DON’T worry, wine is once again back on the agenda this week and it’s white wine at that. It seems like an age since we last bantered on the subject. Banter by the way is defined as the playful exchange of teasing remarks which aptly describes what the editor generously calls the drinks column.

It’s been an interesting few weeks for me as this is the time the shippers and bonded warehouses are trying to persuade wine merchants that their new wine is just perfect for Christmas, so they send samples galore. That said, many of them are absolute dogs so this is also a bad time to accept a gift from me – apologies if you are one of those this year.

The focus this year appears to be following Aldi’s lead in trying to persuade drinkers to try new styles of white, and while I admire their intentions, someone really should tell like-minded companies to stop. There are of course vast numbers of wines from all manner of diverse regions in France alone that most will not have tried, and when you look at Spain, the diversity increases as do the numbers when you look at Italy but an awful lot of regional wines are good for just that, the region.

There’s a very good reason why the New World developed its wine industry over the last 40 years on a limited number of varieties namely Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Grigio, and that’s because that’s what people want!

I’ve tried just about every minor grape variety there is – both in red and white – and I keep migrating back to the main six or seven because they work and the others don’t. It really is as simple as that and if I don’t like it, I sure as heck can’t sell it. Personally I would rather try the newest incarnation of Chardonnay than the latest ‘new’ grape from an old region that promises to be the new thing.

In recent years, it’s Chardonnay that has delighted and bored drinkers in equal amounts with winemakers experimenting eagerly with more oak, different oak, multiple types of oak and in recent years no oak at all and to be honest I love every variant they come up with.

Likewise with Sauvignon Blanc. The wine-makers have been rather less experimental with oak on discovering how strong the reaction is between the sight of an oak tree and a bottle of Sauvignon, but the Californians keep the oak flag flying for Sauvignon and even created their own brand style of wine to suit, Fume Blanc. There are Fumes to suit all budgets. Price isn’t always an indicator with this style but aim for something with medium oak ageing rather than one of the ‘blockbusters’ that’s been vinified in oak, matured in oak, cellared next to an oak forest and so on because they invariably tend to be the reason the style was called Fume!

Unoaked Sauvignon Blanc makes up more than 80 per cent of the style but it still varies dramatically in taste and aroma depending on where it’s created. The French Loire Valley versions (which were the Kings of the world until that pesky little Colony started producing) tend to be austere, with minimal fruit and a refreshing edge about as subtle as a slap in the face with a wet cod, while the pesky Colony (New Zealand) produces crisp, mouth-watering grass- and lemony-flavoured wines. South Africa edges towards the fruitier but less refreshing while Chile needs a lot more practice to stop its Sauvignons tasting as interesting as a baby wet wipe.

One grape variety I believe the Old World still does best is Riesling. Over the years I’ve tasted just about every New World version available and while the Aussies are having a rather good go at dry Riesling at the moment there are no vineyards outside the Mosel that can beat the grape in its best style which is medium to sweet.

I’ve heard all sorts of things about Riesling over the years, including the one that a good version should smell like petrol, but I’ve never had anything other than tropical fruits and occasionally apples and limes. Spend about a tenner on a good Mosel Kabinett and chill it to the same temperature as a polar bear’s bum and it will keep on rewarding with lots of soft, generous fruits. It’s one of the rare white grapes that you can over-chill without killing all the flavours, and part of that is down to the waxy full style of the grape flesh itself.

Gewurztraminer isn’t on everyone’s shopping list but, you know, if you’re planning a barbeque or a spicy evening meal it should be. Mind you, the name doesn’t help, it’s not exactly user friendly when you need to ask a shop assistant is it? For those of you who are unsure, the phonetic way to pronounce it is “Goo Wurs Tram inner”. I’ve tasted some average versions and some world-class versions but in truth I’ve never had a bad one, so they really are worth a gamble. You should expect a very aromatic nose-gripping start, with limes and nettles on the nose leading into a crisp, sometimes biting, palate of ginger and water melons. Try one from either Alsace or California as both are producing excellent examples at the moment.

And then we come on to Pinot Grigio, which is surely everyone’s first introduction into Italian white wines. It’s the same family grape style as Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris which may be worth knowing. Pinot Grigio doesn’t tend to be the fruitiest of wines but does tend to have a pleasant, refreshing acidity on the palate that blends in well with a soft creamy touch, making them both crisp and relaxing at the same time – a bit of a clever trick. It’s the softness and refreshing easy finish that help explain why Pinot Grigio is one of the world’s most popular quaffing wines.

Ah, now doesn’t it feel good to be talking about wine again. If you agree tune in to next week’s Whitehaven News for an assessment of red wines.