White Wine Grapes
Wine Tasting Notes Organized by White Grape |
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Aligoté This white wine grape from the French Burgundy region is losing popularity to the Chardonnay grape, mainly because it does not make remarkable wines. |
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Chardonnay Originally from the French Burgundy and Champagne regions, this well-known white wine grape is now grown all over the world. The grape absorbs oak well and its taste will change from crisp and steel to butter and vanilla as a result of oak barreling. Regardless, the full body, rich flavor, and smooth finish that distinguish a Chardonnay will remain. It is best served cool and complements seafood well. |
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Chenin Blanc Usually found in the French Loire Valley region, South Africa and California, this white wine grape makes acidic wines that can be anywhere between very dry and very sweet. It also makes impressive sparkling wines. Also known as Pineau de la Loire in France and Steen in South Africa. |
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Columbard Also called the French Colombard, this white wine grape is very popular in California. Because it grows is copious amounts and makes plain wines, it is often used as a blend for table wines. |
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Folle Blanche A white wine grape that makes light, acidic wines. Also known as Gros Plant, since it is the only grape that goes into the wine of the same name. |
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Gewuztraminer With a name that means “spicy,” this white wine grape makes wines with a scent and taste to match. The wines can range from very dry to a super-sweet dessert wine. Sometimes called Traminer because it is a related grape, it is most commonly grown in Germany and the French Alsace region. |
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Grüner Veltliner The most popular grape grown in Austria, this white wine grape is usually grown in abundant quantities and makes thin, plain wines. When grown in limited quantities, however, the grape can produce a full-bodied, concentrated wine. Regardless, wines made with this grape have distinct pepper characteristics. |
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Malvasia There are two varieties of this white wine grape: Malvasia Bianca and Malvasia Nera, the former being the more popular. It is losing popularity because it makes such concentrated, sweet wines by itself, and is only grown much in Italy now. |
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Marsanne From the French Rhone Valley region comes this white wine grape that is distinctly rich for a white wine grape and low in acidity. These characteristics make it a good blending grape. |
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Melon de Bourgogne Popular in the French Loire Valley region, but almost unknown in the U.S., this white wine grape is responsible for Muscadets, which are light, steely and highly acidic wines. |
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Moscofilero Also known as Moscophilero, this white wine grape from the Greek Peloponnesian islands is quite similar to, but far less popular than, the Muscat. It is actually a pink grape and produces a spicy flavor that you can both taste and smell. If you are a fan of reds but want to branch out, this dry, bold wine may be a good white with which to make the transition. |
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Muller-Thurgau This white wine grape is a cross between a Riesling and the Sylvaner, and is the most widely grown grape in Germany. It tends to make a dry wine with minimal acidity. |
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Muscadelle An aromatic and fruity white wine grape used primarily for blending, specifically with white Bordeaux wines. |
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Muscat Named after the scent it emits, this white wine grape makes sweet and sparkling wines. There are actually four varieties of this grape: Muscat Blanc, Muscat Hamburg, Muscat of Alexandria, and Muscat Ottonel. The most widely known of the four is the Muscat Blanc. |
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Palomino A white wine grape used primarily in Sherry and other dry fortified wines. |
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Pedro Ximénez This Spanish white wine grape, abbreviated PX, makes fairly simple unfortified wines and sweet fortified wines. It is losing popularity as a Sherry blending grape to the Palomino. |
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Pinot Blanc This white wine grape is a cousin to the Pinot Noir and makes light, acidic wines. Due to very similar characteristics, it can sometimes be confused for a Chardonnay. Unlike the Chardonnay, however, these wines do not age well, so drink them while they’re young! Also known as the Weissburgunder in Austria. |
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Pinot Gris A relative of the Pinot Noir grape, this white wine grape has many names, depending on where you are in the world: Italians call it Pinot Grigio, Germans know it as Ruländer, and the French Alsace region refers to it as Tokay d’Alsace. Regardless of where the grapes come from, the wine tends to have a medium body and a fruity tongue. The wines from Alsace, however, stand above the others in quality and flavor. |
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Riesling A white wine grape that is very popular in Germany and other cooler European climates, where the grape grows well. It makes a fruity wine with high acid levels and a crisp taste. The taste can range from dry to sweet to especially sweet if the Botrytis Cinerea sets in. The super-sweet ones can get quite pricey, but the quality is worth it and they age very well. |
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Rousanne This white wine grape has nearly gone extinct, having been replaced by the Marsanne grape which is less difficult to grow. When it is still grown, it is usually used as a blending grape with Marsanne, to subdue the intensity of the wine. |
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Sauvignon Blanc Grown all over the world, this white wine grape will develop different flavors depending on its location and production. Warm climates give it fruity characteristics, whereas cold brings out grassy tones. Aging in wood strengthens the richness, but can also give it an overly-oaky flavor. When it grows in its typical abundance, it will make a cheap wine, and a lot of it! When it takes on the Botrytis Cinerea, it can produce a very high quality (and priced!) dessert wine. In the U.S., it is also known as a Fume Blanc. |
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Scheurebe A cross between the Sylvaner and Riesling grapes, this white wine grape from Germany is the man-made creation of George Scheu (hence the name) . It is less acidic than a Riesling, but tends to attract the Botrytis mold better than its relative, leading to a sweeter grape perfect for dessert wines. Look for hints of blackberry on your tongue. |
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Semillon On its own, this white wine grape is creates a rich and complex wine that ages well. However, it is most often used as a blending grape with a Sauvignon Blanc to add body and acidity. Like the Sauvignon Blanc, it makes a fantastic sweet wine when it attracts the Botrytis mold, but can also produce some dry varieties. |
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Sylvaner Like the Riesling, this white wine grape is popular in Germany and other cool European growing areas and makes a light and refreshing wine. It is differentiated from the Riesling, however, because it has slightly more body and less acidity. |
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Trebbiano Because it is so easy to grow and makes more wine per grape than most grapes do, this white wine grape can and does produce more bottles of wine than any other grape! By itself, the wines will be fairly bland and lack body. However, these characteristics make it good for blending, especially with overly-rich grapes and brandy. It is also called Ugni-Blanc and Saint Emilion. |
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Ugni Blanc The French name for the Trebbiano grape. |
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Verdicchio This white wine grape hails from Italy, where it makes crisp, acidic wines with a yellow-green color that matches the grape. These wines don’t age well, so best drink them within a year or so of production. |
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Viognier Most popular in the French Rhone Valley region, but gaining momentum in California, this white wine grape produces wines with a wonderful aroma and a crisp, fruity taste. It is frequently used for late harvest dessert wines and, when done right (these grapes are difficult to grow), can make a top quality wine. |
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Welschriesling Someone was out to win over the Riesling fans when they came up with this white wine grape name. The Welschriesling makes a wine resembling that from a Riesling, but in actuality has no relationship to the grape. It is most commonly found in Austria. |
