagra Peninsula are also bottle-drainingly good.
Back in the United States, wine buyers are becoming increasingly intrepid in their wine-sourcing adventures, looking way beyond the obvious regions such as California’s Napa Valley. Texas, for example, has not traditionally held a great deal of promise for white wine lovers, but is now coming into its own, with the Hill Country in particular producing some very good Chardonnays.
With so much uncharted territory to explore, the increasingly wide world of wine can be a daunting place, but it pays to throw caution to the wind and live a little – who knows? you may find that your new favourite plonk is a Bolivian sparkler.
Image by ToastyKen.
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