Are there distinctive tells that can help differentiate phenolic whites like Albariño / Alvarinho, Grüner Veltliner and Pinot Grigio? We been tasting to find out, read on to see what we discovered.

In our continuing quest to improve as blind tasters we often listen to the great series of podcasts that the Guild of Sommeliers produce on the subject.

In a recent episode the talk touched on the confusion that Albariño, Grüner Veltliner and Pinot Grigio often cause. They are after all, all phenolic grape varieties and structurally similar in a number of ways. The tasters in the podcast each had a slightly different take on what markers they used to differentiate the varieties, so we thought we’d better line up some samples and see if we could root out some ‘tells’ of our own.

Guild Som’ advised assembling samples that show typicity, tasting them against each other no-blind and writing detailed notes to identify both similarities and differences.

In the Blind Tasting episode hosted by Chris Tange and featuring Chris Lara & Torrey Lewis they talked about noticing the textural differences of the wines and spotting the characteristic earthy – radish aromas in Grüner.  

They also talked about impact compounds which are the chemicals responsible for certain wines having distinct types of aromas.  These include Methoxypyrazine (grass and green pepper), Monoterpenes (floral and citric), Rose-cis oxide (rose) Rotundone (pepperiness), Polyfunctional thiols (tropical fruit and box tree).

Here the panel pointed out that Albariño sometimes has floral ‘monoterpenoid’ notes but never peppery ‘rotundone’ note and vice versa Grüner often has peppery rotundones but not obvious floral monoterpenes.

For completeness we also looked at what two of our other ‘go to’ authorities on blind tasting say about the varieties: 

Tim Gaiser is an MS and author of Message in the Bottle who I think it is fair to say takes an aroma led approach to identification but also emphasises what can be learnt from appearance. Nick Jackson MW, author of Beyond Flavour, in contrast emphasises the structure of the wine.

Pinot Grigio. Tim Gaiser Pale – med straw, green, possibly rose/ copper colour.Tart apple, pear, floral, lemon , lees, mineral.Tells: Tart fruit, floral and mineral notes. Nick Jackson Acidity shape is ‘linear and horizontal’ and ‘tingly’.

Albariño Tim Gaiser Straw – green glintsWhite peach, mandarin orange, blossom, herbs, lees, wet stone. Tells: Viognier nose + Reisling structure. Nick Jackson ‘Wall to wall acidity’ on entry, disappears then returns.High level of phenolic grip. Salty character.

Grüner  Veltliner Tim Gaiser Pale to deep yellow with green.Tart green apple/pear, citrus, white pepper (rotundone) herbal veg notes, lentils, mineral. Warmer versions ripe stone fruit.Tells: Herbs, white pepper, lentil. Nick Jackson ‘Roller coaster acidity’, up down then up again, ‘humming’.‘Savoury flavour profile’

What we tasted

We tasted in sequence six wines:  

• Forte Alto Pinot Grigio 2023. IGT Dolomiti.
• Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige DOC St Michael-Eppan
• Pequenos Rebentos Alvarinho, Moncao e Melgaco. 2023
• Bar Bun Tin, Albariño. Rias Baixas. 2023.
• Ebner Ebenauer Grüner Veltliner Poysdorf 2021
• Wachau Werk Grabenwerkstatt Grüner Veltliner 2021.

Full tasting notes are bellow beware they do include a few odd terms as we searched for ways to describe textural and phenolic characteristics.

We then chose one of each variety to taste directly side by side to compare and contrast:

Forte Alto Pinot Grigio 2023. IGT Dolomiti. 12% Lighter intensity, but a cheaper wine, clean floral, fruity, slightly confected in character. Rose water., A sweeter hit than others with a thin line of medium acid. The texture: fine grained and light. A slight ‘lemon pip’ bitterness on the finish.

Pequenos Rebentos Alvarinho, Monção e Melgaço 2023. More colour intensity whilst still pale. More pronounced, salty sea air, cut flowers  (daffodils – monoterpenes?). This floral note is a big difference between it and the Grüner. Lime, apricot. Dry, the acid is still a mouth filling ball, the finish salty and dry. Ripe fruit contrasts with the salty finish. The texture and grip is like fine soft talcum coating the gums and cheeks. Long.

Ebner Ebenauer, Poysdorf 2021 (12%) Pale, much less overtly fruity, the defining character is savoury.  Notes of white pepper, radish, spices and earthiness laying over orchard and stone fruit. It is dry. The acid has a big impact and is tart, it does drop away then rematerializes as a horizontal rod laying on your tongue. Again radish earthy spicy notes. The texture is a spicier grippy sensation across gums and cheeks. Not a hint of florallity.

So what did we discover?

There were distinguishing characteristics in the aromatics, the impact compounds, and the shape of the acidity. They all displayed some phenolic grip but wider tasting will be needed to see if there are consistent textural differences.

The Albariños were also floral, displaying monoterpenes but had a distinct salty quality contrasting with the fruit. The acidity was indeed mouth filling in a different way to the others.

The Grüner Veltliners were not at all floral and displayed classic white peppery ‘rotundone’ notes. The acidity was a different shape, like a horizontal rod lying on your tongue and the perception of it dropped away and reappeared. There were savoury notes fitting with the earthy, lentil and radish descriptions.

The Pinot Grigios were floral, displaying monoterpenes. We did feel the acid as a line from front to back of the palate in contrast with the others.

So each of the tasting approaches certainly had something to offer!

Full tasting notes

Forte Alto Pinot Grigio 2023 – IGT Dolomiti (12%)

• Appearance: Very pale lemon with a green glint. Watery rim.
• Nose: Medium intensity. Aromas of generic blossom ‘air freshener,’ grapefruit with pith, ripe pear, red apple, and melon. A subtle herbal note.
• Palate: Dry, with medium+ acidity, medium body, and lower-end medium alcohol. Well-balanced with a medium finish. The texture offers a fine-grained grip on the cheeks and gums. Palate consistent with the nose, showcasing ripe fruit, but with a slightly stronger, bitter green herb note. The acidity is linear and horizontal, creating an electric, voltage-like sensation that reverberates briefly.

Pinot Grigio, Alto Adige DOC – St. Michael-Eppan (13%)

• Appearance: Very pale lemon with a slight spritz and faint foam – Faulty!
• Nose: Medium intensity but somewhat muted. Aromas of white flowers, grapefruit, ripe pear, and peach, with a hint of spice and white peppery funkiness. A dusty quality slightly masks the aromas.
• Palate: Dry, with medium acidity, medium+ body, and medium alcohol. Slightly more grip on the cheeks. The fruit is more pronounced on the palate but still masked by what looks like some secondary fermentation in the bottle.

Pequenos Rebentos Alvarinho, Monção e Melgaço 2023 (13%)

• Appearance: Slightly richer lemon colour than the Pinot Grigios, but still watery.
• Nose: Medium+ intensity with ripe pear, lemon, lime, floral, white flowers, and just-ripe nectarine. Hints of baguette, wet stone, and briny rock pool.
• Palate: Dry, with high acidity, medium+ body, and medium alcohol. Long finish. The acidity is mouth-filling, expanding across the palate with a noticeable salty tang. The texture is reminiscent of a cotton shirt—firm rather than silky—leaving a persistent soft grip on the cheeks and gums, with lingering fruit flavours.

Bar Bun Tin Albariño, Rías Baixas 2023 (12.5%)

• Appearance: Richer in colour compared to the previous wines.
• Nose: Intense and pronounced yet compact. Aromas of ripe orchard fruit, apricot, melon, banana, sultana, tinned pineapple, and sea spray. A touch of nutmeg adds complexity, with a focus on ripe, concentrated fruit.
• Palate: Dry, with high acidity, full body, and medium alcohol. Again mouth-filling acidity which adds to the wine’s length. The palate reveals more ripe fruit, cake spice, and perhaps a hint of mushroom—suggesting possible botrytis influence. Complex and layered. The texture resembles thicker cloth, with a grippy, mouth-coating feel.

Ebner Ebenauer, Poysdorf 2021 (12%)

• Appearance: Pale and watery, similar to the Pinot Grigios.
• Nose: Not floral or overly fruity. Aromas of ripe yellow apple, pear, peach, and apricot, with earthy spice notes. Hints of radish, lentils, and a slightly heady distillate note.
• Palate: Dry, with medium+ acidity that lies horizontally across the palate. Medium intensity, body, and alcohol, with medium+ length. The orchard fruit is tarter than on the nose, with dominant spice and earthy radish flavours. Definite white pepper and savoury notes. Light texture. The acidity initially hits sharply, gradually fades, then reappears more softly, lingering persistently.

Wachau Werk Grabenwerkstatt 2021 (12%)

• Appearance: Pale, slightly cloudy.
• Nose: Medium+ intensity. Aromas of grapefruit peel, ripe apple, peach, and melon, overlaid with white pepper, earthy spice, and radish. A crayon-like note adds a savoury character.
• Palate: Dry, with high acidity that quickly drops off but resurfaces more softly, hovering in the central palate and resonating. Medium- body and medium alcohol. The fruit is tarter on the palate, with more citrus character than on the nose. Predominantly savoury, with a slightly bitter finish. Notes of wet stone and a powdery grip add texture.