Here’s a list of the main grape varieties used for making white wine:
Chardonnay
Originating in Burgundy, France, Chardonnay is one of the most versatile and widely grown white grape varieties. In cool climates, it produces wines with crisp green apple and citrus flavors. In warmer regions, it exhibits lush tropical fruit flavors. When oak-aged, Chardonnay can exhibit creamy, buttery notes and hints of vanilla. It’s also a crucial component in Champagne and other sparkling wine production.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. It produces dry, crisp white wines with high acidity and aromatic notes. Classic flavors include green apple, passion fruit, and gooseberry, with herbaceous qualities like grass and bell pepper. In Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, it exhibits flinty, mineral characteristics, while in New Zealand, it’s known for its intense, tropical fruit character.
Riesling
Riesling is a white grape variety which originated in the Rhine region of Germany. It’s known for its high acidity, pronounced aromatic profile, and ability to express terroir. Riesling can produce a wide range of wines from bone dry to lusciously sweet. Classic flavors include green apple, citrus, peach, and often a distinctive petrol note in aged examples. It’s also grown with success in regions like Alsace in France, and Clare and Eden Valleys in Australia.
Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris
Known as Pinot Grigio in Italy and Pinot Gris in France, this white grape variety produces different styles depending on where it’s grown. Italian Pinot Grigio wines are typically light-bodied, crisp, and fresh, with flavors of green apple and pear. French Pinot Gris, especially from Alsace, tends to be fuller-bodied and richer, with ripe stone fruit flavors and sometimes a hint of spice.
Gewürztraminer
Gewürztraminer is a white grape variety that creates aromatic, full-bodied wines. It’s best known in Alsace, France, where it produces off-dry to sweet wines with flavors of lychee, rose, and exotic spices, often with a noticeable oily texture. Despite its aromatic intensity, Gewürztraminer has naturally low acidity, which makes winemaking a careful balance.
Viognier
Native to the Northern Rhône region of France, Viognier is a white grape that produces full-bodied, aromatic wines. It’s known for its distinct floral and stone fruit character, often showing notes of peach, apricot, and blossom. The variety requires a warm climate to fully ripen but can lose acidity quickly, making it a challenge to grow. Viognier is also used to co-ferment with Syrah in the Côte-Rôtie region, adding aromatic complexity to the red wine.
Semillon
Semillon is a white grape variety predominantly found in Bordeaux, France. It’s notably used in the sweet wines of Sauternes, where it develops noble rot, adding complexity and concentrated sweetness. Dry Semillon wines are medium to full-bodied with flavors of citrus and green papaya. The grape also plays a significant role in Australian wine, notably in the Hunter Valley region, where it’s made into distinctive, age-worthy, dry wines.
Moscato/Muscat
Moscato, also known as Muscat, is one of the oldest known grape varieties. It’s used to make a range of wine styles, from dry and aromatic to sweet and sparkling. Moscato d’Asti from Italy is a lightly sparkling, sweet wine displaying flavors of peach, nectarine, and orange blossom. The variety is also used in the production of fortified wines in the South of France.
Chenin Blanc
Originating in the Loire Valley of France, Chenin Blanc is a versatile white grape variety that can produce dry, off-dry, sweet, and sparkling wines, all with high acidity. It’s known for its apple, quince, and pear flavors, often with a characteristic wet wool or wet straw note. In warmer climates, such as South Africa’s Swartland region, it can exhibit tropical fruit flavors.
Verdejo
Verdejo is an indigenous white grape variety of Spain, most notably grown in the Rueda region. It produces fresh, high-acidity wines with a herbaceous character, reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc. Verdejo wines typically express flavors of lime, green apple, fennel, and a distinct minerality, often with a slightly bitter finish that adds complexity.