The universe of alternative French whites is significantly broader than for reds and thus offers more opportunities for pairing with food.

The Alsatian region in far northeast France, bordering Germany, has built a traditional reputation for producing very food friendly rich, dry white wines.  However, in recent years, the tendency has been to produce more sweet wine.  The grapes are a mixture of French, German and some exotic varieties.  The four grapes, Gewurztraminer, German Riesling, Pinot Gris and Muscat produced namesake wine that define this region separated from the rest of France by the Vosges mountain range.