Other White Wines
Albarino
This varietal is grown almost exclusively in Galicia, Spain, where it makes an excellent accompaniment to the region’s freshly caught fish. With good acidity and bright fruit flavors, this is a light- to medium-bodied wine that aims to be refreshing, clean, and dry.
Auxerrois
Auxerrois is similar to pinot blanc, with round apple and pear notes and a low-acid, medium-bodied profile. It pairs well with mild pork dishes and with light fish dishes, such as trout or sole. High-quality auxerrois can offer more earthy mineral nuances and dried flower aromatics, but most is destined for quick consumption as a refreshing, unoaked white wine.
Chardonnay
Probably the most popular white wine worldwide, chardonnay offers a variety of fruit flavors. Prized for its creamy texture, it pairs well with white fish (such as sole or cod), chicken, and pork. French chardonnay tends to be drier and crisper, with apple and pear flavors. Those from California and Australia tend to be richer and fuller-bodied with tropical fruit flavors and luscious buttery notes. Chardonnay also takes well to oak aging, which can give it a nutty vanilla spiciness.
Chenin Blanc
Chenin blanc is available in a range of styles from crisp, light, and dry to very sweet dessert wines. Dry styles go well with egg dishes, soft cheeses, and shellfish, while the sweeter styles pair with simple desserts: cookies, fruit tarts, or pies. With excellent acidity, the dry styles are vibrant and lively with floral straw aromatics and honeyed melon and mineral notes. The sweeter styles can age well and offer riper fruit flavors of pear, peach, and honeysuckle.
Gewurztraminer
Gewurztraminer’s exotic musky spice profile pairs well with Asian dishes. It is a wine of personality: strongly perfumed and often strongly flavored, the bouquet all roses, lychee, and spice. Quite soft and full-bodied, with little of riesling’s balancing acidity, it inspires strong opinions for or against.
Muscat
Muscat pairs well with fruit desserts, from strawberries and cream to peach pie. One of the most vibrantly aromatic white varietals, it has an explosive perfume of flowers, spice, table grapes, and ripe fruits, which makes it an important dessert wine.
Pinot Blanc
Pinot blanc is a nice sipping white that pairs well with egg dishes and mild vegetable soups. Closely related to pinot gris, it tends to be rounder and fuller with green apple notes. Italian pinot blancs are typically dry and lively whereas in France they are fuller-bodied, with a more lush feel in the mouth.
Pinot Gris
Pinot gris, also known as pinot grigio, is a light- to medium-bodied white that pairs well with salmon, shellfish, and pork. Italian pinot grigio is usually clean, dry, and refreshing with hints of white peach and pear. French pinot gris (mostly from Alsace) is richer and fuller-flavored with intense aromatics of ripe peaches, honeysuckle, and quince. American and Australian pinot gris fall somewhere in between. Although usually dry, they can seem sweeter due to the ripeness of the fruit and the intensity of the perfume.
Riesling
Riesling, one of the world’s most versatile white varietals, can range from bone-dry to extremely sweet (as dessert wines). Fruitier styles go great with spicy Asian dishes and stir fries, while drier styles go well with trout, salmon, and light pork dishes. Riesling has excellent natural acidity, which in light, drier styles can offer lively citrus notes and a mouth-puckering tanginess. In the sweeter wines, this natural acidity helps balance the sweetness of such flavors as lemon curd, baked apples, and ripe pear.
Sauvignon Blanc
A perfect complement to shellfish, goat cheese, and grilled vegetables, sauvignon blanc offers a crisp, clean profile with a refreshing citrus fruitiness. Almost always quite dry, the popular New Zealand style has a pungent mix of lime citrus and herbal notes. French sauvignon blanc has more white fruit flavors mixed with a chalky minerality. Californian growers tend to treat it like chardonnay, making it softer and oaky.
Semillon
Semillon is a nice complement to spicy Asian food or well-flavored chicken or pork. Drier versions are typically round, lush, and medium-bodied, with notes of fig, melon, and clove. Those aged in oak have a vanilla creaminess, while dessert wines made from semillon offer honeyed melon, dried figs, and aromatic peach and apricot.
Viognier
A nice wine to sip or to pair with slightly spicy chicken or pork dishes, viognier is generally soft, luscious, and full-bodied, with a pronounced perfume of apricot, honeysuckle, and ripe peaches. Usually dry, it can seem sweet due to its low acidity and heady fruit flavors. Once confined mainly to France’s northern Rhone Valley, viognier has now been planted worldwide.