Need help in selecting a white wine

[wondersofwine]

Okay, the Wolf Blass Australian riesling was a bust with you. But try some German rieslings or gewurztraminers (or from Alsace or Austria), before giving up on riesling as a varietal. They come in various styles--dry, off-dry, sweet, super luscious dessert wines (expensive)--and can be fruity and flowery in aroma and flavors or more steely (suggesting minerals or stones). The gewurztraminer variety (also grown in Italy) comes from "gewurze" meaning spices and I like gewurztraminer best when it does suggest spices but it doesn't always have that spicy characteristic. Riesling and gewurztaminer can be complex wines although more often medium bodied than heavy or full bodied. I love the French Condrieu (from viognier grape) that Stevebody mentions, but those are probably the most expensive viogniers in the world. I lack experience with viognier from Washington State so will have to look for those to try. In my opinion the Burgundians do a better job of integrating chardonnay wine with the right amount of oak than the California market, which is why I drink white Burgundies but little California chardonnay. However, white
Burgundies tend to be quite expensive also so it is not an everyday wine for me. The other white grape varieties mentioned and the Macon wines that IK mentioned are more for everyday drinking.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 03-25-2003).]