From the white blended wines of the northern Rhône to the Torrontés wines made in Argentina's high-altitude vineyards, this is a broad group of often very complex wines.

Wine-Searcher editorial

Last updated 22-Mar-2024

White - Aromatic and Floral

The Alsace region is particularly associated with this style. White wines from most varieties grown here are often richly textured and aromatic, with Gewurztraminer slightly ahead of Pinot Gris and Riesling.

Characteristics

• Flowers, perfume, spice
• Honey, oiliness
• Aromas and tastes of table grapes (especially Muscat family)

Key wines

• Gewurztraminer - the epitome of floral grape varieties with hallmark lychee and rosewater characters
• Riesling - most obviously with some bottle age
• White Rhône - perhaps Marsanne most of all
• Richer Pinot Gris
• The Muscat family of varieties
• Torrontés from Argentina

Food pairing with floral and aromatic white wines

As with most wine style categories it is hard to generalize. What unites these wines is their strength of aroma, not their precise aromatic characters, or the chemical compounds which contribute to this.

Riesling can often be viewed as an analogy for a squeeze of lemon. If you can imagine squeezing lemon juice on a dish, wines from this grape variety might be an option.

Thus a drier Riesling may work well with seafood. It can also be a brilliant partner to carbonara pasta dishes, with the lemon flavors complimenting the bacon and the acidity cutting through the cream.

Less dry versions actually work well with tandoori and tikka dishes from India, as well as Malay chicken. While some extra sweetness helps to balance spicy heat, Riesling also benefits in this regard due to its alcohol by volume tending to be around 10 percent or lower.

Gewürztraminer is higher in alcohol, as a rule. This means it is more likely to taste "hot" when paired with spicy food. Though it is often recommended for spicy Asian dishes, its aromatic characters (lychee, rosewater etc.) are harder to pair with food than the more "primary" citrus and honey flavors of Riesling.

Gewürtztraminer can be more successful with a strong, washed-rind cheese. Here it can certainly trump Riesling, due to its lower acidity.

Aromatic, rich Pinot Gris wines can stand up to some hearty dishes. A tempting Alsace-inspired pairing is to drink it with roast pork and ((not too sweet) apple sauce.