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We can think of hundreds of activities where breaking out the white wine could only be a good idea – lazy summer picnics, beach days, back garden barbecues or simply as a glass to wake up your tastebuds. With so many different styles and varieties to choose from, you’re spoilt for choice.
White wine is the most popular style in the UK, with varieties like Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay leading the charge. That’s no surprise, with white wines ranging from rich and lush to dry and crisp – and flavours ranging from tomato leaf and fresh herbs to tropical fruits and honeysuckle. Whatever your preference, there’s a white wine out there for you. But what makes these white wines so popular? We’ve broken the answers down for you in this handy guide to the different types of popular white wines.
Popular types of white wine
With a range of styles to choose from, there’s a white wine to complement every dish, occasion, and personal preference. Let's take a look at some of the most popular types of white wine.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay’s roots trace back to the Burgundy region in France, famed for producing renowned wines like Chablis, Meursault, and Montrachet. But now, you’ll find this adaptable grape flourishing in wine regions all over the globe. It’s a favourite among winemakers, thriving in various climates and revealing different flavours depending on its home.
In cooler regions, Chardonnay showcases crisp flavours reminiscent of Granny Smith apples, lemons and quince, often with a touch of elegance and minerality. When the climate’s warmer, it unfolds into richer notes of pineapple, apricot and melon.
Chardonnay also displays a lovely creaminess and weight in many of its wines, enhanced often by ageing a wine on its lees (that’s the sediment that develops during fermentation), the stirring of these lees from time to time and a process called ‘malolactic fermentation’ or ‘malo’ for short. Put simply, this process converts sharp malic acid (like the stuff you find in a green apple) into softer lactic acid (as in milk products) in a wine.
Another unique characteristic about Chardonnay is its ability to show off its origins – where the grapes have been grown… often termed as ‘terroir’. This grape beautifully reflects the climate of its vineyards and the soil it’s grown on. Certain soils like chalk give a wine brightness and minerality, while vines grown on clay give fruitier notes.
Leaving the technical stuff behind, Chardonnay is also a star at taking on a bit of oak – the best ones flattered by the flavours gathered from fermentation in oak barrels, while others are only aged in casks. A good winemaker will judge just how much oak flavour is required for the toasty vanilla spice notes to balance the fruit flavours.
Chardonnay is a food lover’s dream, whether oaked or unoaked, with or without malolactic fermentation. The mineral-driven light Chardonnay is a seafood delight, especially with oysters. A lightly oaked Chardonnay pairs wonderfully with roast chicken, and if you have a mature barrel-aged wine, it’s a match made in heaven with creamy sauced dishes, richer dishes like salmon en croute or grilled white fish with butter and almonds.
In the mood for a smooth, full-bodied Chardonnay? You’ll adore the mid-gold RedHeads Harmonie Rox Chardonnay 2022, with its fresh citrus and lightly toasted flavours.
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc is one of the more versatile types of white wine that can be anything from dry and crisp to sweet and luscious. It hails from the scenic Loire Valley in France, but the grape has travelled far and wide and is now a star in South Africa, North America, and Australia.
This grape makes a deliciously fresh, fruity style, that’s a delight as a glass on its own. It’s also great paired with food – terrific with pork or chicken dishes with a creamy sauce. Plus, if you’re a fan of seafood, Chenin Blanc complements the sweet and delicate flavours of lobster and crab beautifully.
And for those with a sweet tooth, a dessert Chenin Blanc is a real treat. It stands proudly alongside Sauternes as one of the top dessert wines to enjoy with pâté and foie gras.
Discover the dry, crisp The Huguenot Chenin Blanc 2022, with its elegant floral aromas, fresh tropical fruit flavours and zesty lemon finish or for a more classic, French style Chenin Blanc, try this Vouvray – Réserve Champalou or Savennières – Les Deux Vallées.
Grüner Veltliner
Grüner Veltliner is Austria’s star white grape. Indeed, 75% of the world’s plantings are in Austria, and most of that is in the Niederösterreich. The grape’s herbaceous, white pepper and stone fruit notes are always underlined by an intense streak of limey freshness, which makes its wines deliciously refreshing.
It’s a great alternative for Sauvignon Blanc fans, providing a little more character around the edges! It is great to drink on its own, but also makes a good pairing with light summer salads and fish, its freshness cutting through creamy sauces.
Grüner Veltliner often spends time on its lees, which adds a creamy texture and roundness to a wine. Most examples make great drinking within the first few years.
Discover our award-winning Austrian Pfaffl HAIDEN Grüner Veltliner 2022 – juicy, floral and irresistible, or, more unusually, one from Adelaide Hills in Australia, RedHeads Grüner Veltliner 2022.
Pinot Gris/ Pinot Grigio
Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio. One grape, two names. However, these two names – like Syrah and Shiraz – are indicative of a difference in style. Pinot Grigio is the Italian name for the grape. It is stylistically fresh and light, with flavours of green apple, citrus and blossom.
The French have dubbed this same grape Pinot Gris and it rarely appears anywhere in France apart from in Alsace. It’s considerably fuller-bodied than its Italian sibling, delivering aromas of white peach, honey, lemon blossom and spice. Occasionally, Pinot Gris is made into a luscious late-harvest wine – perfect with creamy fruit tarts. New Zealand and a good number of other New World wine destinations have taken on this richer style, producing ripe, tropical fruit wines. In all, including Alsace, acidity is low, so it’s a rounder, more voluptuous style. So different, in fact, from its synonym, Pinot Grigio.
Grauburgunder is the German name for the same grape.
You can never go wrong with Sentiero dei Pini Pinot Grigio 2022, with its brisk notes of lemon and apple and light floral aromas. Or for that New World breadth of flavour, try New Zealand’s Rapaura Springs Pinot Gris 2022… a luscious mouthful of ripe tropical fruit and spice.
Thanks to this grape’s pink skins, it can also produce pale rosé.
Riesling
Some like it dry, some like it sweet, and some in between, but whatever level you opt for, you can be sure that Riesling will deliver lots of brilliant freshness as well. Its wines have a lovely elegance and the finest – many of those from Germany – are much prized.
Highly aromatic and with that intense zip of freshness, its wines are very food-friendly, pairing up with tricky dishes from across the world. It acts like a perfect palate-cleanser to reset your taste buds between bites of Thai green curry and Szechuan chicken. Off-dry and sweet Rieslings are real winners with dishes with a kick of chilli heat. Want a wine to enjoy with your sushi? Reach for a bottle of dry Riesling.
Why not try Hunter’s Riesling 2022, with its zesty citrus flavours, ripe tropical fruit and floral aromas? Or going back to its origins, enjoy this crisp, lime-scented German Riesling from the Mosel, My Karp Riesling 2022. Australia also has a name for this grape as well – Bleasdale Riesling 2022, from the cooler Adelaide Hills, with its ripe fruit and zippy lime.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is your go-to wine for capturing the essence of spring and summer. This cool climate grape makes invigorating wines brimming with lively lime, grapefruit and a touch of jalapeño, especially when it calls the Marlborough region of New Zealand’s South Island home. Venture into warmer regions and it transforms into a delightful blend of grapefruit, passionfruit and dominant peach flavours.
Whether planning a picnic or dressing up for fine dining, Sauvignon Blanc is the perfect companion. It pairs wonderfully with seafood and zesty dishes like ceviche and chicken piccata. Struggling to find the right wine for creamy pasta or risotto? Sauvignon Blanc to the rescue – those with a herby freshness are a dream with vegetable and garlic-rich dishes such as pasta primavera or garlic prawns.
In places like Bordeaux, Napa and occasionally New Zealand, some winemakers ferment and/or age their Sauvignon Blanc in oak, resulting in a fuller body, a creamier texture, and a whisper of vanilla spice. It’s a different but enjoyable twist, producing a wine that’s more savoury and often best with food.
For Sauvignon Blanc lovers, the award-winning New Zealand Split Rock Sauvignon Blanc 2022 is a must-try with its bright citrus and intense gooseberry flavours. Or for something more classic from France, try a Sancerre from the Loire (Domaine Michel Thomas 2022) or from next door, in the Touraine, Domaine Alain Malet 2022 – both intensely lemony and grassy fresh.
Semillon
Early ripening with golden skins, Semillon grapes are often blended with Sauvignon Blanc – the body and richness of the former complementing the latter’s characteristic grassy freshness.
Semillon can be made in a dry style, but it also produces lusciously sweet dessert wines, the most famous of which is Sauternes. The second most-planted white grape in Bordeaux, Semillon is also something of a legend in Australia’s Hunter Valley. Its top wines, most of them unoaked, age for years into sublime notes of creamy, peach and lime-streaked, toasty complexity. Well worth a try. Napa’s winemakers also favour this white grape.
Both as a single variety or as a blend, Semillon can produce first-class wines. Enjoy it with white meats and virtually all fish dishes, including sushi (best paired with an unoaked style) or creamy vegetarian dishes.
Why not try Deep Woods Estate Redlands Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2021? It’s a dry Semillon blend from Australia with refreshing acidity and citrus, herby flavours. Or a slightly riper style from the Barossa, RedHeads Blue Belle Semillon 2022.
Viognier
Most famous in the wines of France’s northern Rhône Valley, Condrieu in particular, Viognier presents a wine with exotic aromas, roundness and body. Think peach, tangerine and honeysuckle foremost, wonderfully floral, possibly with a touch of spice. It’s a variety low in acidity and with pleasing weight.
It is mostly widely planted in the Rhône valley, north and south, and the Languedoc, southern France, and after that, mostly in the New World, where it takes on riper, more exotic fruit notes. California’s Central Coast and South Australia are key regions to explore for this aromatic gem.
Generally quite a luscious style of white wine, Viognier is a dream when paired with seafood such as lobster, crab and scallops. It’s also a match made in heaven with roast chicken, turkey, and pork – making it a go-to wine for Christmas dinner. And if you’re in the mood for something spicy, Viognier complements many fragrant Thai dishes with ease.
Discover our selection of Viognier wines to enjoy next time you’re looking for a white wine with a difference. We’d particularly recommend South Africa’s Queen Bee Viognier 2023.
Other types of white wine
There are many different types of white wine besides the ones you might know already. Here are some of these lesser-known white wines and their unique characteristics.
Albariño
One of Spain’s most celebrated white wine grapes, Albariño is renowned for its exceptional purity and vibrant character. This refreshing wine is a melody of zesty citrus, floral blossoms and minerality, often accompanied by a subtle hint of salinity. It’s a fantastic companion to seafood and lighter dishes, bringing a touch of Spanish sunshine to your meal.
Albariño is the pride and joy of northwestern Spain’s Rías Baixas, where it truly shines. Hop across the border to Portugal, and you’ll find Albariño under the name Alvarinho, gracing Vinho Verde’s spritzy and easy-drinking wines.
Conde de Cron Albariño 2022 is an excellent introduction or be adventurous and try one from New Zealand – Field of Stones Albariño 2022, that’s a touch more tropical. Shop our complete range of Albariño wines now.
Gewürztraminer
Feeling adventurous and looking to try something new in the world of white wines? Say hello to Gewürztraminer. This charming pink-skinned grape takes you on a flavourful journey with notes of lychee, rose petals, yellow peach and a generous sprinkle of spice.
When it comes to Gewürztraminer, France’s Alsace region wears the crown, crafting both dry and sweet late-harvest wines that are nothing short of mesmerising. While Gewürztraminer is a low-acid white wine grape, its naturally ripe and fruity flavours bring a touch of sweetness, making it a fabulous partner for South Asian cuisine.
Try the elegant Pierre Brecht Gewürztraminer 2021, with its distinct orange blossom and lychee aromas.
Muscat
This ancient grape, also known as Moscato, is experiencing a delightful renaissance, winning hearts with its fresh grape, peach and mandarin flavours. In fact, it’s the only grape that actually smells really grapey!
In Alsace, northeast France, it is often a highly aromatic, dry white, and further afield is used, in small amounts, within a blend. However, it really comes into its own as a sweet or fortified wine like Portugal’s Moscatel du Setúbal or southern France’s Muscat de Rivesaltes. And best of all, Muscat of Rutherglen in Australia’s state of Victoria. Seriously sticky and sweet, they are fabulous poured over vanilla ice cream.
Looking for a versatile wine that can gracefully accompany you from appetiser to dessert? Try it with bubbles – Moscato d’Asti.
Klein Constantia Vin de Constance 2019 is a gorgeous sweet Muscat from South Africa, that was drunk in Europe’s royal courts during the 18th and 19th century. Revived in the 20th century, it’s as magnificent as ever and well worth splashing out on.
Torrontés
Distinctly Argentinian and unmistakable in the glass, Torrontés is a delightful surprise for those who love fragrant, floral wines with rose, jasmine, citrus and pear flavours. With its moderate acidity, this vibrant white wine loves to be paired with bold flavours.
Enjoying Torrontés with empanadas is a tradition in Argentina, especially in Salta, the country’s prime Torrontés region. But the pairing possibilities don’t stop there. Creamy curries, glazed roast poultry and grilled vegetable dishes are other fabulous combinations that bring out the best in this wine.
Enjoy the crisp citrus and stonefruit flavours of Alma Andina Torrontés 2022.
