French white wine

French white wine is made in several renowned regions across France, each one contributing to its unique character, style and flavour to the wine. Within each region, there are numerous appellations celebrated for their exceptional white wines.

Here are some of the most famous ones:

Chablis - A sub-region of Burgundy, Chablis is known for its lean, zesty, minerally driven white wines. Chablis wines traditionally see little or no oak ageing, preserving the pure, fresh fruit characteristics of the grape with a tingly finish and flint-like minerality.

Sauternes - These wines are remarkably rich, sweet and complex, with intense flavours of honey, apricot and marmalade. This is balanced by a vibrant acidity that prevents them from being cloying.

Alsace - Situated on France’s eastern border, Alsace is known for its aromatic white varieties, including Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris and Riesling.

Sancerre - These wines are typically dry, high in acidity and characterised by their intense aromatics. They deliver citrus and green fruit flavours and often a distinctive flinty, smoky note, particularly in Pouilly-Fumé.

 Vouvray - Celebrated for its Chenin Blanc wines, ranging from dry to sweet and sparkling.

French white wines should be served chilled to bring out their best characteristics.

Light, aromatic wines such as Sauvignon Blanc or Muscadet should be served between 9-11°C. Richer, full-bodied whites like oak-aged Chardonnay or Viognier taste best slightly warmer, usually between 10-13°C. Be careful not to serve white wines excessively cold, as this might mute the aromas and flavours.

Decanting can be useful for aged white wines, allowing them to breathe and release their complex aromas.

For the best tasting experience, serve French white wine in a glass specifically designed for white wines. These glasses typically have a narrower bowl and a rim that tapers inwards to concentrate the aromas of the wine. Hold the glass by the stem to prevent your hand’s warmth from affecting the temperature of the wine.

The day of your delivery will depend on which option you’ve chosen at checkout.

• For a standard delivery, we will deliver your order within three working days. Delivery to the Scottish Highlands, some other areas of Scotland, Northern Ireland and offshore islands can take an extra few days.
• Usual delivery times are between 07.00 and 21.00.
• You can select Next-day or Named-day delivery at checkout – but do bear in mind we don’t deliver on Sundays or Bank Holidays.

Top tip: For the best experience we recommend you subscribe to our Unlimited service. A one-off payment of £29.99 entitles you to free delivery for a year – including free Next-day delivery. There’s no minimum order – you’ll get free delivery even on a single bottle. And you can get delivery to multiple addresses, so it’s perfect for gifting!

We want you to be entirely happy with your chosen wine, so we offer an unbeatable money-back guarantee on every single bottle – even wines you buy on sale.

No quibbles. No questions. Just your 100% satisfaction.

Get in touch with us and we’ll arrange to collect your bottle within 48 hours.

100,000 customers already love our wine subscriptions, and enjoy lower prices on their favourites all year round.

With a Laithwaites wine subscription, you can tell us what kind of wine you prefer, and how many bottles you’d like to receive on each delivery.

You can then choose how often you’d like to receive your case – every four or eight weeks. And delivery is free too!