Which white wine to drink?

[Wafflethewonderdoggy]

I feel a bit ‘over’ Sauvignon blanc with its strong acidic taste, with that having been my white wine of choice for about a decade.
what’s next? What’s en vogue at the moment? I like dry, maybe a bit more mellow than Sauvignon blanc.
any favourites you’d recommend?
most commonly I buy at Lidl and normally go for £7-8 a bottle, but can buy elsewhere.
im the only adult in the house and normally have one bottle a week spread over the weekend.
I need a new favourite!

@mrsdarthlord I love German/Austrian/Lowland whites, especially a dry Riesling, which goes particularly well with East Asian foods, if you're into your wine/food pairings.

Always remember that Riesling comes in three 'degrees', dry (trocken), semi-sweet and sweet (Kabinett and Spätlese). I prefer a trocken, but a Kabinett is delicious with paté or clams.

There isn't a big market for Gewürztraminer in this country so it tends to be expensive, but it's really worth it.

I'd also recommend Southern French whites, especially from the Nîmes region. They're still considered 'country' wines, so they're not so fashionable and therefore pretty affordable. I think Sainsbury's does a nice white Cotes de Nîmes for about a tenner?

@Hopeandglorry I'm afraid I can't recommend a specific one off the top of my head, but I have rarely been disappointed by any French Chardonnay I've bought from Aldi, Lidl or the Co-Op (I promise I don't work for any of them!).

In fact, I think I bought a really good own label Chablis from the Co-op at Christmas which was lovely (maybe their Finest range or something? Anyway, it was really good!).

I would recommend avoiding 'label labels', tbh, such as Chocolate Box, Cloudy Bay, Whispering Angel etc: yes, there is an element of QA in the production of these big houses, but a lot of the individuality of the wine is negated by the drive for a 'single experience'.

When I worked in the wine trade, my motto was 'the first job of wine is to taste nice TO YOU'.

It doesn't matter how fashionable or expensive it is: if you don't like it, then it's failed.

I buy Torres Viña Sol on offer either from Tesco or Waitrose, usually about £6.50 and 11% which is important to me as I'm a guzzler. Just checked, it's currently £5.99 on Waitrose!

@Davros adds to basket… I’m glad it’s not just me who’s a guzzler 🤣

German red wines are very good, I've usually bought them from specialist shops but looking on line supermarkets have a few. The best in my opinion are from the Ahr Valley.

Chenin Blanc

Found my people! I just cannot drink Sauvignon.

I like a Californian Chardonnay, nice and smooth and a bit buttery. If I wanted something cheaper I’d go for rose, probably French and a bit sharper; Picpoul would be ideal, thank you very much. I love wine.

I really like Asda extra special Australian Chardonnay costs about £7

I'm a bit confused with all the recommendations for Sancerre. Isn't that a Sauvignon Blanc?

We're drinking white Rioja at the moment.

@ImnotadickheadIpromise I'm pleased to oblige!
I also like Grüner Veltliner although you have to be careful with it. The M&S classics one is good, I think about the £10 mark. M&S Classics are generally good including their Albariño

Verdejo Spanishwhite. Lovely

Yes It is afaik!

@Hobbi, yes, Sancerre is made from the Sauvignon Blanc grape, but it originates from the Loire valley and has a much sharper, more 'mineral' taste than the SBs from the Southern Hemisphere, which tend to have a rounder, more 'tomato leaf' taste.

As with a lot of wine, terroir is important and it's a case of finding out what you like (or telling an expert what you think you like and what they'd recommend!).

I know and think the same about all the classist hate for Chardonnay - a flinty, unoaked Chardonnay can be beautiful. I think Sancerre is overrated for the price though.

@Davros, I also really like Viña del Sol: a really decent and easy-drinking Spanish blend for about £7 a bottle!

I can’t stand SB. I think most of them taste like feet. If you used to like it then we may not have similar taste. But just in case:

My go to is a Chablis but I also drink picpoul, gavi (though can be hit and miss), white Rioja (sometimes) and Viognier. They are all quite different but I like them all!

@Hobbi Chardonnay is effectively damned by its own competence: it's a hugely robust varietal that grows well just about anywhere, requires minimal maintenance (unlike, say Pinot Noir) and is just a cheery soul.

So, as a result, it produces both the finest and most expensive white Burgundies, but is also responsible for disgusting Australian shit that I wouldn't use to clean my skirting board.

Unfortunately, a lot of people have been exposed to the horrible shit and therefore won't countenance it without a little gentle encouragement.

I am fascinated by this post. I've been drinking pinot grigio for years with soda because I can't cope with the acidic taste of white - I love a nice crisp white which I've had occasionally in really nice restaurants (& once at a very, very posh friend's house!) but hate that 'oaked' taste you often get with supermarket wine so I tend to stick to red. Also find some whites give me a sort of reflux feeling from the acid...just not ok.

I feel as though this post is going to give me so many options to work through, it's going to be a white wine Spring/Summer...and possibly one I won't be able to remember if I try all these recommendations! 🤣

Macon Villages Chardonnay from M&S

@AffIt

Thank you. I'll read about that now you've given me that information. I said during lockdown that SN was going to go the same way as Chardonnay and, sure enough, much of it has the taste and bouquet of an over-hopped pale ale called grapefruit fuzz or something.

Great thread op!
I also enjoy a vina sol or picpoul or another Italian one I can't remember the name of but it's trickier to get. and have tired out from years of loving Marlborough sb. It now just tastes too sharp and can give me acid.

I'd love to try some other wines that are light and fresh tasting. I'd be up for unoaked chardonnay but how to tell which are unoaked? I've been put off by yellow chardonnay that tastes too buttery and somehow thick.

I'd love some affordable supermarket recommendations!

@BibbleandSqwauk I'm pretty sure Cloudy Bay is a SB, it's started the whole NZ SB trend.

I love:
Cote de Gascogne (it's a columbard blend). AMAZING value, Tesco finest one is very quaffable
Vermentino (hard to find sometimes)
Albariño from Galicia, Spain
A dry Reisling from Alsace
A good quality unoaked Chablis or petit Chablis if you're looking for better value (Chablis = Chardonnay)

I like the Aldi Picpoul de Pinet but it's hardly ever in stock in my local branch.

My current go to is Tesco Finest Cotes de Gascogne, I think it's around £7 a bottle and it's often on an offer if you buy six and have a Clubcard. I actually prefer it to the Picpoul, tbh.

I'm also a Sancerre fan but it's got so bloody expensive these days.

@LakieLady x post! Haha

We must have typed our posts about the Tesco wine almost simultaneously @TooningOut .

Spooky ...