Your basic guide to understanding white wine

White wines are a planet filled with ecosystems. Some give the feeling of being in a spring garden, others in a winter morning in the mountains, at a tropical party, or enjoying a breath of the sea breeze. It may be that, for many, red wines are those who enjoy all the attention. The truth is that whites are a poem to the nose, freshness on the palate, and great friends of seafood, citrus preparations, and those dishes with a slight content of fat. In other words, together with Mexican food, they are the perfect duet.Last Sunday, I attended the in-person event at Casa Xipe organized by the Spanish Denomination of Origin Rías Baixas in Mexico. The tasting of their wines was a reminder that whites can be complex, rounded, and surprising wines. Forget about pale, honey-sweet wines—though there are always miracles in the Lord's vineyards—and dare to explore the summer party of whites.What we know as white wine comes from the white grapes of Vitis vinifera. The most common in Mexico are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chenin Blanc, mainly from the Valle de Guadalupe, Querétaro, Aguascalientes, and San Luis Potosí. If you like Spanish wines, then in your vocabulary will be varieties like Albariño—an inexorable variety of Rías Baixas—Malvasía, Verdejo, Txakoli—my favorite white grape at the moment—Garnacha Blanca, among many others. In the cold countries of Europe, varieties like Silvaner, Riesling, or Gewürztraminer shine.What makes a white a delight has to do with its acidity. Acidity is to white wine what harmony is to a song, color is to a work of art. For it not to stand out, acidity must be balanced with respect to alcohol and sweetness of the liquid.Unlike red wine, white wine is harvested when the level of Brix degrees (sugar concentration) is ideal for the winemaker. It is then taken to be destemmed and crushed. Next, it is cold macerated—at about 17 degrees—and fermentation is carried out without skins. Generally, they are consumed young, although some are left to rest in first or second-use barrels so as not to overshadow their fruity aromas. The resulting liquid ranges from yellow-green to old gold and all the shades that fit between the two. The aromas range from floral, fruity, and herbal to bakery notes like butter, honey, and brioche. There are also aromas of oak, cedar, and woods, in case it has been aged in barrels. The suggested serving temperature is always cold. How cold? It depends on the quality and vintage of the wine and, of course, the time of day. It is at less than 12º C that white wines acquire that freshness and lightness that so distinguishes them. To pair them, accompany them with light and fresh cheeses, with little or no aging, seafood, fish, oriental cuisine, light pastas, tacos, fried vegetarian quesadillas, and of course, fruity, creamy, or light desserts.Here are some recommendations for white wines that I have tried lately and that have surprised me. They are a good reason to gather with family or friends to celebrate life. Terras Gauda A wine from the Rías Baixas region where you will find aromas of stone fruits like peach, citrus like tangerine, and marked minerality. I recommend it to accompany this delicious seafood molcajete.Do FerreiroAnother wine from the DO of Rías Baixas whose Albariño grapes come from vineyards over ten years old. You will find in it substantial minerality, aromas of apple and herbs, as well as excellent acidity on the palate. Enjoy it alongside a baked fish like this one I propose.