White Wine Grapes Grape Varieties
10 grape varieties from White Wine Grapes.
Chardonnay
Vitis vinifera (White)
The world's most popular white wine grape. Chardonnay is almost infinitely adaptable to both climate and winemaking style. It can make lean, mineral-driven Chablis or rich, butter-and-oak California wines. The grape itself is relatively neutral, which is why winemaking choices (oak, malolactic fermentation, lees contact) shape the final wine more than terroir in many cases.
$3 - $8 per vine
Sauvignon Blanc
Vitis vinifera (White)
A high-acid, aromatic white grape with distinctive green and citrus flavors. Sauvignon Blanc is most associated with the Loire Valley (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fume) and New Zealand's Marlborough region. It grows vigorously and needs aggressive canopy management to prevent shading, which turns the flavors vegetal. At its best, it is one of the most refreshing whites in the world.
$3 - $7 per vine
Riesling
Vitis vinifera (White)
The great grape of Germany and Alsace, and arguably the most terroir-expressive white grape on earth. Riesling ranges from bone-dry to lusciously sweet, with electric acidity holding it all together. Cold-hardy enough for cool continental climates, it ripens slowly and develops intense floral and mineral character when given long hang time. Ages for decades in the right hands.
$4 - $9 per vine
Pinot Grigio / Pinot Gris
Vitis vinifera (White)
A mutation of Pinot Noir with grayish-pink skins. In Italy (Pinot Grigio), it is picked early for light, crisp, neutral wine. In Alsace (Pinot Gris), it is left longer on the vine for richer, more aromatic wines with stone fruit and honey notes. The same grape, two completely different styles depending on when you pick and where you grow it.
$3 - $7 per vine
Gewurztraminer
Vitis vinifera (White)
The most aromatic white grape, period. Lychee, rose petal, ginger, and Turkish delight jump out of the glass. Gewurztraminer produces full-bodied, low-acid whites that can be dry or off-dry. It is a difficult grape to grow: low yields, early budding (frost risk), and the narrow window between underripe and overripe makes harvest timing critical.
$4 - $9 per vine
Viognier
Vitis vinifera (White)
A full-bodied, perfumed white from the northern Rhone (Condrieu). Viognier produces low-acid wines with peach, apricot, and honeysuckle aromatics. It nearly went extinct in the 1960s with fewer than 50 acres worldwide, but it has been revived and is now planted in California, Virginia, and Australia. It needs warmth to ripen and careful handling to preserve its fragrance.
$4 - $8 per vine
Chenin Blanc
Vitis vinifera (White)
One of the most versatile white grapes, capable of making everything from bone-dry table wine to sparkling Vouvray to nobly sweet dessert wine. Chenin Blanc has razor-sharp acidity that keeps even the sweetest versions fresh. South Africa (where it is called Steen) is now the world's largest producer, though the Loire Valley remains its spiritual home.
$3 - $7 per vine
Semillon
Vitis vinifera (White)
The thin-skinned grape that makes Sauternes possible. Semillon's susceptibility to botrytis is actually its greatest strength in the right conditions, concentrating sugars and flavors into some of the world's finest dessert wines. Dry Semillon from Australia's Hunter Valley ages as well as any white wine on earth. Typically blended with Sauvignon Blanc in Bordeaux white blends.
$3 - $7 per vine
Gruner Veltliner
Vitis vinifera (White)
Austria's national grape, covering about a third of the country's vineyards. Gruner Veltliner makes crisp, peppery whites with citrus and white pepper notes at the everyday level, and complex, age-worthy wines from top sites in the Wachau and Kamptal. Its natural acidity and savory character make it one of the best food wines in the world.
$4 - $8 per vine
Albarino
Vitis vinifera (White)
The star white grape of Spain's Rias Baixas region in Galicia, and also grown across the border in Portugal's Vinho Verde region (as Alvarinho). Makes aromatic, high-acid whites with peach, citrus, and saline mineral notes. The thick skins resist the humid Atlantic climate and help retain freshness. A natural pairing with seafood.
$4 - $9 per vine