Regions and producers focused on red wines may have had cause to hold their heads in their hands over the last 12 months, but white wines have been a dazzling bright spot for the trade.
This is the year that ‘salinity’ replaced ‘freshness’ as the buzzword du jour, and winemakers sought ‘texture’ above all else. Chardonnay is getting yet another image overhaul, while sommeliers are homing in on side dishes rather than main courses to create the perfect white wine pairings for diners.
“White wine is the category where some of the most noticeable and positive changes have taken place in the wine world,” says Dora Simões, president of Portugal’s Vinhos Verdes Wine Commission.
These changes are reflected in white wine sales, with more than 750 million nine-litre cases of white wine consumed in 2024. And while the predicted compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for whites is negative at -1% between 2024 and 2029, this is a healthier level of growth than is forecast for red wines at -2%.
According to global drinks analyst IWSR, one age group in particular is making a beeline for whites. “Millennials are drinking a larger number of wine varieties across markets [compared to other generations],” Richard Halstead, IWSR’s COO of consumer insights, tells db. “And this is particularly true of white wine, where they are showing a preference for aromatic, fruity wines such as Viognier or Torrontés.”
According to Argentinian winemaker Susana Balbo, a white wine pioneer who has dedicated her career to producing Torrontés, the world is currently undergoing “a white wine revolution”. She says: “White wines are no longer simple, straightforward or linear in complexity. Today, whites are expressing terroir, showcasing unique places in the world and highlighting winemaking techniques that elevate each variety’s character.”
In blends, she says, whites are delivering “a symphony of flavours and aromas that were totally unknown in the past”.
Equally significant, Balbo adds, is the “value-for-money ratio” that whites offer in a market where price definitely matters. James Dainty, business unit controller for UK wine importer Lanchester Wines, which works with a tripod of national, regional and independent retailers, believes that price is the biggest determining factor for consumers when choosing a bottle of wine. “In the majority of cases, it’s the first thing consumers look at,” he says. Due to inflation, the quality of white wines “really steps up a notch at £20-plus in the indies, and £15-plus in national retail, unless you find a real bargain,” he adds.
Perhaps a key marketing message for brands is that white wines are “moving beyond seasonality”, says Simões. In other words, consumers are discovering that, while refreshing, mineral whites are perfect for summer time, “richer and more textured whites work wonderfully in cooler months”.
Read on to discover db’s top 10 white wine trends of 2025.
1. Portugal and Spain win for quality low-alcohol whites
One might expect two countries as warm as Spain and Portugal to find producing low-alcohol white wines challenging. But, thanks to the Atlantic influence and the fact that they got a head start on (almost) everyone else, these countries have become two of the leading innovators in this increasingly important field. While low ABV and vibrant acidity have long been the backbone of Vinho Verde wines, Lisbon is also starting to prove itself a key player with sales of Leve Lisboa (light wines of no more than 10.5% ABV) shooting up by 80% in 2024.
“The nine official appellations (DOs) of the Lisboa wine region are heavily influenced by the Atlantic, making them ideal for the production of lower-alcohol wines,” explains Francisco Toscano Rico, president, Wines of Lisboa. “This is especially true on the north-facing slopes, where there’s less direct sunlight, and the proximity to the sea ensures that ocean winds, carrying moisture, are felt more intensely. These winds and mists are most common in summer, precisely during the grape maturation period. That’s why locals often only go to the beach after lunch, when the fog has lifted.”
Historically enjoyed locally, Leve Lisboa wines are now exported around the world. “Moderating alcohol is our region’s strength,” says Toscano Rico, who adds that Lisbon winemakers are always searching for the sweet spot – “the perfect equilibrium of acidity and alcohol”, with harvest dates increasingly set more by the acidity level of the grapes than by their sugar content.
Across the border, a number of Spanish producers are finding success with low-alcohol Verdejo. J García Carrión (JGC) in Jumilla is currently developing its own expression, while Ramón Bilbao’s Rueda outpost already produces an Early Harvest Verdejo at just 11% ABV “by carefully selecting the vineyard plots and harvest dates.”
According to wine director Sara Bañuelos, “climate change poses significant challenges, but through thoughtful vineyard selection, altitude and orientation, we are actively addressing these issues – and seeing results”.
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2. Winemakers focus on texture
The lion’s share of the conversation about texture in wines is reserved for reds. Think terms such as ‘silky’, ‘velvety’ or ‘smooth’. But across the globe, producers are realising that texture can be equally transformative in whites.
“We’re placing strong emphasis on the mouthfeel of our white wines, aiming for texture, tension, and grip – especially in our three Sauvignon Blancs, but also in our Riesling and Sauvigon Gris,” reveals Viviana Navarrete, chief winemaker for Viña Leyda, the coastal Chilean project belonging to wine giant VSPT. “This began in the vineyard, where we separated plots with interesting soil compositions (marine terraces, granite, calcium carbonate, silt, etc), which allowed us to shape more complex and layered wines.”
Simultaneously, Leyda began making important changes in the winery, including experimenting with skin contact for Sauvignon Blanc – “an unconventional approach for this variety” – and whole-cluster pressing. The producer has also moved away from stainless steel, “which tends to be colder and more linear”, and towards untoasted foudres, 400-litre barrels and concrete vats. It is also focusing on lees work, resulting in “more complex musts and wines with enhanced mouthfeel and depth”. All of this, Navarette says, has been done to achieve “greater texture and concentration in our whites”.
On the other side of the Andes, Susana Balbo credits improved texture as one of the main factors behind an uptick in gastronomic whites. She highlights that, while some wines “may not be as fruity or expressive on the nose, they have a strong and distinct personality in the mouth; more weight and texture on the palate”.
Balbo is embarking on this pursuit of texture by planting at higher altitudes, such as in the mountainous San Pablo, at 1,600m above sea level. “There, we are getting wines with texture and complexity that have us very excited,” she says. However, the shorter vegetative period in these vineyards brings a high risk of frost, forcing Balbo to “develop a complex system involving under-vine irrigation and other techniques to avoid losing the crop”. She believes the effort is worth it: “We are able to offer unique whites with wonderful texture and complexity, which will form part of exciting new releases in the coming years,” she tells db.
Meanwhile, Spain’s J García Carrión prioritises “textural elegance” in its white wines, looking for “vibrancy without sharpness” and “structure without heaviness”, according to vice president Luciano García Carrión, who pinpoints the “velvety mouthfeel” of its Verdejo.
In South Africa, whites at Spier Wine Farm are similarly characterised by their “rich mouthfeel, with layers of complexity that unfold beautifully”. According to cellarmaster Johan Jordaan, “we’ve seen how alcohol content influences mouthfeel and balance, so we work with both ripe and fresher components to craft wines that are harmonious and expressive, without being heavy”.
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