It’s fair to say that white is the most enjoyed type of wine around the world. It pairs well with a catch up with friends, a nice meal, and any occasion you can think of in the warmer weather. Why not explore your passion for white wine and sign up for a club?
| Written by Lucie Robson Updated on November 18, 2021 |
Winc comes top after plenty of research into which wine club out there has the best selection of whites. It offers creations from some of the most prestigious vineyards in the world, helping you taste what the world has to offer at your own leisure. |
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White wine is an easy-drinking, all-season favorite at restaurants, bars and homes around the world. Whether you prefer dry white wine, sweet white wine, or something in between, the sheer variety and meal pairing potential of this drink is undeniable.
If you're new to the pleasures of wine drinking and are wondering what the best white wine is, or simply looking to enjoy the most popular white wine available today, read on - this wine guide will give you the answers you need. We'll also cover some of the most popular wine clubs in the US which gives you the opportunity to sample and purchase white wine online.
If you’re happy with the selection of wine that’s available with a club, you’ll want to consider a few other things also. For instance, the time it takes for shipments to arrive, the options for gifts, and whether or not you can cancel right when you want to.
Too many clubs means too much choice. Don’t go to the effort of going through every website just to pick the first one you saw; we’ve done all the work for you. Here are our top ten white wine clubs.
Winc opened its doors in 2012 to bring wine lovers the finest from boutique producers in California across a range of grape varieties and styles. In its quest for the best, it soon branched out to other classic regions around the world with reds, whites, rosés, and bubblies.
For white lovers, it boasts a portfolio of much-loved varietals including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, and Viognier stills plus a great selection of white fizz. Organic, low-alcohol, and low-sugar whites are also in its range.
Your cases are always filled with what you love because as soon as you get going with Winc, you answer a mini–Palate Profile Quiz that puts your preferences firmly in its sights. You rate each shipment as you go along meaning even more tailored deliveries in the future. This club also gives you credt of up to $30 for every friend you introduce.
Get the full picture on Winc and have a read of our review.
Vinebox has answered every wine fan’s prayers with its deliveries of tasting samples you get to try before you fork out on a whole bottle. In each quarterly shipment, you receive nine 100ml glass-sized portions for you to nose and sip and if one hits the spot, you can order a full bottle with credits you’ve accrued with each shipment.
Each delivery features varietals from major regions across the Old and New Worlds with plenty of the finest whites exclusive to Vinebox. There’ll be nothing wild and wacky – simply new approaches to much-loved and lesser-known grapes that would become new favorites.
Your samples arrive fresh, bright and ready to sip because Vinebox uses state-of-the-art fractioning technology that keeps stale flavors and unpleasant oxidation at bay. What’s more, each delivery contains detailed information about the origins of samples enhanced by tasting notes and ideas on food pairing for when you find a wine (or wines!) you love.
Explore its options in further detail and find out what we think about it in our review.
Naked Wines is a unique club that funds one-of-a-kind winemaking projects with the subscription fees of its 300,000 members (called Angels) then shares the bounty with them. Vintners from every pocket of each iconic region around the globe produce custom products for the club and members pick and choose what takes their fancy.
Producers get to work on creative initiatives that they would be unable to undertake otherwise while subscribers get first dibs at interesting, quality reds, whites, and rosés. Having a long leash for creativity doesn’t mean crazy experiments either. You get good, well-made bottles in each case made from grapes you like in ways that you enjoy.
One of the highlights of Naked Wines is its community chat where you can “meet” your favorite producers and get geeky with them about that malolactic fermentation or lees aging you so love. You can also wax lyrical about that wonderful white with fellow Angels.
Decide for yourself if this the club for you and have a read of our review.
Bright Cellars is the brainchild of two graduates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who combine state-of-the-art tech with world wines in a club that’s super-tailored to member tastes.
As soon as you get the ball rolling with Bright Cellars, you answer a few short palate-related questions for a customized profile about what you enjoy. You probably already know you like acidic whites with clean tropical fruit notes, but you might also discover you enjoy creamy Blanc de Blancs or gamey reds. The mini quiz will enlighten you, and your shipments reflect your preferences. Best of all, you have the chance to rate each wine as you sip so the selection team is kept up to speed with your likes.
If you’re interested in going in a new direction, Bright Cellars’ concierge team can point you in the right direction plus there’s a 100% satisfaction guarantee so you can never go wrong.
Explore what this club has to offer and what our thoughts are here.
The Wine of the Month Club launched in 1972 bringing in a new era of enjoyment of all things red, white and bubbly. This club was among the first and it’s still one of the best with its decades in the business behind an interesting range of monthly clubs that reflect what lovers of the grape want to explore.
The tasting team tries hundreds of different bottles each month and only gives the stamp of approval to a very small quantity, so you know you have the finest in each shipment. Your range will cover both well and lesser-known producers, regions, styles, and varietals with quality being the bottom line for each bottle.
Wine of the Month Club is big on widening members’ knowledge through both sipping and information. Detailed tasting notes accompany every bottle along with the tale of its origins and great ideas for food pairings all laid out in a beautiful newsletter.
Read our full review.
If you love your wine but don’t like its sugar and alcohol, Dry Farm Wines is a club that has your name on it. This club knows you can lead a healthy lifestyle while still enjoying your Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, or Viognier and proves it with a portfolio filled with quality.
The team at Dry Farm Wines travels widely to find producers using organic and biodynamic methods in the vineyard and winery. Every label in its range is handpicked and lab tested to ensure purity and quality.
Bottles in its selection begin with a 7% ABV and go no higher than 12.5% plus the sugar levels in each are super low at 0-0.15g per glass. Sulfites are used sparingly in the winery so are as low as possible.
Your shipment of whites will cover a range that includes different grape varietals, styles, and countries and all are selected from small producers.
Read our review of Dry Farm Wines here.
Every year, the sommelier team at First Leaf swirls its way through over 100,000 new bottles in the search for a diverse, high-quality, and interesting range that its members can enjoy. Just 2% get the seal of approval so opening your case is something you can raise a toast to. The prices are something to smile about as well: First Leaf members sip and savor up to 60% off retail price tags.
When you join, a questionnaire reveals what your tastes are, and your first shipment reflects these preferences. You have the chance to rate each wine as you taste it resulting in super-tailored shipments with no unpleasant surprises. Your palate profile updates automatically with every rating and is matched with First Leaf’s inventory for the perfect case.
This award-winning club also partners directly with winemakers to produce reds, whites, and bubblies that members want. Cheers to that!
Learn more about Firstleaf in our review.
Wine Insiders knows exactly where to look for exceptional whites, reds, rosés, and bubblies at amazingly affordable prices. Its huge portfolio of classics from iconic producers and regions boasts thousands that have picked up top awards for prestigious international competitions. This club keeps prices low by giving mark-ups a wide berth and its loyal subscribes all the savings.
Wine Insiders knows that a few perks go a long way, so your introductory shipment has 15 top-quality bottles at an incredible $90 which includes three Bordeaux Supérieurs. It also likes to send members free accessories that enhance service and enjoyment with your second shipment accompanied by a Connoisseur's Deluxe 7-Piece Lever Pull Corkscrew Set for a chic note.
Since you’re a fan of white grapes, you can opt for a case full of your favorites and if you ever want a change, you can order a mixed shipment whenever it suits you.
Get the information you need on Wine Insiders in our review.
#9 WSJ Wine - WSJ has been reviewing white wine and the regions that develop it for decades.
One of the first clubs to offer the option of a bulk 12-bottle delivery, WSJ Wine has built up an enviable web of wineries, chateaux, and family producers that feed its portfolio with top vintages which are exclusive to club members.
You have a choice of two clubs with WSJ Wine: If you go for the Premier Club, you can expect singular products from the likes of Burgundy, Bordeaux, and Napa alongside limited-editions you’d never have the chance to try. If top award winners are more your thing, go with the Discovery Club for bottles dripping with accolades from top critics and competitions around the world plus complimentary accessories for pro-standard opening and serving.
Your shipment comes with in-depth tasting notes and the background story for each bottle as well as tasty food pairing recipes. You rate as you sip for an even more tailored shipment next time around.
Read our review of WSJ here.
Since 1969 Laithwaites has been scouring the planet for the highest quality, most interesting, and best value wines for its 700,000 members. Starting in the UK, word soon spread to the US and Australia making this one of the biggest clubs going.
The huge subscriber base allows Laithwaites’ sommelier team to search high and low for a range of grapes from well-known regions produced in a selection of styles. With an eye on member likes, the team tastes literally thousands each year with only a handful getting through. Whether it's barrel-fermented, oak-aged, sweet or dry, white lovers can expect all the classics - plus exciting varietals that aren’t as well known for a bit of variety.
So, you get the most out of your drinking experience, Laithwaites sends details about the origin of each bottle in your shipment as well as in-depth tasting notes and delicious suggestions for food pairings.
Get full analysis and our thoughts on Laithwaites in our review.
Wine is a fermented alcoholic beverage made from grapes. The name of the grape variety, like Chardonnay, Riesling or Chenin blanc, is used to describe the wine that it produces.
After the grapes are grown and harvested in a vineyard, they are picked, peeled, and crushed to produce the raw grape juice that wine is made from.
The crushed grapes and their juice are placed in vats and allowed to ferment. This process converts the natural sugars in the grapes into alcohol and begins to transform the grape juice into wine. After fermentation, the wine is either bottled or transferred to oak barrels or metal vats to be aged. Ageing allows the wine to develop the variety of flavors that wine drinkers love to experience - both by smelling and tasting their favorite glass of good white wine.
White wine made with green grapes is most common, but sometimes darker-colored grapes are used to make white wine too.
Dry white wine and sweet white wine taste very different- here’s what makes each of them unique.
The sweetness of a wine is due to both sugar and alcohol content. The sweeter the grapes, and the higher the alcohol content, the sweeter the wine will become.
they usually contain less alcohol and sugar and are more acidic.
Here’s an easy rule of thumb: the sweeter the wine, the more alcohol and sugar it contains. The drier the wine, the more acid it contains.
The main difference between white wines and reds is the same as the difference between red and white grapes: the color of their skins. Since white wine is made by peeling and crushing the grapes before they are fermented, the pigments in the grape skin don’t influence the wine’s color that much.
By contrast, red wine is made by leaving the skins on the grapes and crushing them, then fermenting and ageing the juice like white wine. This allows a substance called tannin, which is found in red grape skins, to give red wine its rich, deep flavors.
One of the major differences between white and red wines is the time they take to mature. Since red wines are rich in tannins, they can be very strong-tasting and need to mature for several years before drinking.
White dessert wines like Marsala, as well as Riesling, are some of the best sweet wines for beginners to sample. If the dryness of other wines is a little too much to take at first, starting out with a sweet white wine list is a great way to explore the world of wine.
There are many delicious types of white wine and each is produced by many different white wine brands across multiple geographic areas
Knowing your white wines will let you enjoy your wine tasting experience to the fullest. Here are some of the main sweet white wine types and types of dry white wine that you’ll find on every good wine list.
Main Flavors: Green apple, pineapple, a hint of citrus
To answer what is Chardonnay, this versatile white wine grows successfully in vineyards around the world, but it originates in Burgundy, France. When wondering is chardonnay sweet, the answer is neither sweet nor dry, but it does embody some of the same delicious flavors as many sweet wines.
Apple, pineapple and citrus flavors add a pleasant acidic finish and cut through the sweetness to create a well-rounded taste.
Main Flavors: sweet red apple, melon, ripe pear
Chenin Blanc is another wine with French origins, originating in the Loire region. Depending on the climate and region where it is grown, and how long it has matured, it can range from sweet to off-sweet, or even dry. A glass of Chenin Blanc is a treat for the nose and palate, with soft fruity aromas and flavors like apple, pear and melon.
Main Flavors: Grapefruit, allspice, a hint of licorice
If you’re a fan of sweet wine Gewürztraminer should definitely be on your wine list. This German cultivar is also grown in France and Italy and produces a sweet, luxurious wine that goes very well with spicy dishes. Riesling gewürztraminer is a blended cultivar that brings the sweet fruity flavors of Gewürztraminer together with the acidity of Riesling to produce a lighter, easier-drinking wine.
Main Flavors: apple, stone fruits, and sweet citrus
One of the most unique types of white wine, Grüner Veltliner is grown extensively in Austria. It shares some of the fruity characteristics of Gewürztraminer, but also offers a deeper palate of peach, apricot, and earthy flavors. Grüner Veltliner is often matured in oak barrels, which produce a mellow smoky flavor in the wine.
Main Flavors: Sweet almond, white peach, confectionary
Marsanne is one of the most popular sweet wine types, with a pure, decadent flavor that makes it ideal as a dessert wine. Marsanne’s relatively low acid content gives it a full-bodied character that encourages slow enjoyment. This is definitely a wine to be savored with good conversation on a lazy Sunday or holiday.
Main Flavors: Sweet citrus, orange, tangerine
Muscat brings the sweetness and body of Marsanne to your palate but adds a delightful citrus tang that will remind you of orange cake and sweet marmalade. Grown predominantly in France and Italy, Muscat is a great dessert wine and sparkling wine. It’s also common to find Sauvignon Blanc Muscat and other dry white wine blends, combining citrus sweetness and the green acidity of a drier wine.
Main Flavors: Subtle green apple, a hint of citrus and apricot
Pinot Blanc is like the light, subtle side of chardonnay. Crisp and green, with less weight and more drinkability, it’s a great choice for warm summer days or laid-back dining. In terms of comparing Pinot Grigio vs Pinot Blanc, the lower alcohol and sugar content of pinot blanc make it lighter than Pinot Grigio, which has a sweeter and bolder flavor.
Main Flavors: Sweet pear, melon, a dash of lime
Pinot Grigio, known in France as Pinot Gris, is a sweet but light white wine that goes well with a variety of dishes. This wine is well-suited to outdoor dining and Mediterranean-style meals. Many people ask is Pinot Grigio sweet and is Pinot Grigio dry? Interestingly, it can be both. With elements of dry and sweet, and a well-balanced flavor that comes from lower alcohol levels, Pinot Grigio is a great all-round wine.
Main Flavors: Lime, apple, apricot, stone fruit
There are so many Riesling types out there, from decadently sweet aged varieties to off-dry Riesling that’s great with a seafood platter or delicate salad. When asking is Riesling wine sweet, the answer is not so straightforward. Some varieties are definitely on the sweeter side, while others are drier and lighter. This makes Riesling one of the most versatile white wines of all.
Main Flavors: Citrus, fresh lime
If you prefer semi sweet white wine, Roussanne should definitely be on your white wine list. The green citrus flavors and lower sugar content make this wine light and refreshing.
Main Flavors: Green grass, basil, earthy flavors
Sauvignon Blanc has a subtle flavor profile and is less sweet than many white wines. It has a strongly green taste, with hints of grasses and herbs. This is partly due to the mineral soils where the sauvignon grape grows so well. When inquiring is Sauvignon Blanc sweet, the answer is generally no, but it’s not the driest white wine either. Sauvignon Blanc is ideal for wine drinkers who would like to experiment with a drier palate. Sauvignon Blanc is sometimes called Fumé Blanc - this may indicate that it has been oak barrel-matured.
Main Flavors: Herb, melon, fig
Sémillon Cépage, commonly known as Sémillon, is a dry, delicate wine that is low in acidity. This makes it a good keeper, since it can mature and become more flavorful over time - something that only red wines can usually do.
Main Flavors: peach, orange peel, apricot
You may have seen it on a bottle but wondered what is Viognier? This dry white wine is less well-known compared to some wines on our list. It combines dry and fruity flavors and can be intensely citrusy. When answering what type of wine is Viognier, the simplest explanation is a rare white wine - mostly because it’s difficult to make. Viognier is sometimes added to Syrah (a red wine) to add some fruity notes to its rich flavor.
White wine is produced in countries all over the world. but certain regions stand out for the high quality and flavor of their wines.
The French regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy are home to some of the finest white wine vineyards on earth. The Loire Valley, which produces excellent Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, isn’t far behind. Burgundy in particular is probably one of the best Chardonnay regions you could visit, with award-winning vineyards by the dozen.
Top quality Riesling is produced in Germany’s Mosel region, with its soil and climate producing sweet, acidic grapes that are perfect for this type of wine.
Closer to home, California's Napa Valley is home to some of America’s finest wine producers and has gained a reputation for being one of the world’s best pinot grigio regions.,
Pairing a delicious white wine with an equally delicious meal means double the enjoyment - and it’s not as difficult as it sounds. Here’s how to pair white wine with a variety of food.
In general, try to match sweeter wines with desserts or pastries, and dry wines with savory meals. Sweet goes with sweet.
Ultimately, enjoying wine comes down to personal preference given the numerous options ranging from dry white wine, sweet white wine, and the huge variety of wine cultivars that are available.
When you choose the best white wine to serve at your next get-together, the tips and info in this guide should help you to enjoy your wine tasting experience to the fullest.
If you’re still wondering what types of white wine to buy, joining a white wine club is a great way to sample some of the best white wine available today. Explore our wine club reviews to learn more.
