Best White Wines To Develop Your Palate

Whether you are a white wine enthusiast or are just picking up your first glass, there are so many white wines to choose from so it’s hard to know which ones you might enjoy.

Developing your palate will help you to appreciate different white wines and identify more of their subtle tastes.

Anyway, with award-winning white wines being produced all over the world, why wouldn’t you want to broaden your wine tasting horizons? Here are some of the best white wines to develop your palate.

Pinot Grigio

To start off with, I always recommend a Pinot Grigio to white wine lovers because it is so light and refreshing, it is hard to find someone who doesn’t enjoy a glass of this accessible wine on a hot day. Although light and easy to drink, it does have a punch of acidity and is quite dry. The zesty flavour comes from notes of lemon and lime as well as green apple.

Originally grown in France, these wine grapes have a greyish colour unlike other white wines, which is where they get their French name ‘pinot gris’.

When the grape made its way to Northern Italy, the wine got its common name Pinot Grigio. It became the most popular white wine across Italy which is why it is the perfect white wine to start with, no matter whether you already have a taste for it or are trying white wine for the first time.

Chardonnay

Though they are both great choices, personally I prefer a Chardonnay over a Pinot Grigio because of its bolder taste. Once you have got to grips with the Pinot Grigio, it is a good idea to move on to Chardonnay to broaden your palate gradually.

It has hints of tropical fruit as well as smoky notes from being aged in oak barrels which also gives it hints of vanilla.

This wine grape is often used in more decadent drinks like champagne and combines perfectly with lobster making it a very sophisticated choice if a bolder taste is to your liking. Originating in the small village of Chardonnay in France, it is now the most popular variety of white wine grape and is grown around the world.

Sauvignon Blanc

To take your white wine tasting to the next level, move onto a Sauvignon Blanc which produces quite a different taste to Chardonnay but is just as popular and is also planted all over the world.

Like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc has hints of green apple combined with sweeter tastes like peach and punchy passion fruit. It also has more savoury flavours like jalapeno and bell pepper.

This is a dry wine with high acidity and low amounts of sugar giving it a crisp and refreshing taste.

Originating in Bordeaux, France, but quickly making a name for itself globally, Sauvignon Blanc has a place on every palate. One difference compared to the Chardonnay is that this wine is hardly every aged in oak, which makes the most of the fruity flavours.

Riesling

Whereas the first few white wines you should try are probably ones you’ve heard of before, it is good to also try lesser-known white wines if you are looking to develop your palate.

Riesling is a German wine, native to the Rhine River area. It comes in both dry and sweet versions which you can compare to really stretch your taste buds.

As it can be aged extensively, the taste can vary. In younger wines, it gives fruity and floral notes of citrus and pineapple. Older wines will give more of a honey and ginger taste. It pairs well with a range of foods especially spicier dishes because of its natural acidity which refreshes your palate between bites.

Coming in many different forms, including sweet, dry and even sparkling, Riesling is a diverse white wine perfect for broadening your tasting horizons.

Semillon

Once you’ve got to grips with the white wine basics, its time to branch out a bit more and try some complex tastes that will help you to discover your true calling. With fruity flavours of lemon and green papaya Semillon has a refreshing taste similar to that of a Sauvignon Blanc.

This particular grape is usually grown in warm climates in countries like South Africa and Argentina and, depending on where they are grown, it can have more of a sweet mango taste. However, it can also be produced in cooler climates such as in Bordeaux which gives it a more zesty citrus notes with hints of grapefruit.

Like a good Chardonnay, Semillon is often aged in oak adding buttery notes to the flavour. The diversity in the way that this wine is grown and aged makes it an interesting white wine to taste and expand your range.

Verdejo

Whereas most white wine grapes originate in France or Italy giving them similar tastes, this Spanish wine is another step out of the white wine comfort zone. With interesting flavours of lime, grass and fennel, Verdejo is a unique white wine which only improves with age.

What’s great about this wine is that it can be aged in the bottle and after a few years starts to develop a delightful roasted almond taste. It can also be aged in oak which gives it more of a creamy texture. The different ways of producing this white wine again make it a very interesting tasting experience.

Conclusion

When it comes to developing your palate, it’s a good idea to start with the most popular white wines around to compare the taste to more unique grape varieties.

Start with a refreshing Pinot Grigio and work your way up to an oak-aged Verdejo to really appreciate the diversity of all these wines’ flavours.

Whether you already have a favourite white wine or are still trying to discover the taste that works for you, developing your palate is always a joyful way to appreciate wine.