An ample, full-bodied white that along with Roussanne personifies the power and lusciousness of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and other Rhône white blends, but also the Spanish white Rioja.
Marsanne
The broad-shouldered, golden icon of Hermitage in the northern Rhône. Produces a profoundly aromatic wine that gains a honeyed glaze and smoky, coffee-bean torrefaction with age.
Viognier
Beyond the northern Rhône, this luscious perfumed white thrives in Australia, Virginia, and California. Louisa Rose, head of sustainability at Yalumba, the pioneering Australian winery, describes Viognier as “a white wine for red wine lovers.”
Savagnin
The dominant white grape of the Jura that, beyond Vin Jaune,is often blended into Chardonnay and bottled as L’Étoile or Côtes du Jura. Characteristically smoky, nutty wines with baked apple and pear flavors dusted with notes of salt and white pepper.
Riesling
While best recognized for its racier, linear expressions, riper, semisweet Auslese or full-bodied dry styles can highlight Riesling’s more complex, textural, and savory forms. Iconic to Germany, but look to Austria, France, the US, and Australia too.
Chenin Blanc
In dry, fuller-bodied forms, Chenin takes on a structure that’s rich and rugged—think Savennières and Chinon in the Loire Valley. Fleshy and ruffled with charred herbs, they’re complex wines that coat the palate with a rippling, waxy haze.
Pinot Gris
Pinot Grigio’s spicier, more commanding sibling. It’s the same grape but with more intense fruit, bolder tannins, and a lush texture.
Wine Terms to Know
Structure
Intensity of flavor, richness of body, acidity, and tannins are all building blocks that lend structure to wine. Wines with more structure feel more present or persistent on the palate.
Minerality
From glimmers of crushed salt to notes of clay and gravel, minerality takes wine beyond the immediacy of fresh fruit and flowers, grounding it in a complexity that can taste savory to saline.
Texture
A wine’s texture can range from coarse with tannins (think weighty velvet or the roughness of a cat’s tongue) to as smooth and rich as olive oil. Texture amplifies the presence, weight, and substance of wine.
Maturation
Time in barrel or bottle adds dimension, texture, and flavor complexity to wine, making it richer, rounder, and more harmoniously integrated. Oak barrels especially lend characteristic spice, smoke, and nuttiness.
Sweetness
Residual sugar tends to get a bad rap, in part due to cloying mass-produced bottles. But don’t dismiss sweetness outright. Handled with finesse, sweetness in wine isn’t sugary, but rather a perception of fruitiness, richness, or texture.
