What are the main things to look for in white wine?
All the same things I mentioned for reds with the exception that white wines don’t have tannin. And with a white wine, I always find, acidity is absolutely essential. It is the backbone of a white wine, and without it the wine will come off feeling “flabby”. Acid actually causes water to release positively charged Hydrogen ions, which will bind to aromatic molecules. Acid makes the aromas in a wine “pop” so to speak, the same way that lemon juice brings out the flavors of raw seafood. Any final tips you’d like to leave us with? Yes. Don’t serve artichokes or asparagus! Those are the cardinal wine-killers. They’ll spoil your palate, and you won’t be able to taste red or white wines. You can, however, serve them up with dry Champagne. I’m also a stickler for not refilling any glass until it’s been drunk to the bottom. The reason is that the bottle and the glass have different surface areas, so they oxidize at different rates and are hence different wines. It’d be like taking identical tw
