I’ve been drinking a lot of white wine these days and I like to believe it’s for medicinal purposes—you know, to cool down during warm days and soothe my frayed nerves. Whatever the reason, I crave variety, so I needed to find some unusual white wines to add into the mix.

Luckily, my friends were game to branch out as well, so a blind tasting was in order. The goal was to identify different varietals (not you, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio) and find at least one that each tribe would like. (Not sure what tribe you’re in? Take our quick quiz to discover your palate profile and associated wine tribe.)

The Lineup

I rolled into my local bottle shop and asked for recommendations of unique varietals. Here’s what we selected:

Meet The Unusual White Wines

Verdiccio, also known as Trebbiano, is considered one of Italy’s best wine grapes. Known for its versatility, Verdiccio produces a light and easy drinking wine that, because of its high levels of acidity, typically pairs well with food. The folks in the bottle shop assured me that the Sartarelli is a classic example of Verdiccio. They also told me it comes from a chemical- free vineyard, which is always a plus.

Albariño is a grape typical of northwest Spain, but Victor Palencia in Prosser, Wash. makes it his own. At the Cascadia Wine Competition, the largest contest among wines from the Pacific Northwest, Palencia Albariño won best of show in 2016. Albariños typically are known for herbaceous aromas with bright fruit flavors. The main difference between a Spanish Albariño and their US counterparts is the level of citrusy acids, with the Spanish wines being more acidic than those made in the US.

Verdejo is another Spanish grape and Protos, located in the north central region of Rueda, makes a classic example of the wine. Verdejos are medium-bodied with tastes of lime, melon and fennel. They’re thought of as food friendly because of their zingy acids. The Protos wine is said to have the perfect balance of tropical fruit and acidity with a rich mouthfeel and nice long finish.

And finally, Gruner Veltliiner is an Austrian white. Here’s how you say it: “gruner” rhymes with “schooner,” “velt” rhymes with “felt” and “liner” rhymes with “diner.”  For me, Gruner Veltliner = green vegetables. Due to its snappy acidity, it’s a great wine to drink with hard-to-pair veggies like asparagus and broccoli. The Nigl Gruner is a lauded wine, known for tastes of pear, lime peel and grass with a clean mineral finish.

Getting ready to start the blind tasting. Drumroll please.

And The Winners Are…

The Verdicchio was a winner for the Balanced, Developed and Complex Tribes, but only when drinking it on its own. When we drank it without any food, tastes of almond, lime, honeydew and stone were really appealing. But with food, this wine just didn’t deliver. Tasters found it a little flat, bitter and reminiscent of wet hay. So, if you are looking for something to sip on and don’t plan to be eating a meal with it, this is a great wine.

The Albariño was the favorite of the Accessible and Balanced Tribes. It smells like fresh-cut grass, cantaloupe and peaches with flavors of green apple, apricots and a hint of baking spices. On the palate, it has a delightful sparkle, or fizziness. Most tasters found it quite enjoyable to drink, though the Complex Tribe found it a tad too sweet.

Nobody loved the Verdejo, but no one hated it either. Along with great smells like meringue and pineapple, people got a whiff of dirty diaper, which didn’t really do it for anyone. The wine had delicate flavors of nectarines, lime and a hint of Dijon mustard. It’s  not a bad wine at all, just a tad “meh” when compared to the others.

And finally, we tried the Nigl Gruner. It’s a savory wine that packs an acidic punch. One taster noted, “if you like pickled things, you are going to love this.” On its own, the acidity was a bit much–imagine biting into a lemon. But with food, this wine shines, especially for the Developed and Complex tribes. Folks commented on flavors of tropical fruits, the wine’s spiciness and how well it paired a variety of food.

Speaking of Food…

Mmmm, look at all that yummy cheese!

I mention food pairings so often that I would be remiss not to mention the amazing culinary delights that my friends whipped up for the tasting. The first was a fantastic halibut with cherry tomatoes and the second was a divine cheesy vegetable focaccia from my friend Morgan, co-author of the food blog Strudel and Streusel. Both of these recipes are great for using summer veggies and relatively easy to make.

There you have it folks. I hope this inspires you to branch out and try new types of white wines. Since I’m a member of the Developed Tribe, I’m running out to purchase a few bottles of the Gruner Veltliner and a bottle of the Albariño as well. Cheers to newness and please leave a comment below with your favorite unusual white wines.

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