White Grape Wines

White wines come either from white or black grapes. Some of the best known white grape varieties include Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Riesling, Marsanne, Melon de Bourgogne or even Semillon.

The six main white grape varieties:

Chardonnay

Named after a small village in Macon in Burgundy, Chardonnay has increased a lot in popularity over 90 years, from 7300 ha forty years ago to 30000 ha at the present moment. Cultivated in Europe, Germany, America, Argentina, Canada, Chile, Australia and not only, it is now an international grape variety that is also used in champagne, including in the making of Blanc de Blancs.

This early variety is very fragile although it produces very high-quality wine. It is sensitive to late frosts, excessive vegetation and too intense drought. Therefore, those who embark on its cultivation should be very vigilant!

Features:

Fine and fruity aromas of apple, citrus and pineapple combined with notes of caramel, mineral.



Sauvignon

A native of Bordeaux, the Sauvignon grape is one of the favorite French wine producers.

It has also won the palates of consumers worldwide, tasters and ordinary amateurs being enchanted by this grape! Indeed, it is has exceptional aromatic qualities that allow tasters to distinguish it from other white grapes.

Particularly sensitive to the quality of the soil, Sauvignon grapes thrive on calcareous soils and produce wines like romanian wines very quickly. Cultivated on clay and silica soils, it produces wines that improve over time.

Features:

Aromas of grapefruit, juniper, boxwood, flint, blackcurrant, passion fruit, litchi, orange, guava, iris, elderberry, rose, acacia, lime, rhubarb, asparagus, musk, roasted meat, melon, nectarine or peach. The aromas released by the Sauvignon grapes depend on its planting site.



Riesling

A native of the Rhineland and the Moselle, Riesling is recognized as one of the best white grape varieties in the world. The Riesling grape is a gastronomic excellence. Indeed, it makes special fruity wines, even if they are lighter and livelier than Chardonnay wines, for example.

In France, this grape is mainly located in Alsace, where it covers 23.2% of the planted areas. The Riesling grape is a very cold hardy and not too fond of warm climates grape, which usually adds little flavor to the wine and increases the alcohol level. It owes its success to the wide range of tasty wines that it can produce.

Features:

Fruity (lemon, grapefruit, peach, pear, green apple, stewed fruit...) and floral (white flowers, lime, white nettle...), anise, cumin, quince, licorice and fennel. It can have mineral aromas (flint...) as it ages.