Real Men Drink White Wine

by Mike Supple
published: 25 Nov 2009       | Comments

I recently stumbled across a quote in a magazine from a woman named Vonnie, who said: "I wouldn't go out with a man who drank white wine." On behalf of all men, I'd like to say thank you to Vonnie for not wasting our time and money. If I tell her that I enjoy a good bottle of dry rosé, will she just leave altogether? Please?

So what's with the bad rap for white wine? Clearly it is because all white wines are delicate little creatures with bright floral aromas and a solid backbone of sugar, and men cannot associate with anything delicate or floral. And sugar is for girls. Except that some of the fullest, most complex and age-worthy wines produced in the world are white, and they don't have any sugar.

Riesling is among the most maligned of the white grapes. To many people, Riesling is a low-quality, sickly sweet wine not worth drinking. While some of this reputation was earned (by wineries like Blue Nun - which is now working hard to combat the image it created for itself), the generalization is vastly untrue. Riesling is produced around the world in a range of styles from sweet and light to full bodied and bone dry. The flavors are complex, stretching from fruity and floral to honeyed and musky. Riesling also complements all types of cuisine: German, French, Italian, Thai, Mandarin, Mexican and more.

There are too many great white wines to list them all, but there are a few others you should be familiar with. Chenin Blanc, Grüner Veltliner, Marsanne, Pinot Gris and Viognier are all internationally recognized as capable of making excellent, complex wines.

I frequently end up choosing white wine rather than red to accompany my dinner because of the versatility that many white wines offer. Sure, red wines have all that tannin and body that let them stand up to a hearty meat dish, but I don't eat steak or beef stew every day. And rather than saying that steak goes with red wine, I think it's more appropriate to say that if you eat anything other than steak while drinking red wine, all you will taste is the wine. When consumed with food wine should accent and add to the meal, not overpower it. When I'm making the selection, white is for dinner, red is for the couch afterwards.

Try it for yourself: chicken and Cabernet Sauvignon, fish and Cabernet Sauvignon, prime rib and Cabernet Sauvignon - all you'll taste is the Cabernet. But steak is hearty and Cabernet is full bodied; therefore, they go well together and nothing could be manlier, right? Overplayed notions of food and wine pairing might tell you this is true, but I recommend rejecting these stereotypes. Food costs money and wine costs money, so why not taste and enjoy them both.

So Vonnie (and any other ladies out there that share her misguided point of view), rather than mocking a man for drinking white wine, perhaps take it as a sign that he enjoys food and life - who knows what other secrets lurk within him. And gentlemen, the next time you're in a restaurant with a wine list, take a look at the first few wines on the list rather than passing over them to find the standard Merlot or Cabernet. You might find you enjoy your food quite a bit more when you can actually taste all of it.