Finally, an excuse to talk all about ourselves! Is this what being an influencer feels like? Are we taking enough selfies? Gosh, we're feeling the pressure already!
So, our girls, Bev Blanc and Bev Gris are two of the sassiest, best dry white wines you'll ever meet! But we have a lot of content to cover, so let's talk about what you should know about dry wines: a wine is considered 'dry' when all of the grape sugar is converted into alcohol in stainless steel tanks during the winemaking process. Let's talk about this in detail.
What Determines If A Wine Is Sweet or Dry?
As we discussed, a wine is dry when there is little residual sugar. What essentially happens is that during fermentation, the process of turning sugar into alcohol, yeast is badass who uses her superpowers to turn natural sugar into alcohol. To make a dry wine, winemakers allow the fermentation process to complete. Even though fermentation completes, there are still some, but minimal, residual sugars. On the other hand, to make sweet wine, winemakers don't let the fermentation process complete. Instead, they stop it before yeast eats all of the sugar, leaving more residual sugar than dry wine. This is the same process used for both red and white wine.
And while we're on the topic of red wine and white wine, we're sure you're wondering which dry wine has more sugar. The main difference between red and white wine is how they are made and what they consequently do to your taste buds. Well, and the obvious: the color.
White wines are made from white or black grapes. The grape juice is separated from the grape's seeds, and skin and only the juice is utilized to make the wine. In contrast, red wine comes from red and black grapes, and the grape's seeds and skins are not removed from the juice. Instead, they are kept with the juice during fermentation, giving us all of those delicious tannins and, of course, the color.
Circling back to our point, the sugar content does not change between red or white wine; the sugar content in wine is only altered by fermentation.
One thing to keep in mind is that there is a difference between fruitiness and sweetness. Often, people believe because the wine is fruity, it is therefore sweet and is not dry. But wine can be both fruity and dry.
Fruitiness is the wine's flavor and aroma that makes it reminiscent of fruit. We assume its sweet because fruit is sweet. But wine can be packed with fruit flavors and be an extremely dry wine. Fruity wines contain the essence and flavors of fruit, while sweet wines have a higher residual sugar level.
Another difference between dry and sweet wines is added sugar. Some winemakers do add sugar after the fermentation process. However, these wines are typically extremely sweet. When making wine, winemakers use many different techniques to create their desired flavor profile. Some add sugar to sweeten the wine, and others use added sugar to increase the wine's alcohol content. The latter is called 'chapitalization,' and it is more common in colder wine regions where grapes ripen more slowly.
Below, we go through the kinds of wines you should sip on if you're avoiding sugar intake and the ones you're not going to want to be pouring if you're on the Keto diet. When in doubt, grab a Bev, because not sure if it's been mentioned, but it has zero sugar!
What Does Dry Wine Pair Well With?
As wine lovers, we operate under the idea that wine tastes delicious no matter what your eating. But if you're into pairing and really bringing out the taste in your meals (oh, you fancy, huh?), dry wines pair deliciously with veggies, think roasted veggies like carrots and zucchini, and are fabulous with fish and seafood.
Because we can tell you're getting hungry, we've outlined the types of dry white wine and their flavor profiles below and give you some ideas on what might taste delicious with them! Some honorable mentions include Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, a dry Riesling, Albariño, and the uber-dry Muscadet from the Loire Valley in France. Some sparkling wines make the cut too.
Dry White Wines
Sauvignon Blanc
Lean and crisp with fruit flavors like grapefruit, this babe is flexible with food pairings, and she's one of the driest wines out there. The name "Sauvignon Blanc" actually means "Wild Wine." Most Sauvignon Blanc wines are very dry. However, a few wines are known to have a gram or two of residual sugar. This typically is to create a creamier texture.
In general, Sauvignon Blanc works amazingly as a cooking wine for risotto (and then you can drink the rest of the bottle!). Try her with mussels, oysters, goat cheese, or pesto. Some of the best known Sauvignon Blanc wines come from New Zealand, but we're dying to try our Bev Blanc with Carrissa Stanton's Pistachio Pesto Salmon recipe! (Note: this recipe is ridiculously easy!)
Pinot Gris
Known for its zestiness, Pinot Gris is refreshing with citrus notes. This babe is versatile and can accompany a wide range of dishes. From oven-roasted chicken to cream sauces to shellfish, you can't go wrong with an oaky chardonnay pairing. But we're looking forward to a meal with an oaked chardonnay and Kristen Chidsey's Rotisserie Chicken.
Chenin Blanc
The deliciousness of an ice-cold beer sans the calories, Chenin Blanc is aromatic and zippy with high acidity. This varietal babe is made to match desserts or balance out creamy, pungent cheeses. So, hint hint, if you want to invite us over for a picnic equipped with a charcuterie board, we won't say no, especially if it's Lexi's Charcuterie board.
Viognier
Stop and smell the flowers because this is one aromatic wine! Full-bodied and rich, this babe is perfect for a fruity salad course or tastes like heaven with spicy flavors and Asian cuisine. We're currently on the prowl for excuses to make Cheryl's easy spicy orange chicken recipe and drink some viognier.
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