26 best white wines for every occasion
Love a glass of crisp white wine over dinner and looking to give your wine rack a refresh? The Good Housekeeping Institute has conducted extensive testing, tasting bottles from Italy, France, Spain and more, to bring you our definitive guide to the best white wines for 2025.
You'll find the top-rated bottles for you to stock up on below (and they start from as little as £6.75). We’ve tested the best rosé and red wine too, to ensure you have plenty of choice for every occasion.
Best white wine 2025
What is the most popular white wine in the UK?
You may have your go-to white, but what is everyone else drinking and should you try some bestselling alternatives?
“In terms of white wines, the 'classics' continue to top our bestseller charts,” says Daisy Shepherdson, Head of Range at Laithwaites. “Sauvignon blanc currently makes up over 30% of our sales, followed by chardonnay and pinot grigio.”
However, in our tests, we also discovered some great value bottles from Portugal, and lesser-known indigenous grapes from Greece that are well worth taking a punt on.
Need a refresher? Read on for what to look out for in each of the best-selling grapes.
Sauvignon blanc
New Zealand’s Marlborough region is now widely regarded as making the best sauvignon blanc in the world. If gooseberries and tropical fruit-forward flavours are your thing, look no further.
But of course, other countries are also producing excellent variations of this crowd-pleasing grape, and we've found a couple of great examples from South Africa too — so it's well worth branching out.
Chardonnay
Originating in Burgundy, France, chardonnay has finally rid itself of its 90's reputation for being an overly oaked white. Instead, you may find notes of crisp green apple, citrus and peach, through to more tropical mango and even butter.
We’ve included some well-balanced, elegant examples in this round-up, with our top-rated bottle coming from an English vineyard.
Pinot grigio
Typically associated with Italy, the best bottles of pinot grigio display white peach, green apple and pear notes with refreshing citrus and sometimes hints of white blossom. Light and easy drinking, this grape is a no-brainer for food-pairing.
How we test white wine
As part of the Good Housekeeping Institute’s big white wine taste test, our panel of 10 WSET-accredited experts and consumers sampled over 70 bottles of wine from around the world.
They were on the lookout for crisp, dry, refreshing white wines that were a good representation of their grape variety. Each was assessed on its complexity, flavour and finish.
Here’s our pick of the best white wine for 2025.
'PassioneSentimento' Passimento Bianco
Score: 95/100
Our winning wine is a truly unique white. For starters it’s made using the “appassimento” method, where the grapes are dried, resulting in a more concentrated flavour. Normally reserved for rich reds such as amarone, here it results in an intense, bold tropical wine, with fresh citrus and a touch of creamy oak.
Team with roast chicken for a match made in heaven.
Alvarinho
Score: 94/100
The vibrant, fruity wine speaks for itself, appealing to our panel with its zesty citrus notes and saline edge. Team with olives for a refreshing aperitif or buy by the 1.5L box (£23) if hosting larger gatherings.
Spier Albariño
Score: 90/100
Albariño is more often associated with Portugal, however this zesty white from South Africa’s Stellenbosch region impressed testers with tart gooseberry, apricot and long-lasting salinity. Its zesty, mineral quality means that it’s ideal with seafood.
Like this sound of this? Read on for more top-rated South African wine.
Chenin Blanc
Score: 89/100
This show-stopping chenin blanc is made from grapes that are hand-picked from old bush-vines, meaning the flavour — think, creamy vanilla, peach and tropical fruit — is more concentrated. The richness, and contrasting acidity, make this the perfect partner for roast pork.
Guinevere Chardonnay
Score: 87/100
English wine still often comes at a premium; however, our testers felt this decadent barrel-fermented cool climate chardonnay from Gusbourne was worth the splurge.
The beautiful buttery nose hints at the complexity, while the palate dishes up candied citrus peel, ripe apricot and smokey minerality. Team with fish in lemon butter at your next dinner party and wait for the compliments to roll in.
Sauvignon Blanc
Score: 86/100
This bold French wine has all the elements you want from a sauvignon blanc with the aromas and flavours of tropical fruit and melon. Initially sweet and juicy, expect a pleasingly dry and long-lasting mineral finish. Pair with seafood or creamy pasta dishes.
English Dry White
Score: 82/100
With notes of honeysuckle, elderflower and lashings of citrus zest, this easy drinking white is perfectly refreshing at the end of a long day. Our testers felt there was plenty of complexity given the price and would recommend serving it as an aperitif or with shellfish.
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
Score: 82/100
With delicate notes of citrus, grapefruit, white blossom and gooseberry, this is a great example of a Marlborough sauvignon blanc.
It scored highly thanks to its complexity, delicious minerality and well-integrated acidity. Soft and velvety, our testers felt this would pair well with fish or Asian cuisine.
Vinho Verde
Score: 81/100
Fresh and crisp with thirst-quenching acidity, Portugal’s vinho verde is the perfect pairing for salad and seafood, and the naturally low ABV makes it particularly well suited to long, lazy lunches in the sun.
Marsolay Chardonnay IGP Pays D'Oc
Score: 81/100
Testers loved this creamy chardonnay from the Languedoc region and felt it would pair perfectly with roast chicken. There’s a little oak, although it’s well-integrated, adding a rich mouthfeel without overpowering.
Classics Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
Score: 81/100
Juicy passionfruit comes to the fore in this classic sauvignon blanc from M&S. The tropical notes give an impression of sweetness, which is nicely balanced with light acidity. Exceptionally quaffable and smooth, try serving it with a goat’s cheese salad.
Greek White Wine
Score: 80/100
Majestic’s brief for this wine was to highlight the best examples of key regions and core grape varietals – at wallet-friendly prices. We think the team has nailed it with this crisp and refreshing blend.
Like sunshine in a glass, you can expect a subtle effervescence, juicy stone fruit and aromatic blossom.
Sao Luiz Douro White
Score: 80/100
This white wine from the Douro should appeal to those who like a creamy chardonnay, or a weighty white rioja. The herbaceous nose displays refreshing coastal salinity, with plenty of acidity, followed by a richly textured, long finish. We’ll be surprised if you can resist a second glass...
Chardonnay
Score: 80/100
Not only did this chardonnay impress the panel with its easy drinking nature, light floral note and satisfying vanilla oak finish, but it's a sustainable choice too.
The striking bottle is made with recycled materials, which we think also makes it a great talking point on the dinner table.
Pouilly Fume Les Loges Pierre Marchand
Score: 79/100
For a different take on French sauvignon blanc, this builds on the Loire’s flinty minerality, but has a more well-rounded mouthfeel, thanks to a buttery quality and whiff of smoke. It’s an excellent example of Pouilly-Fumé, pairing equally well with seafood and spicy food.
Pinot Grigio
Score: 79/100
Opening up with a thwack of white peach, underscored with delicate elderflower, our winning pinot grigio is rich and fruity — and a fantastic example of this grape variety.
It comes from Romania (rather than the more traditional Italian vineyard you might expect), and is super smooth, with a slight blink-and-you’ll-miss-it spritz on the finish. A great everyday wine at a very good price.
Sauvignon Blanc
Score: 78/100
Here's another juicy Marlborough that’s packed with passionfruit, alongside characteristic gooseberry and honeyed melon notes. Testers felt this wine had an impressive depth and complexity, which they found refreshing and smooth.
Estate Sauvignon Blanc
Score: 77/100
A reminder that great sauvignon blanc can come from outside of New Zealand, this South African white has more of a savoury edge. Displaying green bell pepper, asparagus and a herbaceous hint of cut grass, we’d pair this with chicken or light pasta dishes.
Albariño Organic White Wine
Score: 77/100
This is a classic example of albariño (and 100% organic, too), with a citrus-forward profile bringing lemon, lime and grapefruit to your glass. A hint of stone fruit sweetness brings balance, making this zesty drop a perfect aperitif for sun-dappled days, or for pairing with everything from seared tuna and Greek salad laden with salty feta.
Black Label Chardonnay
Score: 77/100
Smooth, creamy and buttery, this chardonnay is a steal. It hails from Australia, and displays the typical tropical fruit you'd expect from this region, alongside a touch of oak. Try it with creamy pasta or roast chicken.
Organic Chardonnay
Score: 76/100
Light gold in the classic, this organic chardonnay is a fresher, fruitier take on the style, with notes of lemon peel, honeydew melon, pineapple, pear and lingering oak. The buttery mouthfeel belies the affordable price tag and makes it perfect for pairing with richer shellfish dishes, like our creamy prawn pasta or baked scallops.
The Best Pinot Grigio Alto Adige Doc
Score: 76/100
Clean and fresh, with zesty lemon, soft peach and melon, Morrisons’ pinot grigio is produced in the alpine region of Alto Adige in the northeast of Italy. The fruit is restrained on the palate, but overall testers found it to be a good all-rounder.
Chardonnay
Score: 75/100
Californian chardonnay can often be prohibitively expensive, but we've found one you'll be happy to open mid-week. On the nose the tropical element is most prominent — think papaya, peach, coconut and lychee — moving towards butter, flint and oak on the palate. It's the perfect match for white fish in lemon butter.
Extra Special Pinot Grigio
Score: 73/100
This fresh, citrus-scented Italian pinot grigio is bright, with flavours of lemon peel, lime and white peach. Uplifting acidity and a crisp, dry finish make this an easy one to pair with chicken salads.
Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc White Wine
Score: 72/100
Aromatic elderflower vies for attention here, alongside green apple and grapefruit, all wrapped up in a big tropical finish that will stop you in your tracks.
Fairtrade Irresistible Sauvignon Blanc
Score: 70/100
Next stop is South Africa, for our best budget buy, which also happens to be Fairtrade. Unlike the New Zealand examples above, here we have a slightly sweeter style, with sharp green apple and gooseberry. Despite the short finish, we think this is a great mid-week option, or try serving with canapés for low-cost entertaining.
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