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Discover the different types and styles of white wine

Discover the different types and styles of white wine


Category:Wine Pairings

Discover the different types and styles of white wine


Love a glass of white wine – but wish you knew more about what you were drinking? You’ve come to the right place. With its many varieties and variations spread across continents, countries and regions, white wine is versatile, multi-faceted, and truly fascinating. Discover the different types and styles of white wine here.


A Guide to White Wine

When we pick up a glass of wine, we can employ our senses – sight, smell, taste – to judge whether it’s the right match for our palette. What does it look like in appearance? What notes do we pick up when we take a whiff? How does it taste? These are the important factors that tell us if it will be a good match for our dinner, if it’s what we expected from a particular grape or region, and ultimately, if it’s the right wine for us.


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Appearance

Colour 
Ranging from lemon-green to gold in hue, the colour of white wine is influenced by the amount of maceration the juice undertakes with grape skins.

Maceration is a winemaking process that involves soaking grape skins, seeds, and stalks in grape juice to extract flavours, colour, and tannins. It's a key step in the production of red wine, but it can also occur in the production of white wine too. 

The longer the maceration, the deeper the colour – and stronger the tannins, which are usually very low in white wines – the wine will have.

White wine colour spectrum: Lemon-green – Lemon – Gold – Amber – Brown

Clarity
A wine’s clarity is indicated by how clear it is. The less clear it looks, the more hazy it is – which will be caused by particles suspended in the wine. Haziness may indicate a fault with the wine, which can be determined by carrying out an examination on the nose and palate.


Intensity
When we speak about the intensity of a wine’s appearance, we mean how much colour the wine has. By holding the glass at a 45° angle and looking through the wine from above, the intensity can be determined by seeing how far the colour spreads from the core to the rim – note that all white wines will appear colourless right at the rim. If the rim is broad and watery, the wine can be considered pale, but if the pigment almost reaches the rim, it can be described as deep.


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Nose

Aromas

A wine’s aromas form an essential part of its enjoyment. They will also indicate the quality of the wine, especially if it is a fine wine. 

Although characteristics still vary hugely depending on the style, typically a white wine’s aromas can fall into four categories: citrus fruit, such as lemon and lime, green fruit, such as apple and pear, tropical fruit, including lychee and pineapple, or herbaceous, such as green bell peppers. Oak ageing can impart aromas of vanilla, whilst other ageing techniques can imbue the wine with biscuit, dried fruit, and nutmeg aromas. Floral characteristics are also more easily picked up by the nose than on the palate.

Top tip: If you swirl the liquid, it will release aromas into the glass. Placing your nose over the rim and taking a short sniff of the wine, pay attention to the aromas’ level of intensity, and other characteristics.


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Palate
Wine Body
Whether a white wine is light or full-bodied can have a huge impact on its flavour profile. The ‘body’ of a wine refers to factors including its weight, texture, and richness, which are generally picked up by the sense of touch rather than taste. The fuller-bodied a wine is, the more likely it is to have more intense flavours and a higher alcohol level. Factors like high acidity will make a wine feel lighter-bodied.

Fruitiness 
A white wine’s fruit-forward or aromatic quality is determined by the level of natural sugar present. This is enhanced in hotter countries, where the increased amount of sunshine leads to extra ripening and a higher concentration of naturally occurring sugars in the grapes, resulting in fruitier and more floral flavours. 
 
Flavour Characteristics
Generally, the flavours that you experience on the palate will mirror the aromas picked up by the nose. However, by warming the wine in the mouth, additional characteristics may become apparent, or some may be intensified, such as stone fruit flavours or floral characteristics, like rose.
 
White wine types and styles
White wine is highly versatile and multifaceted in its numerous expressions, ranging from crisp and zesty to rich and toasty in style. These characteristics are greatly influenced by grape varietal, climate, terroir, and winemaking processes such as oak ageing. The terroir – the environmental conditions the grape grows in like the soil, climate, topography and surrounding geography – in particular plays a crucial role.

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Leading white grape varieties 

Chardonnay
The indomitable Chardonnay may divide opinions among white wine drinkers (it even led to the ‘ABC’ acronym, for those who’ll enjoy ‘Anything But Chardonnay’) but it remains one of the world’s leading white wine grapes for good reason. 
Rich and fruit-driven, with lower levels of acidity, its complexity and fullness are characteristics that can make it divisive. However, for those who appreciate white wine that exhibits a higher intensity of flavour, it’s incredibly rewarding. Highly versatile, it can range in style, from leaner and more chalky to incredibly rich, creamy and oaky, meaning that there’s a Chardonnay to suit everyone’s tastes.
Chardonnay’s home is Burgundy, France, where it is responsible for the majority of the region’s white wines. It is also the main grape used in blending Champagne, and if the label says ‘Blanc de Blancs’, it means that it is solely made from Chardonnay grapes. 
 
Flavours: Lemon, yellow apple, butter, vanilla, pineapple
Food pairings: The versatility of Chardonnay means that it lends itself to a wealth of foods. More acidic Chardonnay styles will pair well with creamy dishes and seafood – think risotto or oysters. Whereas Chardonnay that has been oaked will match richer food, like crab cakes or spaghetti in a clam and garlic sauce.
Where it’s grown: France, USA, Australia, Italy, Chile
 
Explore our carefully curated Chardonnay 12 Bottle White Wine Case here.
 
Sauvignon Blanc
An incredibly popular white wine grape varietal, Sauvignon Blanc thrives in vineyards the world over, expressing itself in a myriad of styles – ranging from savoury and mineral to crisp and refreshing. Usually celebrated for producing white wines that are herbaceous, aromatic and acidic with a light body, it can occasionally be oak-aged, which will present more creamy aromas and an oily mouthfeel.
Its original home is the Loire Valley, France, which is often considered the superior region from which to produce it. These wines are typically more aromatic and zesty than Sauvignon grown in other locations, often exhibiting flinty characteristics with green fruit flavours. The renowned vineyards of Marlborough, New Zealand, have also taken the world by storm, with ​​zesty citrus, tropical fruit and fresh acidity being common flavour profiles.  
 
Flavours: Gooseberry, honeydew, grapefruit, white peach, passion fruit
Food pairings: Sauvignon Blanc’s flavour profile sings when paired with herby foods, such as parsley sauce over fish, or the herby, aromatic flavours of many Thai dishes. Its light body also pairs well with white meats like chicken and turkey, or white fish such as cod and haddock. For vegetarian dishes, asparagus risotto and Greek pasta salad make delicious choices.
Where it’s grown: France, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, Moldova, United States, Australia

Explore our Sauvignon Blanc 12 Bottle White Wine Case here.

Riesling
With its origins tracing back to Germany, the Riesling grape variety produces highly aromatic wines that vary in colour from pale straw to deep yellow. Traditionally, Riesling wines were made in a sweeter style to balance their high alcohol content. However, they are now often made in dryer styles, whilst being even higher in alcohol. That said, these wines can be considerably lower in alcohol than other white styles, whilst maintaining distinctive flavour characteristics.
Usually, Riesling is not used as a blending grape, unless in a Liebfraumilch and other semi-sweet German table wines. Mostly planted in Germany, its style varies hugely depending on where it is grown, from Alsace to Austria. For example, a Riesling from the Mosel in Germany will likely be sweet, light in body and lower in alcohol. Whereas, if it hails from Australia, it’ll likely be higher in alcohol and very dry.
 
Flavours: Green apple, citrus, jasmine, apricot, nectarine, pineapple
Food pairings: Riesling’s high acidity levels make it a perfect pairing for spicy foods such as Thai dishes, or a classic pairing is spiced duck leg. 
Where it’s grown: Germany, Australia, United States, France, Austria, New Zealand 
 
Chenin Blanc
Chenin Blanc is the world’s most versatile white wine grape variety, and can be made in a host of styles ranging from dry to sweet – including sweet styles made with botrytis-affected grapes – and both oaked and unoaked. Growing well in both cool and warm climates, its level of ripeness informs its flavours: including green fruit, citrus, stone fruit and tropical fruits. Its high acidity means it can be aged in-bottle for many years.
Key regions for Chenin Blanc include Vouvray AOC, which is located in the Loire Valley in France, and South Africa. It is the only variety permitted in Vouvray AOC, where wines can be made in a variety of styles, including dry, off-dry, medium, sweet and sparkling. Whatever the style, these are typically made unoaked to better display fresh fruit flavours. Chenin Blanc is significant in South Africa too, being its most planted white grape variety. Retaining a high acidity despite the warm climate, the best wines here often come from old vines.
 
Flavours: Apple, lemon, peach, pineapple, mango, honey 
Food pairings: Chenin Blanc’s acidity combined with its green-fruit flavours pair well with sweet and sour foods – think southeast Asian cuisine. Or, if oaked, roast chicken will make a great match.
Where it’s grown: South Africa, France, Argentina, USA

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Pinot Grigio/ Pinot Gris
Pinot Grigio (Italy) or Pinot Gris (France) is grown in cool or moderate climates. It’s made in two distinct styles: either as medium-to-high acidity wines that are dry and light-bodied, produced from grapes that are harvested early, presenting flavours of pear and lemon. Or, if yields are controlled and harvesting is delayed, riper grapes will be higher in sugar and lower in acidity, with a higher complexity of flavour that’ll produce full-bodied wines with flavours of lemon, peach, and mango. These can develop notes of ginger and honey in-bottle.
The simple, light-in-body style of Pinot Grigio is often produced in Veneto, north-eastern Italy, and are labelled ‘delle Venezie DOC’ or ‘Veneto IGT’. Whereas the northern Italian region of ‘Friuli-Venezia Giulia’ produces more complex, fuller-bodied styles. Over in France, however, it is Alsace AOC that produces fuller-bodied wines that are more complex in flavour, crafted from extra-ripe grapes that are picked later in the season. You can find the best wines from grand cru vineyards.
 
Flavours: Pear, lemon, peach, mango, banana, ginger, honey
Food pairings: Pair Pinot Grigio’s light and refreshing quality with fresh shellfish dishes. For richer Pinot Gris, think pasta dishes or a herby fillet of salmon.
Where it’s grown: Italy, France, USA


Gewürztraminer
This white wine grape produces beautifully aromatic wines. It grows well in cool-to-moderate climates, and its styles range from dry to sweet. Naturally producing higher levels of sugar, this grape converts into high-alcohol wines that are full-bodied with lower acidity. Expect floral aromas as well as stone-fruit and tropical flavours, especially lychee. It’s usually unoaked to let these flavours shine. 
Gewürztraminer is most famously found in Alsace AOC in France, producing some of the region’s best grand cru wines. Alto Adige is another region that produces notable Gewürztraminer. Set in the foothills of the Italian Alps, the unique terroir produce a leaner, more elegant style of wine with bright acidity and a mineral-driven profile.
 
Flavours: Rose, peach, apricot, lychee, honey
Food pairings: Its floral aromas will bring out the aromatic qualities of Moroccan and Middle-Eastern dishes, like a fruity, rich tagine.
Where it’s grown: Alsace AOC (France), Italy, Moldova, USA
 
Viognier
Heady, aromatic, tropical, and low in acidity, Viognier (pronounced: Vee-on-yay) has plenty of personality and luxurious potential in both single-grape varietal wines and in blends. 
The small Condrieu AOC appellation in France is thought to be where Viognier originated from, and some say there is no better way to experience the wine than from grapes grown here. Named ‘Condrieu’, it’s a single-varietal wine that is dry and fairly low in acidity, exhibiting delicious stone-fruit and floral aromas. 
Viognier’s aromatic, floral character also makes it an ideal blending variety, enhancing the complexity and richness of the dominant grape’s flavours and texture. This even includes red grape varietals like Syrah and Shiraz.
 
Flavours: Tangerine, peach, mango, honeysuckle, rose
Food pairings: Enjoy its aromatic, heady characteristics with nutty, fruity chicken tagine, or citrusy scallops.
Where it’s grown: France, Italy, USA, Chile, South Africa
 
Albariño/ Alvarinho
Albariño (Spain) or Alvarinho (Portugal) typically grows in cooler, wetter coastal areas of northern Spain and Portugal influenced by the Atlantic Ocean, and as such creates refreshing white wines. Dry with high acidity, it’s medium-bodied with citrus- and stone-fruit flavours. It’s usually unoaked, and best drunk young.
 
Flavours: Lemon zest, grapefruit, honeydew, nectarine, saline
Food pairing: Pair its ocean-influenced notes with fresh shellfish. Naturally high in acidity, it’s perfect for cutting through fatty or oily seafood dishes or soft cheeses
Where it’s grown: Spain, Portugal, California, Australia, New Zealand
 
Trebbiano 
‘Trebbiano’ refers to a related group of white wine grape varieties, and is one of the most popular wine grapes in Italy and France. However, you won’t usually see it drunk as a single varietal white wine, as it’s most commonly used in blends, as well as in the production of brandy and balsamic vinegar. 
If it is used to craft white wine, the result is usually dry and fairly high in acidity. It’s also used in the majority of production of DOC white wine – commonly Trebbiano Toscano. It was even popular for a while in red Tuscan wines. Known in France as ‘Ugni Blanc’, where it’s widely used in Cognac, this is hugely planted in South America and also in countries like Bulgaria and Greece. 
 
Flavours: White peach, lemon, green apple, seashell, basil
Food pairings: As a dry white wine, Trebbiano pairs well with hard Italian cheeses, seafood pastas, white pizza, roast chicken and even pesto.
Where it’s grown: Italy, France, Portugal, South America, Bulgaria, Russia, Greece

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Hidden Gems
Our award-winning Buying Team have been scouring the corners of the globe to source excitingly new styles of wine – including these two white styles from Provence and Greece.

Provence Blanc
Provence may be most famed for its iconic rosés, but beyond these famously delicate pinks, this picturesque corner of Southern France also offers deliciously crisp whites – including the refreshing Provence Blanc. Crafted from local white grape varieties including Vermentino, Grenache Blanc, and Bourboulenc, this chic new style beautifully captures the crisp, fresh essence that the Provence region is known for. Discover our carefully curated selection of Provence Blanc here

Greek White
Although wine has been made in Greece for thousands of years (it’s counted as one of the ‘Ancient World’ countries for winemaking), their wines in recent times have sat somewhat under the radar. However, our award-winning Buyers have highlighted their incredible potential – and delicious qualities.
The country’s white wines are refreshing, zesty and full of lively minerality. They’re crafted from indigenous Greek grape varieties that you won’t find anywhere else, including the highly popular Assyrtiko, and ancient grape Plytó that has had a recent revival in Crete thanks to leading wine producer Lyrarakis. A perfect match with fish and seafood, if you love Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño and Gavi, Greek white wine is a must-try. Discover Greek white wines here.

Discover more 
We’ve even created a helpful list of our top 10 white wines. But if you want to mix it up a bit and try a few different styles, explore our carefully curated Definition by Majestic White Mixed Case, which showcases some of the best styles from around the world.

 

More White Wine Mixed Cases to Explore:


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