10 Best White Wines | UK Wine Specialist Reviewed
To learn more, check out our buying guide, with handy information on the most popular grape varieties, how to pair them, and more. Then, explore our recommendations available to buy on Amazon, Tesco, ASDA, and Waitrose, from brands such as Barefoot, Yellow Tail, and Hardys – and many of our favourites are under £10.
Quick List - Top White Wines
Kendermanns
A Zesty, Tropical Riesling to Enjoy Alone or With Spicy Food
Daphne is a wine-based content creator, studying for her WSET diploma. She created Toro Tries Wine to share her love of wine with others and encourage people to try wines they might not normally consider.
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With Specialist Advice From Wine Professional Daphne V
Daphne is a wine-based content creator, studying for her WSET diploma. She created Toro Tries Wine to share her love of wine with others and encourage people to try wines they might not normally consider.
And if you too are thinking that you want to become a professional in wines, spirits and sake then take a look at Daphne's fantastic study advice and tips on how to get started. Or follow her on Instagram and get a daily dose of aesthetically pleasing wine content!
An Introduction To White Wine
Wine is made from grapes which have a naturally occurring substance called tannin, formed when the grape skins sit in the juice during fermentation. Wines with a higher tannin content become red, whereas those with less exposure to the grape skins are a much paler colour. Those somewhere in the middle are what we call rosé.
Since tannin creates a slightly bitter taste in the mouth, red wines have a firm and bitter flavour. In contrast, white wines taste lighter and more acidic. So, if you prefer something that’s not too heavy but that’ll still tickle your taste buds, white wine is a great choice!
How to Choose a White Wine in the UK
- Consider Which Grape Type Is Most Compatible With the Dish or Cuisine
- If You're Trying to Be Mindful, Watch For Quantity and Calorie Content
Wining and Dining? Consider Which Grape Type Is Most Compatible With the Dish or Cuisine
Go for Creamy Chardonnay if You're Cooking Lighter Dishes Like Fish and Seafood
Depending on whether it’s "oaked" or "unoaked", Chardonnay can vary in flavour - no two bottles will taste the same! Oaked varieties have more of a crème brûlée flavour, whereas unoaked ones will taste of zesty fruits. This type of wine is, therefore, the perfect accompaniment for light dishes such as grilled fish, salads, and seafood.
Why not serve it in a sophisticated stemless wine glass?
A creamy Chardonnay undergoes malolactic fermentation during its production. This process tempers the grape's acidity and imparts a smooth texture to the wine, which works well with a range of seafood. A crisper fresh Chablis works well with crab, or you can pair an oakier style Chardonnay with more meaty fish such as baked salmon.
Pick Herbaceous, Refreshing Pinot Grigio to Complement Chicken and Risotto
Some Pinot Grigio grapes even have a slightly herbaceous taste, so it’s a good choice if you prefer your wine to be refreshing rather than sweet. With this in mind, it pairs well with chicken, seafood, risotto, and lightly spiced dishes.
Take a look at the best English sparkling wines if you like to keep it local.
Pinot Grigio is typically from the North of Italy, a universally popular lemony, linear, unoaked style of wine. It contains simple aromas, creating an easy-drinking, light, fruity wine. Its high and refreshing acidity helps cut through the creamy risotto and allows the food to speak for itself without overpowering the flavours in the dish.
Pair Fruity, Full-Bodied Sauvignon Blanc With Flavourful Greek or Mexican Dishes
Aromatic and dry, Sauvignon Blanc is perfect if you want a stronger, more full-bodied tasting wine. It tastes great with Greek and Mexican food, especially dishes with olives, feta cheese, and tomatoes.
Grown throughout Europe and the New World, famously in The Loire Valley, France and Malborough, New Zealand. It's well known for its peach, pineapple, passion fruit and grassy flavours, married with high acidity and an invigorating bite.
Sauvignon Blanc provides an outstanding balance to sour cream and guacamole. The fruit-forward aromas enrich the flavours commonly found in Greek or Mexican foods.
Choose Sweet Riesling as a Dessert Wine or an Accompaniment to Chinese and Thai Cuisine
As Riesling is typically very sweet, it makes an ideal dessert wine or works well with delicately spiced Chinese and Thai food. This combination may not sound like it would work, but it really, really does!
Don't be afraid to try sweeter styles of white wine. Gone are the days of producers making cloying, sticky wines. Look for an off-dry style, often labelled Halbtrocken, to complement spicier foods and allow the flavours of the dish to sing.
They pair particularly nicely with spicy pork belly and salty soy sauce-based dishes. Riesling is a high acidity grape keeping the residual sugar in perfect balance, with refreshing lime zest, stone fruit and honeyed notes.
If You're Preparing a Seafood or Sushi Feast, There's no Better Match Than Spanish Albariño
Albariño wine tastes best with seafood such as oysters, fresh prawns, and steamed mussels or even clams. It also works wonderfully well with sushi and sashimi if you fancy a Japanese feast. And look for Vinho Verde from Portugal, popular, light yellow-green in colour; it's refreshing wine for a different take on wine from this particular grape.
A traditional variety from the North West of Spain, Albariño, was born to pair with seafood dishes, think paella, gambas, and bacalao. These dishes' salty, savoury notes are well-matched with fresh, approachable styles like Albariño.
Albariño contains aromas of lemon peel and peach as well as a hint of salinity. Look for Vinho Verde from Portugal, popular, light yellow-green in colour; it's refreshing wine for a different take on this grape.
Keep an Eye on the Quantity and Calorie Content If You're Trying to Be Mindful
Stick to One Bottle Between Two to Appreciate Rather Than Overindulge
If you’re looking to lose weight or striving to maintain a healthy lifestyle, check the bottle’s packaging to ensure your chosen product isn’t too calorific. Certain types of white wine, like Riesling, are made with grapes that are naturally lower in sugar so they can help you to cut down on your calorie intake.
Pick Up Two Bottles for Four Guests or Consider a Case if You're Entertaining Larger Groups
One bottle is perfect to share for two, and if you have guests simply use that as a general rule for how many bottles you should buy. There are so many knock on effects, in the short and long term, when one over-indulges in alcohol.
Per bottle, wine can contain 500+ cals, so anything more than half a bottle in an evening, can be considered indulgent. Curtailing your wine intake will make for a much nicer experience for everytone, too. Your guests will appreciate your company, just as much as delicious wine.
Check out our favourite vegan wines too!
A small glass of white wine (175ml) contains approximately 159 calories, a large glass (250ml) 228 calories. Something to bear in mind when deciding what to imbibe in the evening.
Consider turning a glass of Pinot Grigio into a spritzer for a longer drink by adding ice and soda. There are also many low and no alcohol options available in supermarkets, which helps keep the calorie content down.
10 Best White Wines in the UK
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tesco Finest Viñas Del Rey Albariño | | A Luxurious Yet Low-Priced Albariño for Any Occasion | |
2 | Barefoot Pinot Grigio | | Made From Crisp Californian Grapes and Perfect With Pasta or Thai | |
3 | Hardys Crest Chardonnay | | A Cheap and Cheerful All-Rounder That Goes With Everything | |
4 | Kendermanns Riesling Special Edition Pfalz, Germany | | A Zesty, Tropical Riesling to Enjoy Alone or With Spicy Food | |
5 | Mud House Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc | | Affordable, Refreshing and Gorgeous With Greek Mezze | |
6 | Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay | | Treat Yourself to America’s Top-Selling Chardonnay | |
7 | Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio | | A Good Starter for Beginners to White Wine | |
8 | Dr L Riesling | | Fantastically Fruity and Low in Alcohol | |
9 | Nice Sauvignon Blanc Wine in a Can ｜Pack of 12 | | A Fantastically Fruity and Low-Alcohol Riesling That's Perfect for Lunch | |
10 | Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2020 | | An Excellent Choice for Special Occasions |
A Luxurious Yet Low-Priced Albariño for Any Occasion
The result is a dry and aromatic beverage, with notes of apricot and honeysuckle, as well as hints of fresh grapefruit and mandarin. The premium ingredients used, along with the wonderfully cheap price and low-calorie content of this product, make it our top pick.
Made From Crisp Californian Grapes and Perfect With Pasta or Thai
This wine by Barefoot is made from Pinot Grigio grapes, grown in sunny California. Harvested by hand, the grapes are picked only in their optimal state of ripeness, resulting in a wonderfully crisp and fruity wine.
With notes of citrus, green apple, and peach, this top-quality product tastes delightful as an aperitif or can be paired with lightly spiced dishes. We also love how few calories it contains.
A Cheap and Cheerful All-Rounder That Goes With Everything
If you’re after a wine that goes perfectly with pasta, seafood, and chicken dishes, look no further! It works well with spicy food too - basically, it'll go with anything you're cooking for dinner. Best of all, it’s incredibly cheap for such an excellent quality product.
KendermannsRiesling Special Edition Pfalz, Germany
A Zesty, Tropical Riesling to Enjoy Alone or With Spicy Food
It's a wonderful combination of tangy lime and tropical pineapple tasting notes, giving this wine a sophisticated aroma that you’ll want to savour. Enjoy this on its own or pair it with spicy Asian cuisine to really make it sing.
Affordable, Refreshing and Gorgeous With Greek Mezze
The elegant acidity of this wine means it'll go perfectly with a Greek mezze platter of olives, feta, and hummus. We also love that it’s inexpensive - so you can afford to splash out on a bottle regularly.
Treat Yourself to America’s Top-Selling Chardonnay
The only reason it’s low on our ranking is that there are much cheaper Chardonnays out there which taste just as good. Still, if you want to try an American classic, you can’t go wrong with this fancy bottle.
A Good Starter for Beginners to White Wine
Being a budget-friendly option, this wine is best suited to a light lunch at home than a lavish dinner party. The main downside is that it leaves you with a bit of a dry aftertaste.
Fantastically Fruity and Low in Alcohol
This is a very lively, fresh example of a Riesling. And considering it's produced in traditional vineyards with slate soil, it really is a fantastic quality wine at a decent price.
A Fantastically Fruity and Low-Alcohol Riesling That's Perfect for Lunch
Wine in a can? We're surprised no one thought of this earlier! This multipack of 12 recyclable tins is basically designed for house parties with your best buds.
This Sauvignon Blanc is dry and crisp, with hints of white peach - it's not the most exciting wine flavour-wise, but it's decent. They're perfect for popping in a bag to drink as a sundowner after a long, hard day on a beach.
An Excellent Choice for Special Occasions
Additional Links
Written and researched by Nicola McClements
Top 5 White Wines
No. 1: Tesco Finest｜Viñas Del Rey Albariño
No. 2: Barefoot｜Pinot Grigio
No. 3: Hardys｜Crest Chardonnay
No. 4: Kendermanns｜Riesling Special Edition Pfalz, Germany
No. 5: Mud House｜Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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