On April 17 a small group of us began our exploration and review of the most popular wine varietals (that’s grape varieties) by comparing some of the big three whites – a Riesling, two sauvignon blancs and a chardonnay. After just 14 classes, we’re able to talk about color, body, mouth feel, acidity, aromas and flavors, like grassiness, butter, oak and fruits, and yes even that sophisticated term, “terroir” (which we translate as gravel or wet leaves). Here are some notes on what we tasted:

First, we tried a 2005 Trimbach Riesling from Alsace (12.5% alcohol). To our delight, this was a relatively dry Riesling that quite reminded us of our grassiness lesson, although it had a nice apple finish – to be expected from a cool-climate wine. Then we moved on to a 2005 Chateau de Sancerre, a sauvignon blanc from Sancerre, France (13% alcohol) and compared it with a 2005 Hanna Sauvignon Blanc from Russian River Valley, California (13.6% alcohol). With both we noticed the fuller body than the Riesling had, but we were a bit surprised that the Sancerre (Old World) had a darker color than the New World Hanna. Nevertheless, the Sancerre otherwise well represented its Old World origins with greater complexity of flavor (lemon tart, almond and honey) and terroir. The Hanna’s more fruit forward style exposed its New World traditions with its nectarine, citrus, sour strawberry and even brown butter flavors. (Someone even noted a hint of onion!) The Hanna was dryer (a possible result of the higher alcohol content) and more acidic, but lacked that terroir of the Sancerre. Finally, we tasted 2005 Franciscan Chardonnay from Napa Valley. As expected from the fullest-bodied of the Big Three Whites, its color was quite golden. We picked up right away on its nutty and buttery flavor, although some noticed a bit of pungency. Oakiness also rang through loud and clear making it go very well with cheese.

So what was our final vote? Well, in terms of favorites, it was a pretty even split, which just goes to show that personal preference is the name of the game. Interestingly, although we agreed that the Sancerre seemed to go better with food, it was no one’s first choice. In the end, the chardonnay received the most first and second place votes.

Our next class on May 15 will focus on the Big Reds – pinot noir, merlot and cabernet sauvignon, and syrah/shiraz. Again we’ll review our basic tasting techniques and the differences in body while we also try to apply the other lessons we’ve learned. For those who have been regulars, our tasting will show what a long journey we’ve taken and how much we’ve learned, and for new comers, it will be a perfect time to get started before we head off to France.

Hope to see you all on May 15!

Suzy Marquard