Beverage

White

White wine is made mostly from pale-skinned grapes (or red grapes pressed off skins quickly) so colour stays straw to gold and tannin stays low. Fermentation and ageing in steel, concrete, or oak create profiles from razor-crisp Muscadet to rich, buttery Chardonnay. Cooks use white wine for deglazing, seafood stews, risotto, cream sauces, and poaching where bright acidity lifts without the grip of red tannin. Dry whites with clean acid are the kitchen default; very oaky or sweet bottles can dominate a pan. Reduce until the alcohol scent softens, then build stock or butter. For drinking with food, match weight: light aromatic whites with shellfish and salads, fuller whites with roast chicken, rich fish, and mild cheese.

Also known as: Vin blanc, Weißwein, Vino bianco