The Casual Wine Drinker’s Casual
Wine Guide

wine, booze, alcohol

WHITES

Sauvignon Blanc
Typically, these wines have a pale straw color. “They’re bright, crisp, fresh, and usually possess some lemongrass or some sun fruit; some even have peach flavors. They’re great with seafood.”
Delicious example: Cave B sauvignon blanc ($20)

Chardonnay
“Chardonnay can be bright, fresh, and vibrant, or creamy and buttery. It depends on whether the wine was aged in oak.” If there’s a stereotypical “girl wine,” this may be it, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t order it.
Delicious example: Nickel and Nickel ($45)

Riesling
Rieslings are generally split into two categories: the ones from France and the ones from Germany. “French Rieslings are always dry, viscous, and come with a lot of minerality. They go well with oysters, and have bigger legs than most other whites. German Riesling has residual sugar, so the alcohol’s going to be lower and it’s going to taste sweet and tart. Sweeter Rieslings age well because sugar is a natural preservative; as a Riesling ages, it develops a kind of petroleum smell.” Uh, again, that’s more appetizing than it sounds.
Delicious examples: The Lucien Albrecht Riesling (French, $18); Markus Molitor (German, $23)

wine, booze, modernman.comPinot Grigio
“France is known for Pinot Grigio. A good Pinot Grigio is always crisp, has great minerality and acidity, and there’s a nice long finish.” Try them with fish soups and mushroom dishes.
Delicious example: Jermann Pinot Grigio ($28)

Viognier
These wines — pronounced “Vee-un-ay” — have more tropical notes. “You get pear, guava, some orange blossom, peach, apricot … it’s one of the more aromatic varietals. You don’t see it a lot because it’s a difficult grape to grow.”
Delicious example: Joseph Phelps Vineyards 2006 Napa Valley Viognier ($50)

Gewurztraminer
“These wines do really well with spicy foods. They’re semi-sweet and creamy and can take the spiciness off the palate. They have a lychee flavor, as well as rose petals and allspice.”
Delicious example: Van Loveren ($10)

Pinot Blanc
“Pinot blanc is light in color and usually made in small production. It essentially has the same profile as a Pinot Grigio, with notes of honey and starfruit; it can be creamy.”
Delicious example: Robert Foley Pinot Blanc ($25) (best with poultry or fish)