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It is well to remember that there are five reasons for drinking: the arrival of a friend; one's present or future thirst; the excellence of the wine; or any other reason.
Latin saying
White wines have to be treated more carefully than reds, as the danger of oxidation is more of a concern. After the grapes arrive at the winery, they are pressed immediately as the colour and tannin, which come from the grape skins, are not required for the production of white wine. The juice is drawn off from the presss into vats or casks where fermentation will take place, crucially therefore, without the skins of the grapes.
Fermentation
White wine fermentation usually occurs at a lower temperature than red wine, between 15°C and 20°C, but over a longer period of time. This is to maximise the fruit flavours of the wine minimise loss of freshness. A bi-product of fermentation is heat, therefore it is quite common for the must to need cooling down. In modern wineries, the large vats usually have their own refrigerating or temperature-controlled system. If the fermentation process is carried out at too low a temperature, the wine will develop pear-drop aromas. Fermentation at too high a temperature can lead to more complex aromas in the wine, but there is the risk that varietal fruit characteristics will be dissipated.
Malolactic fermentation
Malolactic fermentation is a process of a change used in winemaking where tart-tasting malic acid (from the Latin word malum meaning apple) is converted to softer-tasting lactic acid (from the Latin word for milk, lac). Malolactic fermentation in white wines can soften and reduce the acidity and also introduce new buttery and hazelnut flavours. It can, however, also take away some of the naturally occurring fresh fruit aromas and reduce the wine's natural freshness. Malolactic fermentation is usually undertaken in the production of buttery Chardonnays. White wines which are produced for immediate or young consumption are usually placed in stainless steel vats straight after fermentation and will not undergo malolactic fermentation. This is to preserve the freshness and fruitiness of the wines.
Maturation and Bottling
In the Northern Hemisphere, white wines are usually bottled in either February or March (August in the Southern Hemisphere), having spent some months in stainless steel tanks at a temperature of 8°C. Some grape varieties, namely Chardonnay, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc (used in the classic Bordeaux regions of Médoc, Pessac-Léognan and Graves) have a rich and complex structure which
benefit from oak ageing. White wines are aged in oak for a shorter period of time than reds as their structure is lighter due to the absence of tannins in the wine.
Some white wines need to be matured to preserve the wonderful flavours and aromas of the grape variety and this can only be done withotu oak ageing. For example, this is the case with Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc and Muscat. To preserve the naturally-occurring aromas of the varietals, the wine must be aged in stainless steel vats. Some wines may then be aged for a 12-18 months in oak barrels. The stainless steel vats are better sutied to preserve the fruit but the oak allows for a very subtle and often desirable development through slow oxidisation. These wines, therefore, can be just as complex as wines that are only aged in oak barrels.
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