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Weingut Wittman, Rheinhessen

In blind tasting practice and exams there are two sets of grapes that consistently give students nightmares. I call them the “Evil Dwarves.” Each set is populated by grapes easily confused for one other. The first set is made up of semi-aromatic white grapes including Albariño, Grüner Veltliner, Loire Chenin Blanc, Alsace Pinot Gris, Northern Italian Pinot Grigio, and dry Riesling from Alsace or Germany. The other set is comprised of thinner-skinner red grapes such as Pinot Noir, Gamay, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, and Grenache.  

One would think that it wouldn’t be that difficult to tell the various grapes/wines apart. But stop for a moment and think about how similar the fruit qualities are for all the grapes within each set. Add to that the fact that within each group the colors of all the wines can be remarkably similar. Thus, if a student is keying off color and fruit trying to tell the grapes apart it will be an endless nightmare. 

But there is good news in that practically all the grapes have a strong signature in terms of impact compounds such as botrytis, TDN, or phenolic bitterness. Combine these impact compounds with the unique structural profiles of any of the wines (levels of acidity, alcohol, and in the case of red wines tannins) and you have a blueprint to be able to tell classic examples of any of the grapes/wines apart. And that’s a very good thing. So without further ado, here’s a road map to help identify the Evil Dwarves and tell them apart from their brethren. Onward!

Part I: Semi-Aromatic White Grapes

Albariño

Look for: floral (terpenes), ripe-tart fruit, lees contact, stony mineral notes, and no oak

Structure: medium to medium-plus alcohol, medium-plus to high acidity, and phenolic bitterness

Why it’s not:

Grüner Veltliner: Albariño lacks the white pepper or vegetal qualities found in Grüner Veltliner. Smaragd Grüner will also always be a much richer wine than Albariño along with the pepper/vegetal qualities and botrytis notes.

Loire Chenin Blanc: Chenin Blanc, even when dry, often shows botrytis notes and green olive/green herb character as well as pronounced chalky minerality. Structurally Chenin has medium-plus alcohol and high acidity. It also lacks the overt terpenic qualities of Albariño.

Alsace Pinot Gris: Albariño lacks the botrytis notes and phenolic bitterness found in Pinot Gris. Structurally, Pinot Gris has higher alcohol, lower acidity, and often displays residual sugar.

Northern Italian Pinot Grigio: in weight and structure Albariño and Alto Adige Pinot Grigio can be similar, but Pinot Grigio is less terpenic and usually shows wet stone minerality and phenolic bitterness on the finish.

Riesling: the lack of TDN (petrol/fusel/kerosene notes) in Riesling sets it apart from Albariño. Alsace Riesling—especially Grand Cru quality—and German Grosses Gewächs Riesling also tend to be much richer wines with slightly higher alcohol and higher acidity. Finally, the fruit profile in Riesling is also much broader than Albariño with botrytis notes sometimes found in the former even in dry wines.

Grüner Veltliner

Look for: pepper (rotundone), herbal-vegetal notes, stony mineral, and used or no oak

Structure: medium to high alcohol, medium-plus to high acidity, and phenolic bitterness

Considerations: ripeness levels as applied to the Wachau classification (Steinfeder, Federspiel, and Smaragd) or reserve wines from other regions

Why it’s not:

Albariño: pepper/vegetal notes and less overt terpenes.

Loire Chenin Blanc: Chenin will usually be a richer wine with less overt terpenes, chalky minerality, and possible sulfur notes.

Alsace Pinot Gris: no rotundone in Pinot Gris. It will usually be a richer wine with lower acidity, phenolic bitterness, residual sugar, and the possibility of botrytis character. 

Northern Italian Pinot Grigio: can be similar in weight and structure to some lighter Grüner Veltliners but again lacks the pepper/vegetal qualities. Pinot Grigio will also have less phenolic bitterness on the finish.

Riesling: it’s pepper/vegetal qualities of Grüner Veltliner vs. the TDN and possible botrytis notes of Riesling.

Loire Chenin Blanc

Look for: floral (terpenes), possible botrytis character (even in dry wines), chamomile-botanical-herb, chalky minerality, and used or no oak

Structure: medium-to-medium-plus alcohol, medium-plus to high acidity, and phenolic bitterness

Why it’s not:

Albariño: the terpenes set Albariño apart from Chenin.

Grüner Veltliner: Chenin completely lacks the rotundone character found in Grüner Veltliner.

Alsace Pinot Gris: both can show botrytis notes but Pinot Gris will offer more phenolic bitterness and residual sugar on the finish, and have relatively lower acidity.

Northern Italian Pinot Grigio: Loire Chenin will be a richer wine showing chalky minerality and possible sulfur notes.

Riesling: both can show botrytis character but Chenin lacks the TDN of Riesling.

Alsace Pinot Gris

Look for: floral (terpenes), possible botrytis character, mushroom-earth-mineral notes, used or no oak, and possible off dry to slightly sweet in style

Structure: medium-plus to high alcohol, medium to medium-plus acidity, and considerable phenolic bitterness

Considerations: AC vs. grand cru wines

Why it’s not:

Albariño: Albariño generally is a lighter wine than Pinot Gris with higher acidity, lack of botrytis notes, and lack of residual sugar on the finish. 

Grüner Veltliner: while it can match the weight and richness of a Smaragd Grüner Veltliner, Pinot Gris will  lack rotundone pepper qualities.

Loire Chenin Blanc: both grapes can show botrytis character but Chenin will often show the sulfur/herbal notes, pronounced chalky minerality, and have higher acidity and phenolic bitterness.

Northern Italian Pinot Grigio: will be a much lighter wine than Pinot Gris from Alsace. Pinot Grigio will also lack any botrytis notes and will be a dry wine.

Riesling: Alsace Pinot Gris can easily match the weight and richness of Riesling from the same region not to mention Riesling from Germany or Austria. However, Pinot Gris lacks the acidity and TDN qualities of Riesling and will also show phenolic bitterness on the finish.

Northern Italian Pinot Grigio

Look for: white floral (terpenes), lees contact, stony mineral, and no oak

Structure: medium alcohol, medium-plus acidity, and phenolic bitterness

Why it’s not:

Albariño: both grapes can be similar in weight and texture but Pinot Grigio is a more narrowly defined–almost neutral–grape/wine by comparison. Pinot Grigio is also not quite as terpenic as Albariño.

Grüner Veltliner: Pinot Grigio lacks the pepper/vegetal qualities of Grüner.

Loire Chenin Blanc: Pinot Grigio is generally a lighter-bodied wine compared to Loire Chenin. Classic Pinot Grigio will also not show botrytis character and will less acidity.

Alsace Pinot Gris: Alto Adige Pinot Grigio is a scaled down version of its Alsace cousin but with higher acidity, more restrained alcohol, and no residual sugar.

Riesling:  Pinot Grigio lacks any TDN qualities found in Riesling not to mention possible botrytis character. 

Riesling

Look for: floral (terpenes), fusel-petrol (TDN), possible lees contact, slate/mineral qualities, no oak

Structure: low to medium-plus alcohol, medium-plus to high acidity, and possible phenolic bitterness, especially in dry wines

Why it’s not:

Albariño: TDN, possible wider fruit profile, and higher acidity set Riesling apart from Albariño.

Grüner Veltliner: it’s the rotundone pepper/vegetal in Grüner vs. the TDN in Riesling.

Loire Chenin Blanc: although both can show botrytis notes, the chalky minerality and lack of TDN set Chenin apart from Riesling.

Alsace Pinot Gris: both can again show botrytis character but Riesling will often display TDN and have higher acidity.

Northern Italian Pinot Grigio: TDN, more complexity, and higher acidity will set Riesling apart from Pinot Grigio.

Picture

Weingut Wittman, Rheinhessen

Part II: Thinner-Skinned Red Grapes

As with the white grapes in the first set, the color and fruit qualities of thinner-skinned red grapes can be similar making them difficult to tell apart. Again, practically all display unique signatures from impact compounds that can be an important aid in identifying the grape/wine. Add the unique set of structural qualities (levels of acid, alcohol, and tannin) found in each grape and you have a blueprint to be able to tell classic examples of any of the wines apart. For our purposes, we’ll use the following wines as models for their respective grapes:

  • Pinot Noir: Côte de Nuits/Beaune or California/Oregon New World
  • Gamay: Beaujolais Villages
  • Sangiovese: Chianti Classico Riserva or Brunello di Montalcino
  • Tempranillo: Rioja Reserva or Gran Reserva
  • Grenache/blend: Châteauneuf-du-Pape or Gigondas
  • Nebbiolo: Barolo or Barbaresco

 
Pinot Noir

Old world – Burgundy: red fruits, rose-floral, tea-herb, possible green stem quality (stem inclusion), possible Brettanomyces, soil-mineral-game, and oak usage

Structure: medium to medium-plus alcohol, medium-plus acidity, and medium to medium-plus tannin

Considerations: AC vs. Premier Cru vs. Grand Cru wines in regards to oak usage and price

New world: fruit-dominant (primarily red), floral-herbal notes, possible earth-mineral, and oak usage

Structure: medium to medium-plus alcohol, medium-plus acidity, and medium to medium-plus tannin

Why it’s not:

Gamay: Pinot Noir usually lacks the candied/artificial fruit character from carbonic maceration as well as granite/stony minerality. Pinot Noir also commonly offers new oak.

Sangiovese: Pinot Noir lacks the tannin of Sangiovese—specifically grape tannin often perceived in the front of the mouth on teeth and gums. Sangiovese also has higher acidity as well as anise-bitter herbal flavors.

Tempranillo: extended aging in American Oak (coconut, dill, herb, pronounced vanilla, and baking spices) sets classic Tempranillo-based Rioja apart from Pinot Noir.

Grenache: riper alcohol and higher tannins set Grenache-based blends apart from Pinot Noir. Pinot Noir also lacks the peppery-rotundone and savory herb/garrigue qualities of Grenache. Larger cooperage is also traditionally used for a Grenache/blend vs. smaller barrique in Pinot Noir.

Nebbiolo the tannin and acid levels in Nebbiolo are far higher than in Pinot Noir. 

Gamay

Look for: candied, confected red fruits from carbonic maceration, green stemmy quality from stem inclusion, stony-earth, and little or no oak

Structure: medium alcohol, medium-plus acidity, and medium-minus to medium tannin

Considerations: villages vs. cru wines with more carbonic character in the former
 
Why it’s not:

Pinot Noir:  carbonic character in Beaujolais Villages sets it apart from Pinot, whether from Burgundy or the New World. Beaujolais will also lack the overt oak character often found in Pinot Noir.

Sangiovese: carbonic notes again differentiate Gamay from Sangiovese with the latter also having more tannin. No stem inclusion notes for Sangiovese.

Tempranillo: carbonic notes and lack of overt oak influence—specifically American Oak influence.

Grenache: lack of carbonic notes in classic Grenache blends with the latter also having more non-fruit complexity (pepper, dried floral, garrigue/herbs, savory qualities). Structurally, Grenache has higher alcohol and more tannin without pronounced stem inclusion.

Nebbiolo: has higher levels of alcohol, tannin, and acidity compared to Gamay as well as an oxidative character and completely different fruit/non-fruit set. Again, no carbonic character and stem inclusion.

Sangiovese

Look for: tart red fruit with darker fruits in wines from riper vintages or those containing Cabernet family grapes; tomato-green herb, anise, sandalwood, chalk-mineral-earth, and oak usage – large cooperage or barrique

Structure: medium to medium-plus alcohol, medium-plus to high acidity, and medium-plus tannin

Considerations: degree of oak influence as far as barriques vs. larger barrels

Why it’s not:

Pinot Noir: more grape tannin in Sangiovese as well as higher acidity and more of an anise/herbal character.

Gamay: lack of carbonic artificial fruit character in Sangiovese as well as a higher level of tannin.

Tempranillo: the oxidative style and American Oak set Tempranillo apart from any form of Sangiovese. The latter is usually more tannic as well.

Grenache: lack of pepper/rotundone character in Sangiovese. Grenache blends also offer a higher level of alcohol with relatively less acidity.

Nebbiolo: Sangiovese vs. Nebbiolo is one of the more challenging side-by-side comparisons. There are many similarities between the two but in the end Nebbiolo in the form of Barolo and/or Barbaresco is usually more tannic and acidic as well as offering floral and high-toned aromatics.

Tempranillo

Look for: dried dark, red, and raisinated fruits, dried floral-potpourri, dried herb, dust-soil-terra cotta, considerable oak American oak usage, and oxidative character

Structure: medium to medium-plus alcohol, medium-plus acidity, and medium to medium-plus tannin

Why it’s not:

Pinot Noir: oxidative winemaking-aging and American Oak set Tempranillo apart from Pinot Noir regardless of origin. 

Gamay: no carbonic character or stem inclusion in Tempranillo. Oxidative style and American Oak in the Rioja.

Sangiovese: oxidative style and American Oak. Sangiovese is usually more tannic as well.

Grenache: although some styles of Grenache blends may show oxidation similar to Tempranillo with age, the wines will never display the American Oak character. Grenache blends will also offer more alcohol as well as pepper and Mediterranean herb (garrigue) notes.  

Nebbiolo: American Oak is rarely, if ever, found in Barolo and Barbaresco. The latter two will also be far more tannic and acidic than Tempranillo.
 
Grenache and Grenache Blends

Look for: range of dark, red, and raisinated fruits; pepper (rotundone), savory herb (garrigue), sanguine notes (roasted meat, blood, iodine), pronounced earth-mineral, and oak usage (large cooperage)

Structure: high alcohol, medium-plus acidity, and medium-plus to high tannin

Why it’s not:

Pinot Noir: too much richness, alcohol, and tannin on the part of Grenache.  The peppery and herbal qualities in Grenache/blends also sets the wines apart from Pinot Noir.

Gamay: unless it’s basic Côtes du Rhône, use of carbonic is very infrequent for Grenache blends; thus the artificial fruit qualities of Gamay set it apart from the latter. Grenache will also offer more richness, higher alcohol, and pepper/herb notes.

Sangiovese: Grenache is richer with higher alcohol and peppery qualities than Sangiovese. Sangiovese will often have more grape tannin in the front of the mouth as well.

Tempranillo: Grenache/blends lack the American Oak character of traditionally made Tempranillo-based wines.

Nebbiolo: more acid and tannin (most notably grape tannin) in the Nebbiolo.

Nebbiolo

Look for: ripe-dried red and dark fruits, pronounced rose-floral, dried herb, mushroom-earth-tar, and oak usage–large cooperage or barrique

Structure: medium-plus to high alcohol, medium-plus to high acidity, and high tannin

Why it’s not:

Pinot Noir: Nebbiolo is usually far too tannic and acidic to be Pinot Noir. 

Gamay: ditto the above about tannin and acidity. Note that Nebbiolo rarely, if ever, shows carbonic notes. Finally, Nebbiolo often shows considerable oak influence.

Sangiovese: as mentioned above, Sangiovese—especially Brunello—can often be confused with Nebbiolo. Generally, the latter will have higher levels of acidity, tannin, and alcohol. Nebbiolo usually displays more floral and high-toned aromatics than Sangiovese.

Tempranillo: too much tannin and acidity in Nebbiolo to be confused for Tempranillo. American Oak in the former also makes it easy to differentiate from Nebbiolo.

Grenache: Nebbiolo offers higher levels of acidity and tannin than Grenache as well as more floral and high-toned aromatics.

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