White Wine Gift Baskets

White wine has hundreds of grape varieties that are grown around the world. White wine gets its color from the grape juice and grape skins of green, gold, or yellowish colored grapes. White wine ranges in color from yellow-gold, yellow-green, to straw-yellow depending on the grape variety that is used to produce the wine. Some white wines are fermented in steel and then allowed to mature in oak while other white wines are fermented and aged in oak barrels. White wines that are exposed to oak tend to have a pale color with an extra silky texture. Only about 5% of white wines taste better after being cellared for 5 years than it would after just 1 year. White wines are at their best when presented in a narrow glass with a tapered top to allow for aromatic concentration. White wine should be served between 45-50 degrees Fahrenheit for optimum bouquet / flavor presentation. White wine that is served too warm is overwhelmed by alcohol. White wine that is served too cold will lose the wine's bouquet.

White wines can range in body style from light-bodied, medium-bodied, to full-bodied depending on the grapes used and the alcohol content in the particular wine. White wine tastes different on its own then it does when consumed with food because of the different aromas and flavors in each. When pairing white wine with food it is important to make sure that the food and wine complement each other. White wines that are oak'y with a medium to full-body pair well with pork, rich seafood, some fowl, and can work well with some red meats, but do not pair well with spicy foods. Food pairings for light to medium-bodied White wines are light seafood, pork, and some fowl. Light to medium-bodied white wines can also pair well with some lightly spicy foods and some tomato based sauces, but do not pair well with most red meat or overly rich or very spicy foods. The best food pairing for semi-dry and lightly sweet White wines are shellfish, pork, light to medium spicy foods, and can also work with most seafood, fowl, game, and some red meat.