White wine: What do you need to know?
Discover everything you need to know about the best white wine across the world, from famous regions to food pairings.
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White wine is magic
We’ve been under white wine’s spell for centuries - even Egyptian pharaohs couldn’t resist…
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There's so much to choose from
With over 600 different green grapes out there that become, once winemakers get their hands on them, thousands of white wines, where do you start?
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Enter our white wine guide
Everything you need to know about white wine — how it’s made, what it tastes like, where to find it and how to get the one you really want.
White wine: What do you need to know?
How is white wine made?
It starts with the winemaker carefully selecting vineyards and grapes (think Michelin-starred chef choosing ingredients), before the chosen grapes are harvested and crushed. Then it’s onto pressing to remove the grape skins, stalks and seeds. (These are left in with red grapes as they give red wine its color and tannins — the stuff that creates a drying effect in the mouth.)
Next up is fermentation, where yeast grows among the grapes and turns their natural sugars into alcohol. (It gets more appetizing, we promise!) This happens in either oak barrels or steel vats and typically takes between two to four weeks.
Your oakier whites will age further in, you guessed it, oak barrels, which allow more oxygen into the wine and develop flavors like toast, vanilla or even spice. (Steel vats keep oxygen out so the white wine can hold on to its fruitier, freshness.)
White wine flavor profiles
Even if you’re convinced white wine isn’t your thing, we’d recommend another look. After all there are 600 white wine grape varieties in the world, so odds are there is one that will please your palate. If you’re ready to explore white wine, you can’t go wrong starting with these beloved varieties:
Chardonnay: Unoaked chardonnays are refreshing and crisp with citrus flavors, while oaked Chardonnays, being barrel-aged, are richer and can taste of vanilla, butter and spice.
Sauvignon Blanc: Sauvignon Blanc bursts with green fruits like grapefruit and gooseberry, or tropical fruits like pineapple and passion fruit. Some fall on the more herbaceous side with bell pepper and grassy flavors.
Pinot Grigio: Often mistaken for Pinot Gris (which tends to be richer), Pinot Grigio is light-bodied with fresh citrus flavors and a touch of minerality — the refreshing sensation reminiscent of wet stones.
Riesling: Riesling ranges from bone-dry to sweet. Drier Rieslings are packed with apple, citrus, and minerality, while sweeter styles offer a honey richness.
White wine food pairings
A general guide when food and wine pairing is to find a wine that matches the intensity of the flavors in the dish. Classic combinations include:
The crisp acidity in Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio or Pinot Gris works perfectly with fresh seafood and salads, and cuts through creamy goat cheese.
With a bit more body or weight to them, unoaked Chardonnay like Chablis and Viognier can stand up to richer seafood like lobster and creamy pasta sauces.
For fuller-bodied whites like oaked Chardonnays try salmon, roasted chicken, mushroom risotto and hard cheeses like Gruyere.
Drinking Champagne? Give fried chicken a go — yes, really — the bubbles and crisp acidity of Champagne cut through the fatty meat.
Pro tip: If you’re stuck, you won’t go wrong with a Sauvignon Blanc. It’s one of the food-friendliest white wines out there thanks to its vibrant flavors and acidity that’ll balance anything from chips and guacamole to sashimi.
But remember, don’t worry about so-called wine rules, every palate is different so you should drink the wine you want to drink.
Burgundy, France
A historic winemaking region steeped in prestige and known for its Chardonnays (and Pinot Noirs for any red wine drinkers). It’s a mosaic of vineyards, each with its own combination of sunshine, slopes and soil that creates unique, distinct wines. Its fanciest, called Grand Crus under the region’s classification system, are among some of the world’s most sought-after white wines. Burgundy Chardonnays tend to be rich but elegant, with green apple and citrus flavors and a creamy or buttery feel.
California, USA
With wineries making Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio, Viognier, and even white blends, California is a safe bet for any white wine lover. Not only is it home to a variety of grapes, it’s home to a variety of climates, and each climate produces its own style of wine. Those from cooler coastal regions like Sonoma are often crisp, mineral Sauvignon Blancs, while in warmer inland areas like Lodi and Central Valley you’ll get richer, fruitier Chardonnays.
Marlborough, New Zealand
Marlborough on New Zealand’s South Island has become synonymous with Sauvignon Blanc. Its cool climate, never-ending sunshine, and free-draining soils mean it’s a wonderland for the grape, and set apart its Sauvignons from those made elsewhere. With Marlborough Sauvignon you get tropical fruit flavors, mouthwatering tartness and sometimes minerality too.
