2012
47 white wine varietals
A guest article by Estelle Platini from Cellarer.com.
Here is a list of vine varieties with a description of the white wines made from them.
Variety | Origin | Description |
Aligoté | French | Poor man’s Burgundy. Pale, light, crisp wine. Not for ageing. |
Alvarinho | Portugal | Produces Vinho Verde, very crisp, light with a slight prickle. |
Auxerrois | French | Acidic, very dry and full-bodies, Chablisesque. |
Bacchus | German | Silvaner, Riesling and Müller-Thurgau cross. Flowery, light Moscato bouquet, low acidity. Used mainly for blending. |
Bual | Madeira | Sweet full-bodies fortified wine, burnt amber colour, fig-like bouquet. |
Chardonnay | French | Ranges from crisp, apple-like flavours in cool climates to caramel, pineapple and tropical tones in warm areas. Buttery, toasty or clove-like finish. Ages well, usually in oak. |
Chasselas | E. Europe | Light, crisp wine with delicate bouquet in Switzerland. Rather insipid elsewhere. |
Chenin Blanc | French | Honeyed, high-acid wines in the Loire. Lots of fruit. Ages many years. California model is much softer and fruitier. |
Colombard | French | (French Colombard) Originally a cognac grape, now grown in California for soft, flowery wines. |
Emerald Riesling | California | High-yielding Muscadelle, Riesling cross. Aromatic, soft, fruity. |
Fumé Blanc | Californian name for Sauvignon Blanc or Sauvignon/Sémillon blend. Fruitier and less grass than the Loire model. | |
Folle Blanche | French | Once a major grape in Cognac. High acid, not much character. |
Furmint | Hungary | Principal grape of Tokay. Can be dry, off-dry or sweet. Apple or apricot and toffee bouquet, depending on style. |
Gewürztraminer | Italy | (Traminer) Spicy, exotic, rose petal and lychee bouquet. Can be dry (Alsace) or sweet (Germany, California). |
Grüner Veltliner | Austria | Fresh, lively, fruity, dry wine for drinking young as in the “new” wine, Heurige. |
Hárslevelü | Hungary | Spicy, full-bodied, aromatic. Good for sweet wines. |
Jacquère | French | Light, very dry and brisk wine from Savoie. |
Kerner | German | Red Trollinger, Riesling cross. Spicy, fruity wines with good acidity. |
Malvasia | Greek | Produces lusciously sweet dessert wines in warm climates and crisp dry ones in northern areas. The grape of the sweet Madeira, Malmsey. |
Marsanne | French | Deep-coloured, high-alcohol wines blended with the more delicate Roussanne in the Rhône. |
Morio-Muscat | German | Silvaner, Pinot Blanc cross. Full-bodied, fruity with spicy bouquet. |
Müller-Thurgau | German | Riesling, Silvaner cross (or two clones of Riesling). Less acidic than Riesling, soft and fruity. Lacks ageing potential. |
Muscadelle | French | Perfumey grape used to add bouquet to some white Bordeaux (Sauvignon and Sémillon). |
Muscadet | French | (Melon de Bourgogne) Light, pale, racy wines with lively acidity from the Loire. |
Moscato | Greek | Perfumed, raisiny bouquet with a characteristic spiciness in dessert wines. Can also be made dry as in Alsace and Australia. |
Palomino | Spanish | The grape of sherry. Neutral wine, low acidity. |
Pedro Ximenez | Spanish | A very sweet white wine used in sherry, thought to be Riesling. |
Picolit | Italian | Dessert wine grape of Friuli. Deep coloured, rich, slightly bitter. |
Pinot Blanc | French | (Pinot Bianco/Weissburgunder) Relative of Chardonnay but with less character and ageing potential. Best from Alsace. |
Pinot Gris | E. Europe | (Pinot Grigio, Ruländer) Full-flavoured, elegant wines capable of ageing. |
Riesling | German | (Johannisberg Riesling, Rhine or White Riesling) Finest German variety, capable of making a range of wines from steely dry to toffee-sweetness. Floral nose, keen acidity. |
Rkatsiteli | E. Europe | All-purpose grape producing ordinary table wines, dessert wines and fortified wines. |
Sacy | French | The name suggests it all. Frisky, tart wine from Chablis region. |
Savagnin | French | Makes Sherry-style vin jaune in the Jura region. |
Sauvignon Blanc | French | Makes grassy, gooseberry, smoky wines in the Loire and accompanies Sémillon in dry and sweet wines of Bordeaux. California model is rounder and fruitier and fig-like. |
Scheurebe | German | Silvaner, Riesling cross. Aromatic, fruity with pronounced acidity. Best in dessert style. |
Sémillon | French | Honey and apricot bouquet when affected by Botrytis (see page 22). Blended with Sauvignon Blanc for dry Bordeaux. Lacks acidity. |
Sercial | Portugal | Produces the driest, lightest style of Madeira. Good acidity. Ages well. |
Seyval Blanc | French | Hybrid. Makes dry wines with a grassy, green plum flavour. Does not age well. |
Silvaner | Austrian | Mild, neutral wine with good body. Useful for blending. |
Trebbiano | Italian | (Ugni Blanc, St. Emilion) Pale colour, high acid, medium-body, shy bouquet. |
Verdelho | Spain | Produces off-dry Madeira and soft, nutty table wines. |
Verdicchio | Italian | Crisp, dry wines with a hint of bitterness. |
Vidal | French | Hybrid. Good fruit and acidity. Can range in styles from tart Sauvignon Blanc to Late Harvest and Icewine. |
Viognier | French | Rich, elegant, full-bodied, floral-peachy wine especially in the Rhône. Capable of ageing. |
Viura | Spanish | (Macabeo) Fruity aromatic wines with high acidity capable of wood ageing. |
Welschriesling | French | (Riesling Italico, Laskiriesling, Olaszriesling) Floral, zesty, versatile but not as elegant as Johannisberg (White or Rhine) Riesling. |
On this website here is a list of red wine varietals and depending on which type of food, how to choose a right white wine.