White Wine

White wine is typically made from white grapes, harvested early to maintain optimum acidity. The grapes are then crushed and fermented without their skins—the skins contain the pigment that color a wine—which is why white wine is lighter in color, as skins can alter the color of the grape juice. Once the fermentation process is complete, white wines can be matured anywhere between a few months to a few years.

Depending on the style of white wine, the maturation happens in stainless steel tanks or oak barrels.

White wine comes in various styles with various appearances, ranging from tones of pale straw to rich golden hues, with the winemaking method determining the wine’s flavors, aromas, character and body.

There are several well-known white wine grape varieties, each with signature characteristics that yield unique flavors and aromas. Some of the best white grape varieties known for producing world-class wines are:

• Chardonnay is a dry, medium- to full-bodied wine with flavors ranging from lemon zest and chalky minerality to baked apples and tropical fruit. Chardonnay typically has aromas of vanilla with tropical and citrus fruit.
• Pinot Grigio is a dry, light- to medium-bodied wine with pear and citrus fruit flavors. Pinot Grigio offers delightful aromas, such as honeysuckle and jasmine.
• Sauvignon Blanc is usually a dry, light- to medium-bodied wine with tropical fruit flavors, such as grapefruit, lime and passionfruit. Sauvignon Blanc typically has herbal aromas of mint and elderflower.
• Chenin Blanc is often a dry, medium- to full-bodied wine with rich flavors of honey and apricot. Chenin Blanc is known for its chalky mineral aromas.
• Riesling is usually a sweet, light- to medium-bodied wine with peach and green apple notes. Riesling has aromas of fruit and honey. Though, delicious dry styles are also made.
• Viognier is a medium- to full-bodied wine with mouthwatering notes of peach, apricot and vanilla with floral aromas.
• White wine blends range in sweetness and can be anywhere from light- to full-bodied. They usually have a complex array of flavors, from tropical fruit to herbal notes. White wine blends typically have a variety of aromas, encompassing everything from floral notes to citrus fruit.

Dry white wines are white wines that aren’t sweet. They have a distinctly crisp and refreshing character. Most dry white wines have citrus fruit notes with aromas of herbs, minerals, florals and fruit.

Well-known white grape varieties like Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc are all classic examples of dry white wines.

White wine blends combine two or more grape varieties, offering a more complex range of flavors and aromas. Some of the most well-known white wine blends are Bordeaux Blanc, from the Bordeaux region of France, which comprises Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Muscadelle. Champagne is a sparkling wine made from a blend of different grape varieties, primarily white Chardonnay with red-skinned Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Sweet white wine contains more residual sugar than other white wines, as the grapes used often have naturally high sugar levels and winemakers stop fermentation early to maintain a high sugar level in the wine. Sweet whites often have less acidity than dry whites and burst with many luscious flavors, ranging from honeysuckle to tropical fruit.

Some examples of sweet white wines are Riesling and Sauternes.

White wine should be served chilled but not too cold. Each white wine will have its specific recommended temperature, but as a general guide, it’s best to serve white wine at temperatures between 45-55°F.

The best way to serve white wine is to pour it into a traditional glass with a narrow bowl and a tapered top to enhance the wine’s aromas. Hold the glass at the stem to avoid warming the wine with your hands.

White wine should typically be stored in a wine fridge or refrigerator after you open it. Providing the wine has been appropriately re-sealed, it should last a few days:

• Light-bodied wines, such as Pinot Grigio, can last up to 3 days.
• Medium- to full-bodied white wines, such as Chardonnay, can last 3-5 days.
• Sweet wines, such as Riesling, can last anywhere between 7-10 days.

To store white wine correctly, consider the following factors:

Humidity: Aim for a humidity between 60-70% to avoid spoiling the wine.

Temperature: Ensure you store your white wines in a cool place without extreme variations in temperature.

Light: Sunlight and artificial light can ruin the character of the wine, so store your bottles in a dark place.

Vibration: Store white wines away from vibration sources, such as kitchen refrigerators as this can tamper with sediments and cause the wine to mature prematurely.

It’s best to store your white wines in a wine fridge, pantry or in the basement.

As an ingredient, white wine can be a fantastic flavor enhancer, releasing specific flavor compounds in a way that water or broth cannot, and adding depth and nuance.

White wine’s natural acidity also makes it a great tenderizer, breaking down tough proteins and fibers, and ensuring a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, all while preventing long-cooked ingredients from drying out.

When cooking, white wine is best used in place of—or alongside—a vinegar, citrus or stock.

In lighter dishes, white wine can elevate, enrich and complement flavors, and add more complexity than a vinegar. In richer preparations or sauces, white wine’s acidity will cut through the fat to bring balance.

In general, it is better to use still wines (with no bubbles) than sparkling wines. Sparkling wines can be difficult to work with in the kitchen—just imagine trying to measure it and easily pour into recipes. It may be perfect for a few specific recipes (where its effervescence, brightness and acidity can enhance the overall flavor complexity), and can also be useful in baking, as its crisp nature, delicate flavors and bubbly texture can actually add lift certain recipes.

In terms of still wines, a Pinot Grigio, which has fairly neutral flavors, is usually a great choice for cooking. Similarly, an unoaked or lightly oaked Chardonnay can be an excellent cooking ingredient, as its subtle orchard fruit and citrus tones are very versatile. Thanks to its medium to high acid and fresh herbal characteristics, Sauvignon Blanc can be another good option.

Oh, and you might be wondering…what happens to wine’s alcohol when used for cooking? Some alcohol evaporates or burns off during cooking, but not all of it. The amount of alcohol that stays in your dish can depend on what you’re cooking, how you’re cooking it and even the size of the pot you’re using.

For more information on cooking with wine, please read our full blog on the subject.

White wine typically is lower in calories than red wine. While the amount of calories in a bottle of wine varies depending on many factors, a full 750ml bottle of white wine will generally have between 550 to 680 calories. That's equal to about 90 to 115 calories per glass.

Many different factors affect the amount of calories in a bottle of white wine, the most important of which is how much residual sugar the wine possesses. If a white wine has gone through full fermentation to dryness (with no or very little residual sugar remaining), it will generally be much lower in calories than sweeter wines which still have residual sugar remaining in the wine.

Alcohol levels can also have an affect, and generally the lower the ABV% (alcohol by volume percentage), the lower the calorie count will be.

Therefore, light, crisp wines like Pinot Grigio and Sauvingon Blanc will tend to have a lower number of calories than richer, fuller-bodied wines like warm-climate Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc, with sweeter wines like off-dry to sweet Riesling or Muscat being the highest in calories.

Technically, the driest white wines are those which fully go through the fermentation, meaning that there is no residual sugar remaining in the wine. This can be the case for a range of grape varieties and wine styles, however some white wines that are completely dry (i.e. there is no residual sugar in the wine) may still have the sensation of "sweetness," perhaps due to the ripeness of the fruit flavors or notes added by oak aging.

In general, white wines that are perceived as the most dry include: Italian Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Muscadet (made from the Melon de Bourgogne grape), Chablis (made from Chardonnay), Vinho Verde (made from a range of Portuguese grapes), Verdicchio, Vermentino, Grüner Veltliner, Cortese and Assyrtiko. Other white grape varieties like Riesling can also be bone-dry, but it is sometimes hard to tell the style by looking at the label.

Yes, wine retailers sometimes offer a mixed case (either a "full" case of 12 bottles or a "half" case of 6 bottles) of white wines made in a similar style, so that you can compare and contrast them and decide which grape varieties and regions you like best.

Luckily for you, our company specializes in doing exactly this. Our wine experts curate cases on a regular basis to give you the best of what the world has to offer in white wine to suit the weather and occasions of the season may be. Shop our range of white wine mixed cases today—and discover your new favorites, whether it by crisp, dry whites like Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc or richer, fuller-bodied styles like Chardonnay and Viognier. We have dessert wines and semi-sweet wines for those of you with a sweet tooth, too!