Albariño Most notably produced in Rías Baixas, Spain; Albariño wines are characteristically light and produce peach or apricot aromas.  It became a mainstay in my arsenal after a company Christmas party at a Tapas restaurant.  Highly recommended for someone who is looking for something other than the usual suspects: Savignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio.

Chardonnay This is probably the premier white grape.  One reason it is so available is because it is an easy grape to grow.  With that being said, it should also be noted that where and how the grapes are grown dramatically affect the wine produced.  Terroir and the individual winemakers play a significant role in how the grapes will present themselves once bottled.  It is prominently used in Chablis, white Burgundy, and Champagne. Many growers in California like to use oak fermentation, which I try to avoid.  Typical house wines at bars and restaurants are Chardonnays.

Pinot Noir Everyone’s favorite.  It is the primary grape used in Burgundy’s red wines.  It is also widely produced in California and Oregon.  It needs cold weather to thrive and is considered one of the hardest grapes to grow.  These grapes produce a light to medium bodied wine, and generally carry aromas of black cherry, raspberry or currant.  The issue that I have with pinot noir is that there are so many choices out there.  Some of them are awesome, others not so good.  Also, they can get very pricey.  Normally, I’m up for trying new wines, but in this case, you have to be careful.

Pinot Grigio Perfect for beer converts, this grape initiated the JohnnyWino phenomenon.  They are easy to down, but may leave more experienced wine drinkers wanting more.  Since this grape is grown all over the world, it is hard to pinpoint a universal style.  I would stick with the Italian varieties that are closer to straw colored.  They tend to display more of the grape’s fruit flavor.  The darker, earthier versions frequently tend to fall closer to a cider in taste.  The upside is that there are some tasty ones out there at a good price.