White wine, its characteristics and many facets

Although newcomers may find white wine easier to drink than red, it is no less complex and offers genuine pleasure in tasting

Whether you are a seasoned wine enthusiast or simply enjoy a good glass now and then, white wines—dry or medium-sweet, organic or biodynamic—often reveal fruit and floral aromas and flavours, with countless nuances to discover.

In France, we are fortunate to have exceptional winemakers who combine regional expertise with innovative methods to make dry, medium-sweet and sweet white wines, naturally sweet white wines and even sparkling wines.

So let's explore the different styles of white wine and their grape varieties to appreciate all their subtleties when tasting them.

Discover the white wine collection from the Gérard Bertrand estates.

A recap of the different types of white wine

There are several types of white wine.

Dry white wine

It has a very low sugar content. This beautifully fresh wine finds its balance solely in its acidity and alcohol.

Medium-sweet white wine

Medium-sweet wines contain less sugar than sweet wines, with levels ranging from 12 to 45 grams per litre. They are made from grapes picked at optimal ripeness.

Sweet white wine

Sweet white wines contain more than 45 g/l of sugar, sometimes reaching 200 grams per litre. The grapes are harvested by hand in several successive passes. Depending on the region, these are known as noble grapes or late-harvest grapes.

Sparkling white wine

Sparkling white wine is most often associated with Champagne, but there are many other sparkling whites worth trying, including Clairette de Die and Crémants.

We recommend our Code Rouge Brut Éternel cuvée, a Blanc de Blancs AOP Crémant de Limoux (Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Mauzac): a sparkling wine made exclusively from white grapes by the Gérard Bertrand estates.

Fortified white wine

Fortified white wines are naturally sweet wines made by stopping fermentation through the addition of alcohol.

One example is our Muscat de Rivesaltes Gérard Bertrand, a beautifully balanced naturally sweet white wine, delicious served chilled (10 °C) as an aperitif.

At what temperature should white wine be served?

White wine should be served chilled, never ice-cold: between 8 and 10 °C for a light white or medium-sweet wine, and between 10 and 12 °C for an aromatic dry white or one partly aged in barrels. Too cold, and the wine's aromas are muted; too warm, and the alcohol overpowers its freshness.

Serving guidelines by white wine style

• Light, crisp dry white — 8 to 10 °C: citrus, white fruit and floral notes remain distinct.
• Aromatic or rounded dry white — 10 to 12 °C: freshness is preserved and the texture comes through.
• Complex or barrel-aged white — 10 to 12 °C, up to 12–14 °C for a very mature wine: its body and toasted or buttery notes become more distinct.
• Medium-sweet and sweet — 8 to 10 °C: moderate chilling balances the sweetness.
• Sparkling white wine (Crémant) — 6 to 8 °C: the bubbles stay fine and the aromas delicate.
• Naturally sweet wine (fortified) — around 10 °C, as with Muscat de Rivesaltes.

Serving temperatures for our white wines

• Cote des Roses Sauvignon Blanc 2024 — IGP Pays d'Oc, Sauvignon Blanc · 8–10 °C
• Cote des Roses Chardonnay 2025 — IGP Pays d'Oc, Chardonnay · 10 °C
• Art de Vivre Clairette du Languedoc Adissan 2024 — AOP Clairette du Languedoc Adissan, Clairette · 10 °C
• Extra Blanc 2025 — IGP Pays d'Oc, Grenache Blanc · 10–12 °C
• Cigalus 2025 — IGP Pays d'Oc, Chardonnay, Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc · Demeter and organic certified · 10–12 °C
• Prima Nature Chardonnay 2025 — IGP Pays d'Oc, Chardonnay · organic certified, vegan, no added sulphites · 12 °C
• Muscat de Rivesaltes 2023 — AOP Muscat de Rivesaltes, Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains · 10 °C
• Code Rouge Brut Éternel — AOP Crémant de Limoux, Chardonnay · Chenin Blanc · Mauzac · 6–8 °C, served well chilled

These are guidelines: the grape variety, vintage and ageing can sometimes call for a difference of a few degrees. It is better to serve wine slightly below the target temperature, as it warms up in the glass.

How should you chill and serve white wine?

• Chill the bottle in the fridge ahead of time. A domestic fridge is often colder than the ideal serving temperature, so take the bottle out 15 to 20 minutes before serving if needed.
• If the bottle is too warm, place it in a bucket of cool water with a few ice cubes. Avoid the freezer.
• Pour small amounts and hold the glass by the stem to keep the wine from warming up.

Discover the Gérard Bertrand white wine collection.

The main French white wine-producing regions and their grape varieties

Some French white wine regions are recognised worldwide for their distinctive terroir and grape varieties. To answer a question newcomers often ask, white wine is made from white grapes and, in some regions, black grapes too. To prevent the wine from taking on colour, red grape varieties such as Pinot Noir are not macerated. The skins of black grapes contain the pigments that colour wine, so grapes intended for white wine are pressed directly.

Bordeaux and its art of blending

From dry to medium-sweet and sweet white wines, wines from this region are made predominantly from the Sauvignon, Sémillon and Muscadelle grape varieties. Bordeaux white blends are born from the subtle combination of these three principal varieties.

Côtes de Gascogne and its unusual terroir

In the past, this region focused on Armagnac production. Today, grape varieties such as Colombard and Sauvignon Blanc produce light, dry white wines with low alcohol levels. Here, Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng grapes are allowed to reach greater phenolic ripeness to produce medium-sweet white wines.

Burgundy and its star grape variety

A star grape variety, Chardonnay fully reveals its aromatic potential in this region. Indeed, as well as being the sole grape variety in almost all Burgundy wines, it elegantly expresses the character of each Burgundy vineyard parcel when tasted.

Alsace and its exceptional terroir

Thanks to its geological diversity and microclimates, Alsace produces dry white wines from Riesling for freshness and Sylvaner for lightness. Its sweet white wines are made from Gewurztraminer for aromatic power and Pinot Gris for generous intensity. Finally, the red grape Pinot Noir is used to make sparkling white wine.

The Loire Valley vineyards and their distinctive style

The diversity of Loire white wines extends across the vineyards of Pays Nantais, the wine-growing regions of Touraine and Anjou, and the vineyards of the Central Loire. Take the white wines of Anjou-Saumur, for example: their distinctive schist and sandstone soils favour the quality of dry and medium-sweet white wines made from the Chenin grape.

Languedoc-Roussillon and the distinctive character of its terroir and grape varieties

The wide variety of soils includes terraces of rounded pebbles, sandstone and marl, limestone and schist areas, clay soils, conglomerates, sandy soils and even basalt. Chardonnay dominates dry white wine production, while other varieties such as Carignan Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Maccabeu, Bourboulenc, Muscat Blanc, Marsanne, Roussanne, Piquepoul Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Rolle, Tourbat and Viognier gracefully express this terroir's strong identity. Alongside dry white wines, Languedoc-Roussillon also produces naturally sweet white wines, such as Muscat de Lunel and Muscat de Rivesaltes.

The Côtes-du-Rhône and its emblematic grape varieties

The most widespread white grape variety in Rhône vineyards is Viognier. It produces rich, smooth wines. The Côtes-du-Rhône also produces dry and sparkling white wines from the Muscat Petit Grain grape. This variety gives the region's wines complex citrus aromas.

The secrets of white wine and how to taste it

We recommend starting a white wine tasting with a dry wine, then progressing gradually from driest to sweetest. If you begin with a sweet white wine, your palate will quickly become overwhelmed. To enjoy each glass of white wine fully, you should also taste the wines in order of increasing intensity. Some white wines are fruity, others are livelier, while oak-aged white wines are fuller-bodied, with a more pronounced, intense flavour.

As for the colour of white wine, the grape variety and sugar content influence its hue, which ranges from greenish-yellow to russet. The younger the wine, the lighter and paler it is, with green highlights. As it matures, its colour shifts towards more orange tones. Gérard Bertrand's orange wines are also made from white grapes.

To appreciate the subtleties of white wine, gently swirl it in a stemmed glass to release its aromas and observe its colour and legs, also known as the wine's tears. The trails that form on the inside of the glass reveal the wine's viscosity and texture.

From aperitif to dessert

Served chilled, dry and sparkling white wines are ideal from aperitif through to dessert. For example, La Clairette du Languedoc Adissan from Gérard Bertrand's Art de Vivre collection is an excellent white wine to enjoy as an aperitif.

For lovers of sweet wines, medium-sweet and sweet white wines can also be enjoyed as aperitifs, provided they are served well chilled.

The ideal pairing is seafood. White wine is also versatile enough to go with white meats, tarts, quiches and mixed salads.

That said, the most sublime pairing is white wine with cheese. Enjoying an aged Comté or Beaufort, goat's or sheep's cheese with a glass of white rather than red wine avoids the milk proteins curdling on contact with red wine tannins and leaving a soapy taste in the mouth. More surprisingly still, stronger cheeses such as Munster or Maroilles pair perfectly with white wine from their region of origin.

And for food lovers, try pairing Roquefort, blue cheese or Fourme (d'Ambert or de Montbrison) with a naturally sweet wine such as a white Banyuls.

For dessert, whether you are serving cake, fruit tarts, flans or fruit salad, choose medium-sweet white wines or sparkling wines, which make a splendid alternative to Champagne.

Product list:

Our Extra Blanc cuvée, a generous, fresh and intense wine made from Grenache Blanc

Our Prima Nature Chardonnay, an organic, vegan white wine with no added sulphites

Le Domaine de Cigalus White, a biodynamic white blend of Chardonnay, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc

Frequently asked questions about white wine

At what temperature should dry white wine be served?

Between 8 and 10 °C for a light, crisp white; between 10 and 12 °C for a more aromatic white or one partly aged in barrels.

Should you put white wine in the freezer?

No. The freezer chills wine too abruptly. Use a bucket of cool water with a few ice cubes instead.

At what temperature should Muscat de Rivesaltes be served?

Around 10 °C, as an aperitif or with strongly flavoured cheeses such as Roquefort.

What is the difference between medium-sweet and sweet white wine?

A medium-sweet wine contains 12 to 45 g of sugar per litre; a sweet wine contains more than 45 g/l and up to 200 g/l.

Learn more about wine:

And learn all about orange wine, red wine and rosé wine.

Discover the best Gérard Bertrand wines:

Best red wine

Our best white wines

Best rosé wine

Best orange wine

Explore the Gérard Bertrand estates:

His wine estates in Languedoc-Roussillon

His expertise in producing biodynamic wines

And explore the Gérard Bertrand wine collections.