The 7 Most Popular White Grape Varieties
Fine Wine Blog White Grape Varieties Wine Grapes
There are hundreds of different kinds of white grape varieties, but the 7 that we’re going to talk about in detail throughout this article are without a doubt the most popular.
While red wines have been talked about more lately, the ideal conditions of growing white wine grape varieties have left the latter due to making a strong comeback!
Without further ado, here are the 7 most popular white grape varieties in the world today.
White Grape Varieties – The 7 Most Popular
1. Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a very versatile white grape variety, and an extremely popular one. Throughout the 1990s, it was far and away the most popular white wine grape variety throughout the world.Burgundy is well known to this day for its chardonnay – which is the main grape they use to make their iconic white wine.
Although it accounts for less than 5% of the world’s vines, chardonnay can be grown in a variety of climates. It is grown in more than 10 different countries, including Australia and Italy, though the most vine acres of this white grape variety are located in California.
It is commonly aged in new oak, and can be crisp, buttery, toasty, or fresh depending on the winemaker. The resulting wine adds more versatility to this white grape variety, as it can be either sparkling or still.
This Taittinger Comtes de Champagne, 2004 (which you can acquire from our online wine shop) is a particularly good example of a sparkling Chardonnay wine of fine quality. It is already well aged, and can be consumed at any point until 2034.
2. Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc originated in France, and continues to grow in the Bordeaux region today.Australia and New Zealand both grow it as well, but it is New Zealand that truly makes this white grape variety shine. In this country it has, over the years, become the most grape variety used in making white wine.
Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Semillon (another popular white grape variety we describe below) – especially in France.
This Chateau d’Yquem, 2006, for example, is a fine wine of high reputation that’s made of a Sauvignon Blanc blend and that will reach maturity in 2016 and will be great for drinking all the way until 2060.
3. Semillon
Semillon, as mentioned before, is quite popular when blended with Sauvignon Blanc. It is less popular as a solo varietal, though wineries in Washington (US) and Australia do grow it as such.Today it is grown in Bordeaux, in addition to South America, Australia, and the US. This Chateau d’Yquem, 2002 is a great example of a Semillon white that has already matured and can be enjoyed at any time until 2033.
4. Moscato
Moscato is a white grape variety that is mainly grown in Italy, the Rhone Valley, and Austria.Moscato wine is notable for its sweet and fruity flavour, and is one of the most popular white wine grape varieties with American consumers. The grape can create either still or sparkling wines.
5. Pinot Grigio
Pinot Grigio is one of the most popular white grape varieties of Italy, especially in the Venezia and Alto Adige regions. It is also grown in the western US – in addition to France, Germany, Austria, and Australia.It usually results in a light and zippy wine that pairs extremely well with food.
6. Gewurztraminer
Gewurztraminer is the most popular white grape variety in Alsace, Germany, but is grown with a degree of success in the US as well. The resulting wine is ideal for sipping, and is generally a dry and aromatic wine.
7. Riesling
Riesling is a popular wine grape variety of the Rhine and Mosel wine regions in Germany, but grows well in many regions, including the US. It results in a light, fresh tasting wine that improves remarkably well with age.Acquiring Your Favourite Whites
You can acquire fine white wines from our online wine shop (click here) – where we make available a collection of some of the world’s best according to wine collector ratings.If you have any other wine-related questions or queries, please feel free to write us a quick message or give us a call at any time. Our fine wine experts always respond promptly, and will be happy to help!
Image source: Chris
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