White Wines

Wine is an ancient drink. In Ancient Greece, Hippocrates commonly prescribed “bitter white wine” to his patients. The Roman Legion drank wine from vines planted along the river Rhine because water was rarely potable. After the fall of the Roman Empire, wine fell out of favor until the Middle Ages, when the Catholic Church conserved the knowledge in order to use wine in the Mass ritual. White wine became fashionable for casual drinking in Paris during the 1700s.

Despite the name, white wines appear pale yellow in the glass. White wine varietals—of which there are hundreds—are grown throughout the world, in wine regions across Europe, South America, Australia, New Zealand and the United States. Among the most well-known varietals are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.