So, you’ve given up drinking white wines labelled ‘Chardonnay’ made with the Chardonnay grape variety – but what can you drink instead that will be just as refreshing and fruity but without the over-the-top creamy oaky flavour that gave Chardonnay wines a bad name? Let’s look to white wines from sunny South Africa, Spain and Portugal. Plus, English whites get a look in too.
Chenin Blanc wines have all the fruity apple, lemon and pear flavours you want in a white wine. And when they come from South Africa you can be sure they’ll have a touch of creamy sweetness as well.
It’s the warm climate that helps add the round and smooth flavours to wines – grapes grown in guaranteed sunshine can ripen fully and so contain maximum sweetness that moves across into the wine. So, look to white wines from South Africa, and the southern part of Europe in Spain or Portugal, if you want easy-to-like Chardonnay alternatives.
The Spanish region of Rioja makes fresh tasting white wines. Which might come as a surprise if you’ve only ever tried red Riojan wines before. Made with the commonly grown Viura grape, the results are a balance of pear, apple and melon flavours that are slightly creamy.
Portugal’s many white wine grape varieties (there’s at least 230) offer a great range of lovely white quaffing whites that are worth a try. You may see them listed under the grape varieties they are made of (Alvarinho, Verdelho, Moscatel, Fernao Pires to name a few) but also as generic Portuguese whites. The Aldi Portuguese white Douro is labelled like this and is well-worth seeking out for its 5-star flavours.
The cooler climate of England is not a place that can guarantee fully ripened fruity flavours. But when the summer is great then you get great white wine examples like The Wine Society’s English white. Made with a blend of six grape varieties you will only have heard of unless you follow the English wine scene closely but one of them provides a distinct grapefruit kick. Is it the Madeleine Angevine, Reichensteiner, Phoenix, Seyval Blanc, Solaris or Siegurebe? All together they give a delicate mix of fruity flavours which is a delight.
So, there are plenty of wines that are anything but Chardonnay. Go out and find them.
And if you want some more choices to tickle your taste buds then come along to the WineUncorked online wine tasting event on Thursday 10th March Anything but Chardonnay. Booking now.
Wineuncorked.co.uk recommends
Co-op South African Fairtrade Chenin Blanc 2020
£4.80 Co-op
The Co-op’s second most popular selling wine in their range is this South African Chenin Blanc. And you can see why – it’s great value and costs less than a fiver. Apple and lemon plus pear blossom and a hint of Cheshire cheese, this has a nice mix of fruits and flowers.
Clos de Gaimont Vouvray demi-sec 2018
£12.99 Virgin Wines
This demi-sec (off-dry) Chenin Blanc from the Loire region of France is wonderfully aromatic and fruitily flavourful. Aromas of elderflowers and sweet melon have added peach, apple and honey which is matched on the flavour. Match to dishes with a slight chilli hotness.
The Wine Society’s Percheron Chenin Blanc Viognier 2020 (2021 now available)
£6.96 The Wine Society
What should be a classic South African Chenin Blanc is brought up a star rating with the addition of some floral Viognier. Juicy ripe pear aromas and flavours have a lift of lemon with some bubblegum sweetness. Its sweet-sour flavours are a match to Asian dishes or try with fish and chips.
Morrisons The Best Marques Los Rios Rioja Blanco 2020
£6.50 Morrisons
This Rioja is white, which might come as a surprise if you’ve only ever tried red Riojan wines before. Made with the commonly grown Viura grape, the result is a nice fruity balance of flavours – pear, apple and melon. Fresh and slightly creamy.
Cune Barrel Fermented White Rioja
£8 Sainsbury’s (offer price)
Creamy complexity from barrel fermentation. Aromas of almond, apple and fresh pear are there in the flavour too but with added lemon and celery astringency.
£7.50 Tesco, Sainsbury’s
Okay so it has some Chardonnay in it. But this is mixed with native Portuguese grape varieties with added Viognier for buttery complexity. This is a great everyday wine that will match most foods and moods with its flavours of apple sponge pudding and fresh lemon.
Waitrose Loved and Found South African Fernao Pires 2021
£6.99 Waitrose
Fresh, tangy and fruity this unusual grape variety is more usually found growing in Portugal to make innocuous brandy. But transport it to South Africa and this white grape variety produces an aromatic pale-yellow wine that wafts out pineapple and tinned pears and tastes of fresh banana and lemon. A nice wine.
£7.49 Aldi
A great wine that has gone up £1.50 a bottle since reviewed in September 2020 but it’s still worthy of Wine of the Week. This light green wine in the expensive-looking silver and white graduated tinted bottle is both fruity and structured, making for an extremely enjoyable quaff that matches many foods and moods. The apple, pear and melon flavours are rounded off with juicy ripe lemon sweetness resulting in a balanced wine that you just want to keep drinking.
£11.95 Rick Stein online shop
Part of the TV chef’s own range of wines. This white made with the Verdejo and Viura grape varieties is a vibrant yellow-green colour with oodles of aromas – lemon, apple, banana, pear, pineapple and flower petals just come out of the glass at a pace. The flavour is crisp and fruity with banana and passionfruit richness backing it up. A nice wine. Match to fish, obviously.
The Wine Society’s English White 2020 (2021 now available)
£8.50 The Wine Society
Why do English sparkling wines get all the look in when great value English whites are just as fab? The pineapple, melon and apple fruity mix of flavours is a delight. But don't serve it too cold, even though it is a white wine, as the delicate flavours will disappear.
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