White Wine Basics

White wine is produced by fermenting grape juice without prolonged contact with grape skins, resulting in wines that range from pale straw to deep gold in colour. While white wines are typically made from green-skinned grapes, they can also be produced from red-skinned grapes if the juice is separated from the skins immediately after pressing—a technique used in Champagne and other sparkling wines.

The production process begins with pressing the grapes to extract juice. Unlike red wine, where skins ferment with the juice to impart colour and tannins, white wine juice is fermented separately. This results in wines with lower tannin levels, higher perceived acidity, and flavours focused on fruit, floral, and mineral characteristics rather than structural elements.

Climate profoundly affects white wine style. Cool-climate regions (such as Chablis, Mosel, or Marlborough) produce wines with higher acidity, lower alcohol, and crisp citrus or green fruit flavours. Warm-climate regions (like California's Central Valley or parts of Australia) yield riper wines with tropical fruit notes, higher alcohol, and softer acidity.

The five major white grape varieties every hospitality professional should know:

• Chardonnay: The most planted white grape globally, extremely versatile. Ranges from lean and mineral (Chablis) to rich and buttery (oaked California styles). Often undergoes malolactic fermentation and oak ageing.

• Sauvignon Blanc: Aromatic and high-acid, with herbaceous, citrus, and tropical notes. Signature regions include Loire Valley (Sancerre, Pouilly-Fumé) and Marlborough, New Zealand.

• Riesling: Aromatic grape producing wines from bone-dry to lusciously sweet. High acidity and flavours of stone fruit, citrus, and petrol (with age). Key regions: Germany, Alsace, Australia.

• Pinot Grigio/Pinot Gris: Same grape, different styles. Italian Pinot Grigio is typically light and crisp; Alsatian Pinot Gris is richer and more aromatic.

• Chenin Blanc: Versatile grape making dry, off-dry, sweet, and sparkling wines. High acidity, flavours of apple, honey, and stone fruit. Loire Valley is the spiritual home.

Winemaking techniques further shape style. Oak ageing adds vanilla, toast, and texture. Lees contact (leaving wine on dead yeast cells) creates creaminess and complexity. Malolactic fermentation converts sharp malic acid to softer lactic acid, producing buttery flavours common in many Chardonnays.