White Wine Chart- Chardonnay vs Pinot Grigio vs Sauvignon Blanc vs Riesling

Isn’t it important to know about your palate before choosing the best white wine for yourself? Be it for personal use, addition to your wine cellar or to choose the best one to pair up with your style of cooking, we have brought it all together.

This blog will differentiate between the most popular White Wines- Chardonnay vs Pinot Grigio vs Sauvignon Blanc vs Riesling.

So, lets go one level deeper and get answers to questions like- Acidity level? Alcohol Level? Food Pairing? Taste Profile and so on…

Table of Difference

DIFFERENCE

CHARDONNAY

PINOT GRIGIO

SAUVIGNON BLANC

RIESLING

Origin

Bordeaux & Burgundy, France

Burgundy Region, France

Italy & France

Germany

Acidity

Medium level

Low level

High level

Medium to High level

Body

Medium to Full Bodied

Light to Full Bodied

Medium Bodied

Light Bodied

Sweet or Dry

Dry

Dry & Sweet both

Dry

Mostly Sweet

Flavor Profile

Green Apple, Vanilla, Lemon Custard, Hazelnut

Golden Apple, Poached Pear & Peaches

Fresh, Crisp with Lemon & Lime

Apples, Apricots, Peaches & Minerals

Food Pairing

Scallop, Halibut, Pasta & Pork

Chicken, Seafood, Pasta & Fried food

Shellfish, Fish, Salad & Appetizers

Seafood, Asian cuisine- Thai & Indian

Ideal Serving Temperature

48 degrees

45-50 degrees

46-52 degrees

48 degrees

Aging
2.5-10 years

2-3 years

1-7.5 years

1-5 years

Aroma

Vanilla, Cedar, Butterscotch, Lemon

Lime, Nectarine, Honeysuckle, Minerals

Melon, Gooseberry, Lemon, Elderflowers

Apple, Peaches, Honeysuckle, Minerals

Appearance

Medium Lemon or Pale Gold

Pale Lemon

Lemon Green 

Pale Lemon

Alcohol Level

High, 13.5-14.5%

Medium, 12.5-13.5%

Medium, 12.5-13.5%

Low, under 12.5%

Popularity

7 Essential White Wine Facts

white wine facts
  1. France, Italy, Spain and California are the largest white wine producers in the world.
  2. A wine bottle should never be stored in a kitchen or in a fridge, as one is too hot and the other is too cold. Check the ideal serving temperature of the wine before storing and serving. We recommend you the Best Undercounter Wine Cooler of 2021, check out our blog for more details.
  3. Red wine suits best with red meat & White wine suits best with chicken and seafood.
  4. White wines should always be served at a lower temperature (45-50 degrees F) as compared to red wines (50-60 degrees F).
  5. The sweeter the wine, more are the calories than a dry red or white wine.
  6. White wine has the tendency to gain color with time.
  7. All wines do not age well. The fact is that very few will last longer than a decade.

Read our latest blogs on Types of Dry White Wines and Types of Sweet & Fruity White Wines and check out the best recommended white wines just for you!

Myths about White Wine

white wine myths

Well, there are thousands of myths about wines, but for your limited attention span we can only bust a few. Check out these untrue list of myths revolving around white wine:

  • White wine should be served ice-cold.
  • Pairing red wine with chicken and white wine with fish.
  • Chardonnay is always buttery and rich.

Find out- Is Chardonnay Champagne?

  • White wine does not contain sulfites.
  • Sweet white wines should be paired with deserts.

To know more in detail about white wines, Sauvignon Blanc vs Pinot Grigio differences might make your choice easier.


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