Everything Happens for a Riesling

White wine AKA my drink of choice from June-September (cause hot weather makes me think red wine is trash)

White wine, where do I start? It is super casual and easy to drink a bottle of without staining your teeth and your fav white tee red.

It pairs like, really well, with creamy dishes and being the carb-addicted Italian that I am, I love a good shrimp fettuccine alfredo paired with a nice bottle o white.

So is Riesling and Chardonnay basically the same?
Oh my gosh, my sweet child, no.

If you are instructed to bring a dry bottle of white wine to the party and you roll in with a bottle of Riesling, expect to get some seriously shady looks from the real live adults who expected better from you.

So here is a quick lil run-down of white wine so you stop disappointing everyone in your life and actually show up prepared to a dinner party.

• Chardonnay: When talking about types of white wine, the first that comes to mind is often Chardonnay. It is one of the most popular selling white wines like, ever. Of all the whites, it is one of the more complex wines. It can vary in taste from those that are full in body with hints of oak, butter and spice to those that are medium and are gold and velvety with display notes of fruit, nuts, or vanilla. Some variations have aspects of baked apple and caramel and a higher acidity so it can stand up to foods.

• Pinot Gris/Grigio:  Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio are actually the same grape; one term is the French name, the other is Italian. This grape produces wine with a little more body than you'd find in Sauv Blanc. It can smell like pears, and goes very well with seafood and lighter food.

• Sauvignon Blanc: is a super popular white wine that is like, an easy choice for most people. If you don't like the richness of Chardonnay, but you still want something fruity, Sauvignon Blanc may be the one. These wines are affordable (score) and because of the crisp acidity and citrus flavors, you can pair this with anything from shrimp to nothing at all. 

• Gewurztraminer (sound it out):  is a floral, spicy and sometimes sweet wine from Germany, but produced in the US too. It has a light, crisp acidity and a bold flavor.

• Riesling: is made in primarily cooler climates where the grapes have a long time to hang on the vine. Rieslings can range between bone dry, to very sweet. Rieslings have aromas of intense mineral, earthy, petrol and floral notes. Rieslings pair very well with Asian cuisine, and the off-dry versions will temper spicy food quite well.