The 30 Best White Wines for 2026

2025 was just the beginning — the white wine craze is officially hitting its stride in 2026. And we’re moving beyond the standard straw and lemon tones as drinkers embrace the incredible diversity this category has to offer.

Here at VinePair, we love that white wine is finally getting its moment in the sun. We spend all year tasting dynamic expressions from around the world, so we compiled a list of the bottles we think you should really check out. This roundup includes everything from aromatic German Rieslings to crisp Sauvignon Blancs from Touraine and complex Chardonnays from across the U.S. Plus some special appearances by Grenache Blanc and Petit Manseng. (We even snuck a few skin-contact expressions onto the list.)

Read on to discover 30 of the best white wines to drink in 2026.

Why You Should Trust VinePair

Throughout the year, VinePair conducts dozens of tastings for our Buy This Booze product roundups, highlighting the best bottles across the world’s most popular wine and spirits categories.

As part of this work, VinePair’s tasting and editorial staff samples thousands of bottles every year. This helps us keep a finger on the pulse of what’s new and exciting. It also provides us with the crucial context needed to distinguish the simply good from the truly great — whether from a quality or value-for-money perspective, or both.

VinePair’s mission is to offer a clear, reliable source of information for drinkers, providing an overview applicable to day-to-day buying and drinking.

How We Taste

We believe in tasting all products as our readers typically would: with full knowledge of the producer and — importantly — price. Our tastings are therefore not conducted blind.

VinePair’s tasting panel evaluates every wine on its aromas, flavors, structure, balance, and quality. We also consider whether or not the wine showed typicity for its specific grape or region.

How We Compiled This List

For the best white wines roundup, our tastings department reviewed the wines that were featured across VinePair’s buying guides throughout the year and compiled a list of the bottles that showcase the best of what white wine has to offer this year. We also considered what each wine brought to the table based on quality, value, regional diversity, and availability in the U.S. to ensure a comprehensive selection.

Best White Wines Under $25

Domaine La Grange Tiphaine Trinqu’âmes 2024

This Sauvignon Blanc from Touraine in the Loire Valley brings so much more depth and complexity than the typical quaffable Savvy B. It’s honeyed on the nose, with an undercurrant of river rock minerality. The palate brings round fruit notes including grapefruit, green mango, and pineapple. A hint of ginger adds an extra kick on the finish. Trinqu’âmes means “Let’s toast to our souls.” So metal.

Average price: $21
Rating: 93

Dr. Bürklin-Wolf Hommage à Luise Riesling 2024

This is a German Riesling from the Pfalz region, sourced from vineyards cooled by a nearby forest. It’s wonderfully juicy and supple, with just enough grip at the edges to keep it perfectly balanced. Simply delicious.

Average price: $23
Rating: 94

Forlorn Hope Queen of the Sierra Amber 2023

Amber (or orange) wine is officially part of our drinking culture. An ancient idea in our modern world, these are white wines made like red wines — macerating the grape juice on the skins to add layers of color, texture, and tannin to the wine. This is one of our favorites we continue to go back to. The blend is wild — Verdelho, Albariño, Muscat, and Chardonnay (plus small percentages of a few other grapes) from California’s Sierra Foothills — and the result is spectacular. It offers notes of orchard fruit, tea, white flowers, cardamom, and ginger. The palate has a rich core of fruit with a grippy tannic texture that makes it wonderfully food-friendly.

Average price: $25
Rating: 94

Paritua ‘Stone Paddock’ Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Follow us to the North Island of New Zealand. This Savvy B isn’t from the country’s famed Marlborough region, but rather the gravelly soils of Hawkes Bay. The wine is mineral-driven, but still delivers loads of character with notes of grapefruit, peaches, and green bell pepper.

Average price: $25
Rating: 94

Three Brothers Wineries and Estates Riesling Clone #110 2024

New York’s Finger Lakes region has become the center of Riesling in the U.S. — and for good reason. This cool climate zone has been a testing ground for the variety for five decades or so with compelling results like this clone-specific expression. It offers a sophisticated nose of minerals and white flowers, accented by notes of aloe, honey, and sliced apples. The mouthfeel is exceptionally balanced, featuring focused fruit and a bracing acidity that leads to a perfect, medium-bodied finish.

Average price: $25
Rating: 94

Best White Wines Under $50

Iberieli Cecilia 2021

In the region of Kakheti in the Republic of Georgia, making skin-contact wine has been a practice for about 8,000 years or so. We get to sip these wines today as generations of winemakers here draw from the skill of their ancestors. This skin-contact blend of local grapes Rkatsiteli and Mtsvane is an excellent example of the Georgian tradition. It’s full of spiced citrus, ginger, and honey notes, and the depth of fruit is wonderfully balanced by a grippy structure.

Average price: $28
Rating: 94

CrossKeys Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2024

If you’re a longtime VinePair reader, you’re probably familiar with our love for Virginia wine. We’ve been writing about this region for almost a decade now, and still constantly find new wineries to celebrate. CrossKeys came through our tasting room for the first time last year and we’re glad it did. Calm and crisp from the Shenandoah Valley, this wine has a nose of fresh grass, green apples, and ginger. Juicy citrus notes on the palate are balanced by a quenching acidity.

Average price: $28
Rating: 93

Domaine Bellegarde Pierre Blanche Jurançon Sec 2023

Wine curiosity will often reward an adventurous palate with something new, special, and awesome. This is one of those wines. It’s from the Jurançon region in southwest France, made with two local grapes: Petit Manseng and Gros Manseng. It offers complex notes of baked yellow apples, waxy green apples, lemon curd, and salted nuts. It’s textured, slightly oxidative (in the best way), and begging for some stinky cheese.

Average price: $30
Rating: 96

Passerelles Touraine Oisly 2023

Just west of Sancerre is the large region of Touraine. On our market it is known for easy-drinking wines not complicated by complexity. So to see this single-commune bottling from the Oisly zone was a pleasant surprise, and it shows just how complex Touraine can be. Juicy notes of freshly squeezed grapefruit, lemon and lime zest, and green apples fill the nose and palate, accented by a flinty minerality.

Average price: $30
Rating: 95

Novella Petit Manseng 2024

The debut vintage from sommeliers-turned-winemakers Jen Anderson and Karl Kuhn, this Petit Manseng from Virginia is a wonderful expression of the variety. Aromas of candied orange peel and fleshy peach meet a bright pop of lemon cream on the nose. The palate showcases the grape’s signature depth and a hint of oxidative character, yet remains remarkably vibrant and lively—a testament to the winemaking talent now working in the Commonwealth State.

Average price: $30
Rating: 94

Wölffer Estate Vineyard Antonov Sauvignon Blanc 2022

This Long Island Sauvignon Blanc is a master class in balance. The acid and fruit each get their moment in the spotlight, alternating between crisp green apples, juicy citrus, and stony minerals.

Average price: $32
Rating: 94

Âmevive Grenache Blanc 2024

Grenache Blanc produces beautifully textured wines. And Santa Barbara’s sunny, breezy climate appeals to its inherent character. Warm days and cool nights bring both depth and balance. Stone fruit, citrus zest, and marzipan fill the nose and the palate brings a complex rounded texture, followed by a lingering saline minerality.

Average price: $32
Rating: 94

Henschke Peggy’s Hill Riesling 2024

Eden Valley is a small region in South Australia known for its dry, high-acid expressions of Riesling. This bottling from the area delivers a focused nose of minerals, white pepper, and sliced pears. The palate is flawlessly balanced between fruit and acid, offering a medium depth and a precise structure where every element is perfectly aligned.

Average price: $33
Rating: 94

Meadowlark North Fork by Macari Vineyards ‘Wild Ferment’ Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Legendary Long Island-based winery Macari recently launched Meadowlark, it’s experimental, small-batch project. This “wild ferment” wine is a vibrant expression of Sauvignon Blanc, bursting with juicy pink grapefruit notes. The finish brings zippy acidity and an oceanic, oyster shell minerality.

Average price: $34
Rating: 93

Jermann Pinot Grigio 2024

Coming from the bucolic rolling hills of Italy’s Friuli region, just a stone’s throw from Slovenia, this Pinot Grigio is absolutely delicious. Delicate notes of lemon, white flowers, and orange zest fill the nose. The palate is delicate, but with a creamy texture.

Average price: $35
Rating: 94

Hillick & Hobbs Estate Dry Riesling 2023

Just gotta say it. This wine is stunning. It is a Riesling from the Finger Lakes that masters subtly while showing depth and complexity simultaneously. It’s elegant and balanced and a wine you can share with friends who may not reach for a Riesling normally. It’s that good. The nose welcomes you with roasted apples, fresh herbs, and lemon curd. On the palate, concentrated fruit notes are perfectly balanced by bright acidity.

Average price: $35
Rating: 95

Old Westminster Winery Terracotta 2023

The Old Line State has entered the national wine conversation. Old Westminster Winery is a perfect example of how winemakers with humility and incredible skill listen to their land, plant what works, and make wonderful wine. This wine is spectacular and will pair with just about any meal you put on the table. It’s a skin-contact blend of Pinot Blanc and Muscat and is a savory package of awesome. Layers of grapefruit, fennel, honey, and ginger emerge across the nose and palate. The mouthfeel is textured and grippy.

Average price: $36
Rating: 95

Sweet Cheeks Winery Oak Hill Reserve Pinot Gris 2022

In the U.S., winemakers can either use the French “Pinot Gris,” or Italian “Pinot Grigio” to describe a wine made from this classic grape. Whichever term they use typically depends on style, and this is a great example of a French-leaning, Pinot Gris-style wine. Rather than lean and delicate, this wine is weighty and round, with a 13.5 percent ABV and a waxy texture. But this heft is beautifully balanced by bright notes of orchard fruit and white flowers.

Average price: $38
Rating: 93

Schäfer-Fröhlich Vulkangestein Riesling 2022

Vulkangestein is the German word for “volcanic rock,” which perfectly captures the mineral intensity of this wine. This wine is made from a plot of older vines in Germany’s Nahe region, giving it a more concentrated, intense flavor profile. Aromas of petrol and crushed river rock lead into a bright citrus-floral bouquet. The mouthfeel is beautifully balanced — vibrant and round, with a lingering, stony finish.

Average price: $40
Rating: 94

Linden Vineyards Hardscrabble Chardonnay 2020

Linden is one of the Virginia wineries that proved great wine can be made in the Commonwealth State. Since the ’80s, owner Jim Law has been stewarding these vines and creating age-worthy, structured wine. This Chardonnay from the high-elevation Hardscrabble vineyard is a prime example of how stunning wines from these rolling hills can be. Beeswax, minerals, and sizzling herbs waft up on the nose. The palate has rich, rounded fruit notes with hints of vanilla and spice.

Average price: $48
Rating: 98

Matthiasson Wines Ribolla Gialla 2022

Skin-contact expressions of Ribolla Gialla are common in northeastern Italy and Slovenia — but in Napa? Not really. That’s why we were so thrilled to see this bottling from Napa’s beloved Matthiasson. This take on Ribolla Gialla presents with a deep amber color in the glass. Aromas of honey and ginger pop on the nose. The palate offers deep notes of spiced citrus, pepper, and apricots and a firm tannic structure.

Average price: $49
Rating: 94

Chateau Montelena Sauvignon Blanc 2023

This winery’s attention to detail is in every bottle, not just the wines that brought it fame. This Sauvignon Blanc is expertly focused with aromas of lemongrass, salty bistro butter, and tropical fruit on the nose. The palate is beautifully balanced, seamlessly weaving between acidity and fruit.

Average price: $50
Rating: 95

Best White Wines Under $100

Crimson Lane Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Just up the road from Linden Vineyards in Fauquier County, Va., is Crimson Lane, which sits at over 1,000 feet above sea level. This wine is absolutely a reflection of its sense of place and the team’s excellent winemaking skills. A crisp expression of Sauvignon Blanc, it brings bright notes of fresh citrus, pears, and crunchy green peppers.

Average price: $54
Rating: 93

Soter Vineyards Estates Chardonnay 2022

The Willamette Valley is entering a new era. It’s the Chardonnay era. This variety is currently on fire in the region, showing a new style for the American palate with depth, grip, and minerality. This expression from Soter Vineyards shows great balance between the richness and acidity with notes of salty bistro butter, vanilla, apples, herbs, and slate.

Average price: $60
Rating: 97

Reeve Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay 2022

In the world of California Chard, can we normalize the term coastal Chardonnay? This wine from the Sonoma Coast’s Heintz Vineyard is a great example of this variety’s ability to really show off its depth and complexity while being extremely refreshing. It hits like sweet Meyer lemons drizzled in honey and sprinkled with salt on the nose. The palate has depth, with a creamy texture and rounded fruit notes, backed by that refreshing, coastal acidity.

Average price: $74
Rating: 95

SOM Wines Eola Springs Vineyard Chardonnay 2023

SOM (State of Mind) is a new label from a collective of wine pros based in the Willamette Valley. We’re a fan of the project, and particularly of its crisp, expressive Chardonnay. This wine sees 100 percent new French oak, but you wouldn’t know it by sipping it. Sure it has depth, but there’s something bigger happening here. It has razor-sharp acidity and a stunning, chalky minerality that lifts the entire wine on the palate.

Average price: $75
Rating: 94

Apollo’s Praise The Knoll Dry Riesling 2024

This wine has one hell of a personality. Sourced from a small sandstone hill on Seneca Lake nicknamed “The Knoll,” this bottling has a great concentration of flavor. Notes of juicy peaches, grapefruit, and rose petals are complemented by a spritzy, sea spray minerality on the finish.

Average price: $75
Rating: 92

Early Mountain Vineyards Quaker Run Chardonnay 2021

While up north in Linden Vineyards, as owner Jim Law is crafting age-worthy Chardonnays, less than an hour south in the Monticello AVA winemaker Maya Hood White is doing the same but in different terroir, showing the diversity of Virginia wine. This is a generous expression of Chardonnay, with orchard fruit notes accented with rich hints of vanilla and spice.

Average price: $85
Rating: 94

Best White Wines Over $100

Ökonomierat Rebholz Kastanienbusch Riesling GG 2023

This bottling from Germany’s Pfalz region offers concentrated and complex expression of Riesling. It’s a deep gold color in the glass, with aromatic notes of white flowers, five spice, and ginger on the nose. The palate is bold and deep, with tropical fruit flavors lifted by bright lemon and lime accents.

Average price: $140
Rating: 95

FAQs

What is the most popular white wine?

Chardonnay is one one of the most popular white wines in the world. Even though its home is in the renowned region of Burgundy, high-quality expressions of Chardonnay are now produced all around the world, from California to Oregon and from Australia to Italy. Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio are also some of the most popular white wines in the world.

What’s the best white wine for beginners?

Sauvignon Blanc is a great introduction to white wine. It has expressive fruit aromas and a nice acidity that make it approachable and easy to drink.

The article The 30 Best White Wines for 2026 appeared first on VinePair.