What is white wine?

How it is made

White winemaking skips maceration, the long contact between juice and skins that gives red wine its colour (see how wine is made). Grapes are pressed quickly after picking and the juice is separated from the skins before fermentation. Because the colour of most grapes is only in the skin, white wine can be made from dark grapes too, provided the juice is not stained during pressing; Champagne calls this blanc de noirs. Fermentation usually runs at around 18 °C or lower, which helps keep fresh fruit aromas. Some whites are fermented or aged in oak barrels for a richer texture, while others are kept in stainless steel to stay crisp. Most white wine is dry; sweet styles are made by stopping fermentation before all the sugar is used up.

Main styles and grapes

Chardonnay gives broad, citrus-scented wines and takes well to oak. Sauvignon Blanc is known for green, vegetal and mineral aromas, and Riesling is lighter, with green apple aromas, and is made from dry to very sweet. Müller-Thurgau gives fruity, balanced wines, and Muscat gives sweet, fruity flavours. Other important white grapes include Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris, Grüner Veltliner, Albariño, Viognier, Sémillon and Gewurztraminer. Styles range from light, unoaked and dry, through full-bodied oaked whites, to the sweet wines covered on our sweet wine page and the bubbles of sparkling wine.

Famous examples

Burgundy is the reference for Chardonnay: Montrachet, Corton-Charlemagne, Meursault and the Grand Crus of Chablis such as Les Clos. The Loire makes Sauvignon Blanc in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé and Chenin Blanc in Vouvray and Savennières. Germany's Mosel offers Riesling from sites like Bernkasteler Doctor, Alsace has its Grand Crus such as Schlossberg, and Austria's Wachau has Grüner Veltliner from Loibenberg. Further afield, try Albariño from Rías Baixas, Assyrtiko from Santorini, Viognier from Condrieu or Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough.

Serving and food

White wine is served cooler than red. The Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) recommends 7–10 °C for light and medium-bodied whites and 10–13 °C for medium to full-bodied oaked whites such as oaked Chardonnay; other serving tables give 8–12 °C for aromatic, light-bodied whites and up to 12–16 °C for full-bodied oaked whites. Serving too cold emphasises acidity and mutes aroma, while serving warmer brings out aroma and softens acidity, so fuller whites benefit from being a little less chilled. For food, Chardonnay is a classic match for fish and poultry, and Sauvignon Blanc suits seafood, poultry and salads.

White wine: questions and answers

Other wine styles

• Red wine
• Sparkling wine
• Sweet wine
• Fortified wine
• Rosé wine