To many people, if you say you want a white wine, they think Chardonnay. And while the Chardonnays of many vineyards are delightful, light and tart presenting a rich body and smart nose, many others are awkward, sour or overpowering. These latter ones, and the somewhat unpredictability of the varietal has caused me to search for an alternative, a more reliable alternative, to the ubiquitous Chardonnay. I should say here that most California Chardonnays, and some South African ones, are absolutely wonderful, well-crafted wines with nuanced and multi-layered flavors that entertain without overpowering. However, there are those others….
So I began my quest for the Chardonnay alternative. I learned to enjoy Pinot Grigio, which offers a lovely contrast to the Chardonnay grape and intend to write another article extolling its virtues, which are many. The German whites, Riesling, Liebfraumilch, etc. tend to be too sweet for my tastes, though they are very popular and many people find them quite charming. Then a friend encouraged me to try a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. I had tried this varietal before, but it was European in origin, and consequently expensive and...