Operation: Impress the Wine Snob -White Wines

Sylvia Fonalka
Nov 13, 2025
3 min read

“Oh gosh, it’s so hard to bring you a wine. You two know so much about wine

— what on earth can I bring?”

Listen, don’t WINE! I’ll tell you exactly how to make me happy.

Bring me an aromatic white wine bursting with terpenes — those magical, volatile compounds that make wine smell like an expensive vacation.

If it floats like perfume, flirts with flowers, radiates citrus, and murmurs of fresh herbs carried on a Mediterranean breeze — that’s the one.

Still uncertain? Very well — let’s be more precise.

In most cases, grape varieties do appear on wine labels, but how prominently they’re shown depends on the country and producer style.

And remember: wines with high terpenic content can be anything but predictable — from sumptuously sweet to elegantly bone-dry, always aromatic, always a little enchanting.

Here’s a quick breakdown by grape:

High Terpenic Wines

Muscat / Moscato (incl. Zibibbo!!)

The terpene superstar. Expect orange blossom, grape candy, rose, lychee, jasmine.

In Italy, “Moscato” is almost always on the label (e.g. Moscato d’Asti) - like being kissed by a sparkling peach. Sweet and playful, yes, though I must confess: the bubbly style isn’t quite my glass of wine.

“Zibibbo” appears on Sicilian wines (especially Pantelleria) -a summer opera aria, all sunshine, perfume, and a little dramatic flourish at the end - which I really love!

In France, it may appear as Muscat Blanc à Petits Grains — which can be dry, sweet, or even sparkling — or as Muscat d’Alsace, typically made in a dry, elegant style. In Hungary, it’s known as Sárga Muskotály (Yellow Muscat): equally aromatic, yet often crafted in a refined, still expression that allows those lovely terpenes to truly sing.

Gewürztraminer

Intensely floral, lychee, rose petal, tropical spice.

Typically labeled by grape everywhere it’s made - bold, heady, and gloriously too much (in the best way!)

Riesling

Especially aromatic styles. Lime blossom, petrol, citrus oil, stone fruit.

Always proudly listed in Germany, Austria, Australia, the U.S., etc.

In Alsace, France as well if is made of 100% Riesling grapes - perfection in liquid form: dry or sweet, it's sharp, and smarter than everyone at the table.

Torrontés

Perfumed: rose, orange blossom, tropical fruit.

Always listed in Argentina (it’s their signature grape) - ¡Re bueno! a floral flirt grown in high-altitude areas of the Argentinian Andes.

Viognier

Apricot, peach, honeysuckle, jasmine.

Usually listed, especially in single-varietal bottlings.

In Frane it is listed with Rhône Valley, AOP wines (a very good 'lower' tier), but not in Condrieu: Wines from this appellation are legally required to be 100% Viognier, so the label will read "Condrieu," but not necessarily "Viognier." - the fancy stuff : all apricot silk and honeysuckle charm, effortlessly sipping in the VIP lounge of white wines.

Malvasia

Aromatic, floral, candied citrus.

Often included in the name (Malvasia delle Lipari, Malvasia Bianca), but not always if it’s part of a blend.

Often a sweet wine - like your sweet, eccentric aunt — floral, a little nostalgic, and always wearing something glittery.

Moderately Terpenic Wines

Albariño

Peach, citrus blossom, salty sea breeze.

Always listed in Spain (Rías Baixas) and elsewhere - the zesty lovechild of a peach and a sea breeze, proudly made in Galicia, Spain.

Fiano

Honeyed, pine resin, herbs.

Usually listed on Italian labels, but sometimes embedded in the regional name rather than highlighted (Fiano di Avellino DOCG) - like honey drizzled over a pine tree at an Italian picnic.

Chenin Blanc

Apple blossom, quince, honeycomb.

Commonly found on labels from the New World, particularly South Africa, as well as on labels from its home (and hopefully mine one day!) in the Loire Valley - refined, eccentric, and worth every golden sip!

Sauvignon Blanc

While thiols do most of the heavy lifting, terpenes support citrus / floral notes.

Always appears on the label (Loire Valley, France, New Zealand, Chile, etc.) - zippy, sassy, and totally unapologetic.

Arneis

White flower, pear, almond.

Appears on Piedmont labels (Roero Arneis DOCG), but not common outside Italy - charming and delicate, the introvert of Italian whites, a rare bird!

In short: Yes, you’ll usually see the grape name on bottles of Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Albariño, Viognier, Torrontés, and Chenin Blanc. For the more traditional Italian grapes (Fiano, Arneis, Malvasia, Zibibbo), the grape name often appears alongside a regional designation — but it’s there!

If you still reading this and want to sound nerdily fabulous, these are the common wine terpenes: