Many wine-lovers may know some of the most popular white wine grape varieties such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris. However, there are more than those also being quite popular in the rest of the wine world.
Here’s a closer look at each of them, with a focus on which wine regions produce the best wines with these grapes.
1. Chardonnay
Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular white grape varieties, not to mention wines made with Chardonnay can be found on just about any wine list in the world. The legendary Burgundy wine region of France is traditionally acknowledged to be the home of Chardonnay, although Chardonnay wines from California and Australia are also highly popular. California winemakers began experimenting with Chardonnay to rival those from Burgundy in the 1960s, and by the mid-1970s had created wines that were believed the equal of any from Burgundy. That was proven during “Paris Judgement” in 1976, when a number of globally recognized wine specialists chose Californian Chardonnay over the Burgundy in a blind tasting.
2. Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc is a white grape variety best known for its crisp, dry and refreshing white wines. The traditional home of Sauvignon is France, especially within the wine-growing regions of Bordeaux and the Loire Valley. Sauvignon Blanc is very expressive of the local terroir, and can range in flavour from grassy to sweet, and in aroma from floral to fruity, depending on whether the grape is being grown in a cooler or more tropical climate.
3. Riesling
In terms of wine production, Riesling ranks among the top three white grape varieties worldwide (along with Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc). The traditional home of Riesling is the Rhine region of Germany, especially the wine-growing sub-regions of Mosel and Rheingau. Riesling wines are noteworthy for being highly aromatic and high in acidity, usually with floral or tropical fruit notes. Unlike other grape varieties, Riesling is almost never blended with other grapes.
4. Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris (also popularly known as “Pinot Grigio”) is a white grape variety that is part of the Pinot family that includes Pinot Blanc and Pinot Noir. The berry skins of Pinot Gris tend to be rose-coloured, and the resulting wines are often deep golden yellow in appearance. There are two main types of Pinot Gris wines. Within France (and especially Alsace), the wines are spicy and full-bodied. Within Italy, however, the Pinot Grigio wines are lighter-bodied and more acidic. A variant of the Pinot Noir grape variety, Pinot Gris (Pinot Grigio) is the only white wine grape with dark red skins.
5. Semillon
Semillon is a golden-skinned grape that is used to make both dry and sweet white wines. The most famous Sémillon wine producers, such as Château d’Yquem, are based in France’s legendary Bordeaux wine region, where they make Sauternes sweet wines as well as dry white blends known as Bordeaux Blanc. In addition to Bordeaux in France, Sémillon can be found in Australia, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, and Argentina.
6. Viognier
Viognier is a white grape variety that is most commonly grown in France, California and Australia. The traditional home of Viognier is the Rhone wine region of France. Over the past two decades, however, California’s Central Coast has emerged as an important new producer of Viognier wines. White wines made from the Viognier grape tend to be full-bodied, with a lush, soft character.
7. Torrontes
Torrontes is a white grape variety that is grown almost exclusively in Argentina, where it is used to create fresh, aromatic wines with moderate to high acidity and a very smooth texture. Aromas from the best Torrontes wines include peach and apricot. In terms of drinkability, Torrontes wines are most similar to those made from Muscat grapes.
8. Muscat
Muscat ranks among the oldest domesticated grape varieties, with its history stretching all the way back thousands of years to the ancient Egyptians and Persians. There are actually 200 different types of Muscat grapes, but only four primary types typically used to make wines: Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains, Muscat of Alexandria, Muscat of Hamburg and Muscat Ottonel. As young wines, they tend to have aromas of citrus, rose and peach.
9. Airen
Airen is a white grape variety that is traditionally found only in its native Spain. Currently, Airen accounts for 30% of all grapes grown in Spain. This grape is typically found in the hot, dry growing conditions of central Spain, especially wine regions such as La Mancha and Valdepeñas. In terms of planted surface alone, Airén is now No. 3 in the entire world (trailing only Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot) and No.1 among white grape varieties, surpassing even Chardonnay.
10. Garganega
Garganega is an Italian white grape variety that is primarily found in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. Garganega is now one of the six most popular white grape varieties in Italy, where it is primarily known for its role in the creation of Italy’s crisp white Soave wines, which experienced a huge spike in popularity amongst wine drinkers in the 1960s and 1970’s.
