White Wine Flavors

Acidic Citrus

Lemon, Lime, and Grapefruit have a lot of acid.

These flavors are found in young and dry white wines like Chablis, Dry Riesling, Vermentino, Verdejo, Albariño, and Txakoli.

Italian Pinot Grigio can be as refreshing as a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day.

Sweet Citrus

Oranges and Madarins have less acid.

Orange flavors can be found in Rieslings or Chardonnays from warmer climates.

Mandarin flavors are often found in sweet or off-dry wines like Gewürztraminer.

Apricot is normally assosiated with sweet wines like Tokaji.

Apple

Apple flavors are almost always found in Cardonnays, from fresh to dull, from green to red, from tart to ripe.

Green, yellow, and red apple flavors are often used to describe how ripe a Riesling is. In cool climates (Mosel in Germany) Riesling tend to display Citrus and green Apple flavors, while in warmer climates (Alsace in France), the Apple notes tends to move towards more ripe Apples.

Green Apple flavors are typically found in Pinot Grigio, Pinot Blanc, Grüner Veltliner. Ripe Apple flavors are typically found in Chenin Blanc.

Pear

Green Pear flavors are typically found in dry white wines like Albariño (Spain), Alvarinho (Portugal), Assyrtiko (Greece), Arneis (Italy) and Pinot Grigio (Italy).

Yellow Pear flavors, are typically found in fruity white wines like Chenin Blanc, Marsanne (France), and Pinot Gris (France).

Pyrazines

Bell Pepper aromas come from a compound called "pyrazines" and is found in Bordeaux-family grapes like Sauvignon Blanc.

Goosberry notes are also typically found in Sauvignon Blanc. This flavor are sometimes called cat's pee!

Kiwi notes can be found in dry white wines with high acidity, like Dry Chenin Blank and Italian Pinot Grigio.

Herbs

Kitchen garden and herbs aromas are the trademarks of Sauvignon Blanc.

Grass flavors are typical for cold climate Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc (France).

Black Currant Leaves is typical for all Sauvignon Blanc.

Asparagus aromas are typical for warm climate Sauvignon Blanc (New Zealand).

Tropical Fresh

Peach, Nectarine, and Melon have flavor profiles that are both fresh and sweet.

Melon flavors are often found in full-bodied Chardonnays from warmer climates, and in Pinot Gris from Alsace. Melon flavors can also be found in some Rosé wines, and in fruity sparkling wines like Italian Prosecco.

Tropical Sweet

Mango, Pineapple, and Passionfruit have flavor profiles that are sweeter than Citrus but fresher than Peach and Melon.

Pinapple notes are often found in Rieslings from warmer climates, and in late harvest Rieslings like off-dry Riesling Spätlese from Germany.

Passion Fruit notes are often found in Gewürztraminer from Alsace and in warmer climates Sauvignon Blancs and Chenin Blancs.

Lychee

Fig

Ginger

Honey

Lyche is the trademark of a good Gewürztraminer from Alsace.

Fresh fig flavor can be found in Chardonnay.

Creamy style White Bordeaux can have both fig and ginger flavors if oily Semillion grape is dominant.

Ginger is known as a sweet spice and you find it in fuller aromatic wines such Viognier, Assyrtiko, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris from Alsace.

Honey aromas can be found in ripe Chenin Blanc and in ripe Riesling (Auslese, Spätlese), and in many dessert wines like Tokaji.

Flowers

White flowers aromas are typical for cold climate whites like Pinot Blanc, Silvaner, French Savoie / Jacquère, and Piedmont whites (Arneis and Gavi).

Jasmin floral notes are found in Albariño, Pinot Gris and Riesling, and even in some Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Assyrtiko.

Iris aromas can be found in zesty white wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Albariño.

Rose aromas are typical for Gewürztraminer, and for warm climate whites like Moschofilero (Greece).

Minerals

Minerals are often used to describe white wines. Mineral notes are connected to acidity, and can be described as slate, gravel, wet stone, or flint.

The term chalky can also be used for flint and slate notes in high acidic wines from cool climates like Chablis and Sauvignon Blanc from Loire.

Steel can be used to describe a metallic taste in high acidity cool climate wines like dry Riesling and Chablis.

Secondary Flavors

Flavors added to wine during the fermentation process.

Yeast Flavors

Almonds are associated with bitterness. It can come from fermentation, carbonic maceration, or from the yeast. Almond aromas can be found in many Italian wines like Soave and Arneis.

MLF Flavors

Butter, Cream, and Cheese flavors are byproducts of MLF (Malolactic Fermentation).

Chardonnay is a typical example.

Oak Flavors

Note that oaked American Chardonnay can taste both Popcorn and Caramel, and that Californian Chardonnays might be more oaked than wines from other regions.

Tertiary Flavors

Tertiary flavors are the flavors of bottle maturation:

Honey flavors can be found in ripe Chenin Blanc and in ripe Riesling (Auslese, Spätlese), and in many dessert wines like Tokaji.

Ginger flavors can be found in som full-bodied aromatic white wines like Viognier and Gewürztraminer.

Petrol or Kerosene flavors are typically found in aged Riesling.