White wine is incredibly versatile and makes the ideal drink for a dinner party, celebration or, simply, for sipping with friends or family.  And the good news is that, even if you don’t know much about white wine, it’s really easy to get the best from it.  Follow these simple tips and you can’t go wrong.

Choose light white wines for an aperitif

If you are serving pre-dinner drinks, it’s always good to choose a clean and crisp white wine like a Pinot Grigio or unoaked Chardonnay.  Alternatively, a fragrant but dry style white wine like a Riesling or Muscat is a good option.  These are all easy drinking whites, which work well without food.

Sauvignon Blanc for food

When serving food, especially fish or seafood, Sauvignon Blanc is always a winner.  Sauvignon Blanc is a naturally acidic white wine and the acidity works very well with oily textures in meat and fish

Other classic food and wine matches

Other white wines also work a treat with food.  Oaky Chardonnay is a great match for chicken, while fruitier white wines like Riesling and Gewürztraminer go well with spicy food like curry.

Hunt down the value

If you buy your white wine from well-known regions or estates, you’ll end up paying a premium for the name.  So to save on your pocket but to ensure that you still get all the great taste, look to buy a white wine made from familiar grapes but from a different region and an unknown winemaker.  For example, a Chilean Chardonnay is a great alternative to a classic French Chablis.

Buy for the person and occasion

When it comes to buying white wine, it’s always best to think about who and what you are buying it for.  If you are buying for a friend, for example, and you know that they don’t like the taste of oak, then there’s little benefit from buying them an oaked Chardonnay.  Similarly, if you are hosting a drinks party, it’s best to avoid white wines that work best with food and instead go for softer and lighter white wines.

Chill before serving

When it comes to serving white wine, don’t forget to chill them first. But remember, white wine only needs about 45 minutes in the fridge – any longer and it will loose its taste and smell.

No storage required

Unlike some red wines, white wine doesn’t usually benefit from ageing.  So the good news is that it can be cracked open straightaway!

So there you have it!  Buying and serving white wine is that simple.