Whites with bite

This ain't no training-wheel wine

by David Marglin

UNCORKED

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A lot of people have the impression that white wine isn't as sophisticated or deep as red wine. And sometimes that's true -- many white wines are shallow, bland "training wheel" wines.

But plenty of white wines are flavorful, powerful, complex, and unforgettable. This week we are going to explore a particular quality that makes a wine memorable: its "bite."

When wine lovers describe a wine's bite (or "attack"), they're talking about the flavors that hit the palate sharply. Many aromas and flavors unfold gently as you drink a wine, wafting through the nose and mouth. But flavors that bite have a directness and a sharpness that can be surprising. (Bite is different from "grip," a word used almost exclusively to describe the tannins of red wines, especially the lingering feel they have in the mouth.) Although bite does not describe the feel of the wine on the tongue, chances are a wine with bite is going to have pretty good acid -- which allows it to cut through bold food flavors -- and so your tongue will "feel" the wine as well as taste it.

Now, bite is not necessarily a good thing. A lot of the most expensive wines in the world, red or white, have very little of it. The same is true of many wines that are mature or at their peak. But we're in a brave new wine world, where many drinkers don't have the time (or cash) to buy wine for cellaring. So many more wines are being made prêt à porter -- ready to wear, right off the shelf. And in new wines, the flavors may not have settled completely, meaning one or more of the flavors can leap out and -- that's right -- bite you as you taste it.

But finding a good wine is just a matter of finding a particular bite you like. For wines that cost less than $20, chances are that a lot of them that haven't had time to age and come together are going to have some bite. Keep in mind that wine is, at some level, preserved fruit juice, and a lot of our favorite fruits have bite (cherries and berries, plums and apples, and anything citrusy).

So I went out and tried a lot of white wines that have some serious bite. Many of them you'll never know about, because quite simply, I didn't like them, and by and large this column is about recommending wines we like. The wines reviewed below were pleasurable to me, they were memorable, and they would work well alone or with strongly flavored foods. Plus, they were all less than $16.

These aren't wines to drink with a delicate Dover sole. These are for your gumbos and your oysters, for your jerk chickens and your burritos. Above all, these are wines with certain sharp flavors, which make them worth trying so that you can isolate those aromas and determine whether you like them. And, as always, the goal is to find what you enjoy and then drink it. In some degree of moderation, of course.

1996 Marco Fellugia Pinot Bianco Collio ($11.75, Brookline Liquor Mart). Once you get past the slight tinge of shoe polish on the nose, this Northern Italian pinot blanc gives you sharp tastes of kumquats and violets. Very floral, with decent weight; it will go great with pork chops or Chinese food.

1998 Lucien Albrecht Pinot Blanc Vin d'Alsace (about $14, Marty's). Plenty of peach on the nose, with a slightly bitter finish, redolent of barely burnt Key lime pie. The bite comes from unripe pineapple, according to San Francisco wine guru Steve Sherman.

1997 King Estate Pinot Gris Oregon ($14.95, Brookline Liquor Mart). Yes indeed, I do love these Oregon pinot gris, and this one can age. The Reserve is a few bucks more, and definitely better, but this number has hazelnut on the nose, no oak at all, and great acid. The finish is super long, you will taste Granny Smith apples in the mid-palate, and it will work well with spicy, hearty Indian food.

1997 Vouvray Domaine Bourillon D'Orleans Loire Demi-sec ($14.99, Marty's). A slightly sweet, baked-apple-pie nose, with some honey and some floral notes. The bite here is sweet apples, and although this could work after dinner, it would be paired on my table with jambalaya or anything outrageously spicy. The fruit is very pleasant, and the finish lingers.

1998 Huia Gewurztraminer Marlborough ($15.99, Martignetti). Hoo yeah! Sounds like something Al Pacino dreamed up. This New Zealand wine is bright and fruity, with strong flavors of Asian pear and litchi nut, plus loads of ginger and other spices. A pleasant, medium-weight wine to partner with really spicy foods. A catch.

1997 L'Ecole No. 41 Semillon Washington ($15.99, Marty's). Some lovely melon and silky textures; the bite here is baked Alaska and vanilla. Massively oaky, this wine is stupendous now for the price, but it will get even greater with some time down in the cellar.

1998 Martin Codax Albarino Rias Baixas ($15.99, Marty's). Orange candy right up front, with more than a hint of rind. Very crisp Spanish wine -- lean and mean. A hint of sweetness on the attack, but bone dry at the finish. I say this pairs well with raw shellfish or paella.

1997 Glen Carlou Chardonnay Paarl ($15.99, Marty's). I had to throw in a chardonnay. This South African example is loaded with oak, and aged "sur lies" (on the grape skins) for added flavor. It's the essence of what we now call "New World" chardonnay: big, some butter, plenty of macadamia nut, also caramel. People call these wines candy, but I think this style of chardonnay works better than anything with big sauces, with sweet-and-sour salmon, or with any creamy Alfredo-style sauce. Which is why these chardonnays dominate in restaurants. Worth drinking now.

David Marglin can be reached at wine[a]phx.com.

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