10 Most Popular German White Wine Styles (Best Bottles To Buy Now)

German white wine bottles are reputed for their brilliant acidity, and delicious, fruity flavors. What’s more intriguing about these whites, is that they’re age-worthy as well.

Interestingly, white wine accounts for two-thirds of the total wine production in the country. 

Let’s explore the German wine region and discover the top 10 German white wine styles (including the best bottles) and their investment potential.

10 Most Popular German White Wine Styles (Including 20 Best Bottles to Buy)

Here are Germany’s finest white wines, including the best bottles to try. 

1. Riesling

Believed to have originated near the Rhine river, the Riesling grape variety covers almost a quarter of all German vineyard sites - primarily Pfalz and Mosel. 

Mosel’s regional climate allows the Riesling white wine grapes to produce crisp and light-bodied wines with mineral notes. Meanwhile, Pfalz is a warmer region that has broad, rich, and full-bodied wines.

The Riesling grape is sensitive to gray rot, which can result in an early grape drop.

This versatile, age-worthy grape produces dry, off-dry, sweet, still, and sparkling wines with floral aromas, high acidity, crisp minerality, and tropical fruit flavors.

Best Riesling Wines:

• 1959 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese ($29,259): This sweet wine has bright acidity, citrus aromas, and apricot, white peach, and lemon flavors. 
• 1971 Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Riesling Beerenauslese ($8,042): Another sweet wine, the 1971 Egon Muller has floral aromas, mild acidity, and apricot, honey, and orange rind notes.

2. Muller Thurgau

Muller Thurgau is the second most planted and one of the finest white wine grapes from this wine growing region. It’s a crossing between the Riesling grape and the Madeleine Royale table grape. 

This grape is planted mainly in Rheinhessen, Baden, and Palatinate and thrives in well-drained soils.

Muller Thurgau wines can be dry or sweet. You can even get your hands on a Thurgau sparkling wine with typical floral aromas, mild acidity, and crunchy, phenolic bitterness. 

Muller Thurgau reaches maximum ripeness early and is also used in the semi-sweet Liebfraumilch white wine.

Best Muller Thurgau Wines:

• 2019 Staffelter Hof - Jan Matthias Klein It’s Muller Time Sandersstruck ($29): This remarkable orange wine boasts crisp acidity, white flower aromas, and citrus, peach, and apple notes.

• 2018 Weingut Von Oetinger Jott Alte Reben ($19): This fine wine has brilliant acidity, peach and apricot flavors, and apple, lemon, and white melon notes.

3. Pinot Gris (Grauburgunder)

Pinot Gris is a mutation of the Pinot Noir red grape. It thrives in deep, well-drained vineyard soils of Rheinhessen, Baden, and Pfalz.

German Pinot Gris wines are typically characterized by remarkable acidity and pear, almond, and pineapple notes.

Depending on how the winemaker crafts the wine, Pinot Gris can be dry or sweet.

The German wine label on a dry wine with no residual sugar will read “Grauburgunder.” Meanwhile, the wine label on the sweet and fragrant Pinot Gris will read “Ruländer.”

Best Pinot Gris Wines:

• 2017 Weingut Salwey Oberrotweiler Eichberg Grauburgunder Grosses Gewachs ($37): This German wine shines with a golden-yellow color, a rich character, nutty aromas, and subtle peach, melon, and apple notes.

• 2019 Weingut Friedrich Becker Kalkmergel Grauburgunder Trocken ($20): This German wine has excellent acidity, floral aromas, and spice, yellow fruit, and orange rind notes.

4. Pinot Blanc (Weissburgunder)

The Pinot Blanc grape variety is a white mutation of Pinot Gris (while Pinot Gris is a mutation of Pinot Noir.) This grape is planted mainly in Baden, Rheinhessen, and Pfalz.

Pinot Blanc ripens late, thrives in chalky soil, and is quite sensitive to vineyard diseases like chlorosis. 

German Pinot Blanc wines can be dry, off-dry, sweet, or sparkling with floral aromas, brilliant acidity, and citrus fruit flavors.

Best Pinot Blanc Wines:

• 2012 Okonomierat Rebholz ‘Im Sonnenschein’ Weissburgunder Grosses Gewachs ($74): This Pinot Blanc wine has brilliant freshness, full-bodied richness, floral aromas, and peach, green apple, and lime notes.

• 2016 Weingut Rudolf Furst Pur Mineral Weissburgunder Trocken ($25): This Pinot Blanc wine has brilliant acidity, crisp minerality, citrus fruit and floral aromas, and herbal, spice, and peach notes.

5. Silvaner

Silvaner is a versatile German wine that can be produced as dry, off-dry, and sweet wine with an oily texture, racy acidity, floral aroma, and citrus fruit notes.

German winemakers love the Silvaner grape because of its early-ripening properties, which protect it from frost damage. It is also less fussy about vineyard selection. 

Best Silvaner Wines:

• 2019 Konni & Evi Silvaner Saale-Unstrut ($48): This German wine has white flower aromas, peach and apple flavors, and citrus fruit, herbal, and grassy notes.

• 2020 Weingut Rainer Sauer Escherndorfer Lump Silvaner Trocken ($18): This dry wine has lively acidity, floral aromas, and yellow fruit, apricot, spice, and peach notes.

6. Sauvignon Blanc

Germany also produces crisp, dry whites from the French white wine grape, Sauvignon Blanc.

German Sauvignon Blanc wines typically have brilliant acidity, fresh grass aromas, and green fruit, gooseberry, and herb notes.

Best Sauvignon Blanc Wines:

• 2017 Von Winning ‘500’ Sauvignon Blanc ($51): This German wine has citrus fruit, apple, and pear aromas, and white fruit, peach, vanilla, and hay flavors.

• 2015 Markus Schneider Kaitui Sauvignon Blanc Fume ($25): This wine has fine minerality, golden plum flavors, and vanilla, spice, and exotic fruit notes.

7. Chardonnay

The famous Chardonnay grape variety has established itself in the Palatinate and Rheinhessen regions of Germany. 

Chardonnay grape vines grown on the limestone soils of Germany produces dry, off-dry, sweet, and sparkling wine styles with crisp minerality, fine acidity, and rich, fruity notes.

Best Chardonnay Wines:

• 2015 Weingut Friedrich Becker Mineral Chardonnay ($57): This wine has racy acidity, vanilla flavors, and smoke, spice, and stone fruit notes.

• 2014 Okonomierat Rebholz ‘R Hansjorg Rebholz’ Chardonnay Spatlese Trocken ($49): This Spatlese wine is made from fully ripe grapes and has fine minerality, white flower aromas, and spice notes.

8. Chasselas (Gutedel)

Chasselas is a table and wine grape planted mainly in Germany’s Baden wine region. 

This early-ripening wine grape produces dry, full-bodied, easy-drinking wines with low acidity, melon-like flavors, and spice notes.

Best Chasselas Wines:

• 2018 Weingut Ziereisen Steingrüble Gutedel ($19): This high quality wine has crisp acidity, fine minerality, and spice, apricot, lemon, and vanilla notes.

• 2018 Fritz Wassmer Gutedel ($10): This fine wine has golden fruit flavors and subtle peach, spice, hazelnut, and vanilla notes.

9. Kerner

Kerner is a native German grape produced by crossing Riesling and the Trollinger grape varieties. It’s planted mainly in Palatinate, Rheinhessen, Mosel, and Württemberg.

Kerner can be a dry, off-dry, or sweet wine with citrus characteristics, floral aromas, mild acidity, and spice notes.

Best Kerner Wines:

• 1975 Weingut Furst zu Hohenlohe-Oehringen Verrenberger ‘Verrenberg’ Kerner Auslese ($45): This high quality wine has racy acidity, vanilla flavors, and apricot, pear, and almond aromas.

• 2020 Pieroth Blue Burg Layer Schlosskapelle Kerner Spatlese ($44): This delicate Spatlese wine is made from the finest, fully ripe grapes. It boasts racy acidity, crisp minerality, vanilla aromas, and yellow fruit flavors. 

10. Scheurebe

The Scheurebe white wine grape is a crossing of Bukettrebe and Riesling mostly planted in Pfalz, Rheinhessen, Nahe, and Franken.

Scheurebe wines can range from bone dry to lusciously sweet. They are typically characterized by floral aromas, pronounced acidity, herbal flavors, and spicy notes with less acidity than Riesling.

Best Scheurebe Wines:

• 2018 Weingut Pfeffingen Ungsteiner Herrenberg Scheurebe Auslese ($37): This Auslese wine has a refreshing acidity, orange and dried apricot aromas, and vanilla notes.

• 2019 Weingut Hans Wirsching Iphofer Kronsberg Alte Reben Scheurebe Trocken ($18): This light-golden dry wine has jasmine aromas and tropical fruit, cassis, and gooseberry notes.

Is German White Wine Investment-Worthy?

German white wine production has increased tremendously - thanks to their rapidly growing popularity. 

But, when it comes to investment wines, it’s German Riesling wines that take the spotlight - thanks to their finesse and age-worthiness. You can cellar a dry Riesling for 5-15 years, a semi-sweet Riesling for 20+ years, and a sweet German Riesling for 30+ years.

When it comes to sweet Riesling wines, you’ll find remarkable quality in the Auslese wines, Spatlese wines, Beerenauslese wines, and Kabinett wines. 

Interestingly, wine critic James Suckling’s best 100 wines for 2020 included 12 German Riesling bottles. Seven of these were dry Riesling wines, while five were sweet bottles.

If you’re looking to invest in German Riesling and other fine wine bottles, it’s best to do it through a reliable wine investment company, like Vinovest.

Enjoy A Delicate German White Wine Now

If you’re a white wine fanatic, then you’ve got to explore the world of luscious German white wines! Whether it’s a Riesling, Silvaner, or Muller Thurgau, you’ll be mesmerized with its brilliant flavors once you take a sip.

Also, sign up with Vinovest to build a collection of fine wine bottles. It is the easiest way to buy, store, and sell authentic Pinot Noir, red wine, sparkling wine, and other fine bottlesfrom across the globe.