Brian Nagele
If you care about your cooking, you will of course want to use the very best ingredients in your dishes. So when it comes to choosing a white wine to cook with, it will be very important to opt for a bottle that you would be happy to enjoy on its own. Just because cheaper cooking wines have been designed with that in mind doesn’t mean that you should settle for less.
To get the very best out of your favorite dishes, you will need to use the very best white wines that you can find. We’ve decided to help you in your quest and selected the 8 best white wines for cooking. You’ll be able to get the very best flavors from your dishes if you opt for one of the wines that we have covered in more detail down below.
So let’s take a look at the best white wines for cooking!
Attems Cupra Ramato Pinot Grigio
The Attems Cupra Ramato Pinot Grigio easily earns our spot of top pick. This particular white wine ranked well in our testing, mostly because of its wonderful versatility. The Attems Cupra Ramato Pinot Grigio is a light, crisp, dry white wine that can be used for a wide variety of dishes. It works particularly well with seafood, risotto, or red meat dishes.
You’ll get notes of black cherry and raspberry from this Pinot Grigio. There are hints of mushroom, umami, and brown spice on the palate to finish. This Italian wine is perfect for cooking your favorite dishes.
One of the best things about this Attems Cupra Ramato Pinot Grigio of course is that you can enjoy a cool glass alongside your meal. This white wine works best with seafood dishes, as well as salads and fresh greens.
Zio Baffa Pinot Grigio
Another fantastic Pinot Grigio to opt for is the Zio Baffa Pinot Grigio. This white wine has a more neutral flavor profile than oaky Chardonnays, so makes the perfect fit for cooking. This particular white wine is grown, harvested, and manufactured on the Italian slopes surrounding the Mediterranean sea, ensuring that it has the best flavors possible.
When testing this white wine, we noticed a flavor profile that featured citrus notes, crisp apple, stone fruit, and pickled ginger. The crispness of the wine leant itself well to cooking, especially when it came to vegetarian dishes. However, this is a wonderfully versatile Pinot Grigio that can be used in a variety of dishes.
If you want to enjoy a glass of this Pinot Grigio alongside your meals, it will pair well with salads and shellfish dishes.
Pascal Jolivet Attitude Sauvignon Blanc
Searching for a more acidic flavor profile from your white wine to use for cooking your favorite dishes? Then the Pascal Jolivet Attitude Sauvignon Blanc should be your top choice. This particular Sauvignon Blanc has been crafted in France, so you can rest assured that you are getting a quality bottle of white wine.
When testing this particular white wine for cooking, we discovered that it worked best with seafood and fish dishes, as well as dishes that needed the natural acidity to balance its flavor profile. This Sauvignon Blanc also works well with grilled meat dishes, such as lamb. We’d recommend avoiding using this white wine with spicy dishes.
If you were to try this wine in a glass on its own, you’ll get notes of green apple, citrus, as well as a lingering minerality. You can pair a cool, crisp glass of this wine with chicken, fish, seafood, as well as cheese and salad dishes.
Domaine de la Poultiere-Pinon Vouvray Sec Tuffo
Looking for a top quality white wine that will blend well with a variety of both sweet and savory dishes? Then you should opt for the Domaine de la Poultiere-Pinon Vouvray Sec Tuffo. This particular white wine is a Chenin Blanc, which is a wonderfully versatile white wine in terms of flavor and acidity.
We found that this Chenin Blanc worked best with fish dishes when we tested it. It also works very well with dessert dishes because of its fantastic versatility. This dry white wine will give your dishes the refreshing twist that you’re after. Thanks to the fruity notes of the wine, it also works well with dessert dishes.
To enjoy a glass of this Chenin Blanc alongside your food, you should pair it with Asian dishes such as sweet and sour pork. It complements pork, chicken, and turkey dishes well. You’ll get notes of peaches, pineapple, and pear from this Chenin Blanc with a minerality finish.
Prophecy Pinot Grigio
The Prophecy Pinot Grigio is another wonderfully versatile white wine that you can use in a variety of dishes. This particular white wine features a more neutral flavor profile compared to oaky Chardonnays and sweet Rieslings. This Prophecy Pinot Grigio is one of the very best Pinot Grigios that Italy has to offer.
When we tested this Pinot Grigio in the kitchen, we found that it worked best with chicken and seafood dishes. Its more neutral flavor profile allowed the gentler ingredients to shine through, ensuring that you got the very best flavor from your recipes.
This is a wonderfully versatile light-bodied dry Pinot Grigio that you can enjoy a cool glass of alongside your main meals. It pairs well with cured meats such as prosciutto, poultry, seafood, fish, as well as mild cheeses. You’ll get notes of tropical fruit and citrus, as well as a minerality finish.
Hacienda De Arinzano Chardonnay
If you want a rich white wine that can impart its best flavors into your dishes, then you should opt for the Hacienda De Arinzano Chardonnay. This particular Chardonnay hails from Spain, giving you some classic Mediterranean flavors to add to your dishes. It is a full bodied, dry white wine that lends itself well to cooking.
We discovered that this Chardonnay paired well when used with risottos, chicken dishes, and fatty fish dishes. It enriched the dishes we made using this white wine without completely overwhelming the flavors.
You’ll notice a fresh, fruity bouquet of aromas with this white wine. You can also pair it with shellfish, fish, and cheese dishes.
Dreissigacker Riesling Trocken Rheinessen
Normally we would recommend avoiding sweeter wines such as Riesling when it comes to cooking. However, not all Riesling wines are sweet, which means this Dreissigacker Riesling Trocken Rheinessen is the perfect fit for using in some of your favorite dishes.
When we tested this white wine in the kitchen, we found that it worked well with chicken dishes. There’s no excess sweetness to this wine, and it features a natural acidity that works well with poultry. This white wine will even stand up well when used to make certain sauces.
Enjoy a glass of this Dreissigacker Riesling Trocken Rheinessen alongside game bird, duck, and cheese dishes. You’ll get notes of black pepper and blackberry on the palate when tasting this particular white wine.
Dry Creek Chenin Blanc
Last but not least is the Dry Creek Chenin Blanc. This particular white wine gives you the bold acidity that you need to make some of your favorite dishes with more noticeable flavors. It is one of the finest Chenin Blancs from California.
On testing this Chenin Blanc in the kitchen, we found that it paired best with dishes that needed more of an acidic touch. Think dishes with heavy cream or creamy sauces, or that feature fish as the main ingredient.
This Chenin Blanc can also be enjoyed on its own alongside your main meals. The Dry Creek Chenin Blanc gives you notes of cantaloupe, white peach, lavender, and melon. It pairs well with seafood, salads, and fresh greens.
How to Choose the Best White Wine for Cooking
There are several factors that you will need to consider when it comes to choosing the best white wine for your dishes.
You should opt for a white wine that is dry and has a higher acidity level. You should typically avoid using sweet white wines such as riesling unless you are making desserts, as the sweetness will alter the flavor profile of your dish. A crisp, dry white wine will blend better with a variety of ingredients.
We would recommend avoiding oaky white wines if possible. This is because during the cooking process, this oakiness can turn quite bitter. Which will of course impact on the flavor of your dish. So if you want to choose a Chardonnay, make sure it’s not the oaky variety.
Another factor to consider is opting for a white wine that has a lower alcohol content. This is so that you can avoid overwhelming the flavors of your dish. By opting for a white wine that has a lower alcohol content of around 12.5% ABV, you will get the very best out of your white wine.
And lastly, just as you shouldn’t opt for the cheapest bottle of white wine that you find, you also shouldn’t opt for one of the pricier bottles on the market. This is of course because the alcohol will burn off during the cooking process, and you won’t be able to appreciate some of the more nuanced flavors in the wine itself. You will be better off opting for a bottle in the $10 to $20 region if you want a quality bottle of white wine for cooking.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Best White Wine to Cook With?
In our extensive tests, the Attems Cupra Ramato Pinot Grigio easily ranked as the top white wine for cooking. This white wine is wonderfully versatile and blends well with a variety of ingredients.
Which White Wine is Better for Cooking: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc?
Trying to choose between Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc for cooking can be a real challenge. So you may be wondering which of the three varieties of wine is the best one for cooking. It’s important to note that it will depend on what exactly you are cooking.
Pinot Grigio has a more neutral flavor profile than Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc. This means it is much more versatile than other types of wine because you won’t have to worry about any strong flavors influencing the wine itself.
Sauvignon Blanc on the other hand has a much more noticeable acidity in terms of flavor. This natural acidity lends itself well to dishes that need a lot of cream or feature seafood as one of the main ingredients.
Chardonnay on the other hand is one of the richest wines in terms of flavor. So if you want to add a certain richness to your dish, this is the white wine that you should opt for.
Ultimately it will depend on your personal preferences, the dish you are cooking, and the results that you are after. Out of all the types of wines on the market, you should choose a crisp, dry white wine for cooking. This will give you a more neutral flavor profile that will blend well with a variety of ingredients.
So there you have it! You now know the best types of white wine to use with cooking. Ultimately, you should opt for a crisp, dry white wine that will complement the flavors of your individual ingredients. A Pinot Grigio is a solid choice because of its neutral flavor.
You should also ensure that you only ever opt for a white wine that you would be happy to enjoy on its own. This is because if you use a lesser quality white wine, it will mean that your dish won’t taste as nice. So you should always opt for the best ingredients possible, and this of course includes the white wine that you use.
