Wines Like Riesling: 4 Aromatic White Underdogs to Pour Instead

Most people who say they love Riesling love two specific things about it: the floral perfume on the nose and the streak of acid that keeps every sip clean. You can get both from grapes that cost less and carry none of the "is this the sweet one?" hesitation Riesling still fights at the shelf. Below are four aromatic whites that scratch the same itch, with the profile, the honest comparison to Riesling, and a place to find each.

What "like Riesling" actually means

Riesling is a moving target. It runs from bone-dry Austrian and Alsace bottlings to featherlight German Kabinett to full dessert wine, and it holds acid at every stop. So "like Riesling" splits into two requests.

If you want the perfume — the rose, the orange blossom, the sense that the wine smells sweeter than it drinks — you want an aromatic grape. If you want the spine — the high acid, the citrus, the mineral finish that ages for a decade — you want a taut, dry white. A couple of these grapes give you one. A couple give you both.

Pick by which half of Riesling you actually miss.

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Moschofilero — the floral half, turned up

Grown in Mantínia, on the high plateau of the Peloponnese in Greece, Moschofilero is a pink-skinned grape that makes a pale, intensely scented white. Expect rose petal, orange peel, and a Muscat-like floral top note, then a light body, low alcohol, and acid that snaps.

Versus Riesling: This is the closest thing to a German Kabinett you can find outside Germany — that same weightless, perfumed, high-acid feel. The difference is that Moschofilero usually finishes dry, so the sweetness stays a suggestion. If you love the smell of young Riesling more than its residual sugar, start here.

Look for bottles from Troupis, Tselepos, or Boutari. browse Moschofilero on Wine.com →

Furmint — the dry-Riesling swap that ages

Furmint is the grape behind sweet Tokaji, the Hungarian wine Louis XIV is said to have called the wine of kings. The news of the last two decades is that Furmint made bone-dry is one of the great mineral whites of Europe, and still a bargain. Expect quince, green apple, and lemon over a smoky, stony finish, with acid that holds for years in the bottle.

Versus Riesling: This is your dry-Riesling substitute, full stop. It has the same cut, the same orchard-fruit-and-mineral core, and the same ability to age into something waxy and complex. What it doesn't have is Riesling's petrol note. If dry Alsace or Austrian Riesling is your lane, Furmint belongs in it.

Royal Tokaji, Oremus (the Mandolás bottling), and Disznókő all make dry versions. browse Furmint on Wine.com →

Grüner Veltliner — Riesling's savory neighbor

Austria's signature white grows a stone's throw from its best Riesling, often in the same vineyards, and the two get compared constantly. Grüner gives you green apple, lime, and a distinctive note growers describe as white pepper or radish — a savory edge Riesling doesn't have. High acid, usually dry, easy to drink young.

Versus Riesling: Reach for this when you want dry Riesling's freshness but a plate of food is involved. The peppery, herbal streak makes Grüner more flexible at the table than most Rieslings, and the entry-level bottles — often sold in liter format — are some of the best value in white wine right now.

Domäne Wachau, Bründlmayer, and Berger (the liter bottles) are reliable starting points. browse Grüner Veltliner on Wine.com →

Torrontés — perfume without the sweetness

Argentina's aromatic white, at its best from the high-altitude vineyards around Cafayate in Salta. The nose is loud — jasmine, rose, peach, orange blossom — and then the palate arrives dry and lighter in acid than the others here. It is the most "smells sweet, drinks dry" wine on this list.

Versus Riesling: Torrontés matches the perfume of an off-dry Riesling more than its structure. The acid is softer, so it won't age the way Furmint does, but for a warm evening it delivers the aromatic drama at a lower price than almost anything.

Here is the honest caveat: Torrontés is the one that disappoints most often. The cheapest bottles turn soapy or bitter, and a dilute version tastes like watered-down perfume, so this is a grape where the producer matters more than the price. Look to Colomé, Susana Balbo, or El Esteco and skip the bargain bin. browse Torrontés on Wine.com →

The whole point of an underdog list is that the famous grape is rarely the only good answer, just the loudest one. Every wine above is made by people working with grapes the mainstream shelf ignores, and they've earned a spot in your rotation. One thing I owe you plainly: I haven't scored these bottles individually yet. A rated review lands once I've worked through a few vintages side by side rather than trusting a single pour.

Where to buy

US availability is uneven. Grüner Veltliner and dry Furmint are the easiest to find in a good shop; Moschofilero and quality Torrontés often take a specialist or an online order. The Wine.com search links above are the honest starting point when your local store comes up short.

If you're switching from Riesling

If Riesling was your entry into aromatic whites, treat this as the next four doors down the same hallway. Start with Moschofilero if you miss the perfume, Furmint or Grüner if you drink it dry. For a wider set of swaps against the famous names, see Order This Instead.

— Chris Berry

Part of Lesser-Known Wines: 17 Obscure Grapes Worth Switching To — the full underdog-swap guide.