California is the world’s fourth-largest wine producer—trailing only Italy, France and Spain—and you can probably guess the white grape whose acreage and production tops all others in the state: Chardonnay. But it wasn’t always this way.

For decades, Chardonnay’s cultivation in California substantially trailed French Colombard, Chenin Blanc, and Riesling. Despite Charles Wetmore’s 1882 plantings of Chardonnay in the Livermore Valley, followed by the Wente family’s cultivation of Chardonnay cuttings from France in the early 1900s, Chardonnay was nearly unheard of in California until 1953, when Hanzell Vineyards planted Chardonnay vines (from Wente cuttings) in the Sonoma Valley. Strange as it may seem, back then there were fewer than 100 acres of Chardonnay planted in North America.

In the ‘60s and ‘70s, the Sangiacomo family, Warren Dutton, and Larry Hyde planted Chardonnay in Carneros and the Russian River Valley, and soon made it famous, selling their grapes to the likes of Aubert, Kongsgaard, Kistler, and Ramey. Suddenly everyone took note. Today, the state has more than 87,000 acres of Chardonnay vines.

California’s myriad microclimates, and Chardonnay’s chameleon-like ability to reflect those climates, means there are a lot of different versions of it, some forgettable, some sublime. In the right hands, California Chardonnay is one of the great wines of the world. (Please don’t get stuck in an Anything But Chardonnay mind loop. That nonsense is older than an iPod.)

Third in acreage—after French Colombard, which really doesn’t go into any wines of note—but definitely second in importance is Sauvignon Blanc. Robert Mondavi Winery has some of the oldest vine cuttings in California within its I Block section of Oakville’s To Kalon Vineyard, planted in the 1940s. The grape’s earliest days in the state can also be traced back to Wetmore and the Livermore Valley of the 1880s, though few will dispute its true homes are in the Napa Valley and Sonoma County.

Most California producers have looked to Bordeaux and the Loire Valley for inspiration, opting to make richer, more complex versions from grapes grown in the right places than compete on acidity and intense grapefruit aromatics. Of course, some California Sauvignon Blanc is best left on the shelf. Know your producers. Better yet, know your appellations and vineyards.

After that, the most commonly planted California whites are Pinot Gris/Grigio (15,000 acres), Riesling (2,944 acres) and Viognier (2,477 acres), which is often blended with other Rhône grapes like Grenache Blanc (581 acres), Roussanne (312), Marsanne (104), and/or Grenache Gris (not enough to count).

And don’t forget Chenin Blanc (3,775 acres), a once-common grape in California. Through the 1970s, Chenin was still the second-most planted white grape in the state, though mostly used for blending into a wine then labeled “Chablis,” or making fairly sweet, insipid wines that nobody really cared about. (Notable exceptions: Chenin bottlings from Chappellet and Inglenook.) A few producers have old-vine Chenin—notably Chalone, in Monterey County, which has plantings dating back to 1919. Today, a loyal coterie of small producers do a good job with Chenin, typically by looking to the Loire Valley for inspiration.

California Chardonnay

If you like cool-climate Chardonnay—where you’re more apt to taste flint, sea spray, and crisp fruit notes than butter or oak—stay close to the coast. The closer to the coast, the cooler the climate. Look for Chardonnay from Anderson Valley, Manchester Ridge, Fort Ross-Seaview, Sonoma Coast, West Sonoma Coast, Green Valley of Russian River, Petaluma Gap, Los Carneros, Santa Cruz Mountains, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. A good chunk of Santa Barbara’s Chardonnay vineyards are coastal as well.

In particular, Chardonnays from West Sonoma Coast, Manchester Ridge, Santa Cruz, Monterey, and Green Valley of Russian River will show more cool-climate refinement and verve. In the right hands, Chardonnay from Carneros, the Russian River Valley, and Santa Barbara/Sta. Rita Hills beautifully balance more richness with acidity.

California Chardonnay Vineyards to Know

Hyde and Hudson, which are both on Napa Valley’s side of Carneros, are deservedly legendary vineyards. In Sonoma County, single-vineyard bottlings from Ritchie, Durell, Dutton, El Diablo, Green Acres, Roberts Road, Silver Eagle, Thieriot, Vine Hill, Martaella, and Charles Heintz vineyards are always worth your while. Farther north in Anderson Valley, look for Ferrington and Savoy. And don’t miss Manchester Ridge, an extreme site right on the rugged Mendocino coast that absorbs the full force of the Pacific Ocean and produces beautiful wines. 

On the Central Coast, the Bentrock, Bien Nacido, La Rinconada, Radian, Rita’s Crown, Rosella’s, Sleepy Hollow, Soberanes, and Sierra Mar vineyards all grow exceptional Chardonnay.

You can’t go wrong with: Aubert; Calera; Donum Estate; Dutton-Goldfield (particularly its Walker Hill Vineyard); Flowers (Camp Meeting Ridge shows a distinct demarcation of site); Hanzell; Hartford Court (its Seascape Vineyard has always been a favorite); Kistler (consistently amazing, and Cuvée Cathleen is especially so); Kongsgaard; Littorai (its Mays Canyon is a must); Lynmar’s Quail Hill Vineyard; Mayacamas; Paul Hobbs’ Richard Dinner Vineyard; Joseph Phelps Freestone; Ramey; Marcassin; Mount Eden; Peter Michael; Ridge; Rochioli; Stony Hill; Williams Selyem (especially its Charles Heintz Vineyard).

Prices for these will hover between $50-$100, with a few—notably Aubert and Kongsgaard—topping $100. Consider this, though: you’re getting a lot of flavor, complexity and sense of place for less money than the average comparably-priced California Cabernet.

Also worth your time: Arista; AXR; Benovia; Brick & Mortar; Ceritas; Cobb; Domaine Anderson; Drew; DuMol; Ferren; The Hilt; Hyde de Villaine; La Pelle; LaRue; Marnet; Maxem; Minus Tide; Newfound; Paul Lato; Peay; Ram’s Gate; Red Car; Roar; Rhys; Sandhi; Sea Smoke; Senses; Small Vines; Three Sticks; Vivier.

California Sauvignon Blanc

Napa Valley and Sonoma County excel at growing this Bordelaise white, sometimes with Sémillon, sometimes not; sometimes barrel-fermented, sometimes not. Vineyard designation is less of a thing with Sauvignon Blanc than it is with Chardonnay, so following a producer’s style is more the way to go.

Napa Valley and Sonoma County grow nearly the same amount of Sauvignon Blanc. But anyone making Sauvignon Blanc in Napa will tell you that it’s an endangered species, as those vines often get pulled out to make room for a more lucrative crop: Cabernet Sauvignon.

This scarcity, and producers’ tendency to put as much work (and oak barrels) into a Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc as they do with a Napa Cabernet can make the wines fairly pricey. Lail’s Georgia Sauvignon Blanc, a beautiful wine made by Philippe Melka, sells for about $170. It’s not the only Napa Sauvignon Blanc you’ll find at that price point.

In Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley remains Sauvignon Blanc’s most important home, though there are lovely plots of SB in Russian River Valley and elsewhere. Napa’s versions tend to look to Bordeaux for inspiration, with barrel impact and richness at their core. Sonoma’s inspiration comes more often from Sancerre, which dials up acidity and mineral-like components in lieu of upfront oak. The average price of a top Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc is also lower, and generally between $40 and $60.

Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc Musts: Adamvs; Aileron; Arkenstone; Clif Family; Cliff Lede; Gamble; Grieve Family; Groth; Hourglass; J.H. Wheeler; La Pelle; Lail; Larkmead; Quintessa’s Illumination; Realm; Rudd; Spottswoode; Vineyard 29. And never sleep on Massican’s Napa Valley sleek Sauvignon Blanc, made in a crisp, low-intensity style.

Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc Musts: Peter Michael’s L’Aprés-Midi and its Sauvignon Blanc-Sémillon blend Coeur à Coeur, both from Knights Valley; Gary Farrell’s Ritchie Vineyard; Rochioli’s estate bottling, from vines planted before its acres of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir and thought to be among California’s oldest plantings of the grape; Merry Edwards’ fruit-forward and juicy example; Shared Notes’ Bordeaux-inspired Les Leçons des Maîtres and Loire-inspired Les Pierres qui Décident.

Other Notable California Whites

Look again to Massican for crisp whites made from Italian grapes like Ribolla Gialla, Tocai Friulano and Malvasia. Idlewild is another good producer for Italian-inspired whites, using grapes grown mostly in Mendocino County. As with any lesser known varieties, these vineyards exist thanks to farmers who are personally committed to growing them, which is both well worth supporting and something you can sense in your glass. One excellent wine created from grapes grown by such a farmer: Randall Grahm’s Popelouchum Estate White, from San Juan Batista in San Benito County, which blends roughly equal parts Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris grown by Grahm himself. 

If you’re seeking Chenin Blanc, the North Coast’s Leo Steen has been a student of the grape for decades and makes three versions from three different sites: his Saini Farms Chenin is made from dry-farmed, 40-plus-year-old vines in Dry Creek Valley. Aperture (from Sonoma County) and T. Berkley (from Mendocino County) also produce good versions. From the Central Coast, you can’t go wrong with Lo-Fi (Santa Barbara), Thacher (Paso Robles), or Lieu Dit (Santa Barbara). 

From Clarksburg, a longtime hotbed for cool-climate Chenin Blanc, Michael Lavelle is a producer to seek, while Napa-based Gamling & McDuck makes a stellar Chenin from Mangels Ranch in Suisun Valley, as well as its evocatively named Poor & in Love Chenin Blanc.

Commendable examples of California whites from Rhône varieties include Donkey & Goat’s Fenaughty Vineyard El Dorado County Grenache Blanc, which bristles in acidity and spicy citrus flavors. Donkey & Goat also makes a Marsanne-Roussanne blend from El Dorado and a Triple Lindy that blends Roussanne, Grüner Veltliner, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay.

Chimney Rock makes an exceptional Sauvignon Gris (from the 1.6 acres of the grape that the winery planted), a relative of Sauvignon Blanc, that is slightly more floral, textured and viscous, while tiny Newfound has an exceptional Sémillon from 60-plus-year-old vines grown on a certified-organic site that evokes the best combination of lemongrass and flint. 

Cliff Lede just released the 2022 Marla Blanc, an estate-driven Sémillon-based blend beautiful in honeysuckle and orange blossom high tones. Amulet Estate’s AE Estate blend of its heritage Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and other white grapes, which tastes of honey, Asian pear, and white flowers.

And if you want to try California-grown Assyrtiko, Tegan Passalacqua of Sandlands makes one from Lodi, from fruit sourced from John and Jeff Perlegos, whose parents immigrated from Greece.