White grape variety
Verdelho
A medium-dry Madeira variety, also grown in Australia as a still dry white.
What is Verdelho?
Verdelho gives medium-dry Madeira with high acidity and smoky character. In Australia the same name is used for a dry, tropical-fruited still white.
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue, maintained by the Julius Kühn Institute, holds this variety as accession 12953 under the prime name GOUVEIO, with berry skin colour blanc and country of origin portugal, and the pedigree "CASTELLANA BLANCA X SAVAGNIN = TRAMINER". Checked 2026-08-17.
What it tastes like
This is the envelope across every expression of Verdelho, not a description of one bottle. Wide ranges are the honest answer.
| Dimension | Typical | Range | Variation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sweetness | low-medium | Some variation | |
| Acidity | high | Some variation | |
| Alcohol | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Body | medium | Some variation | |
| Fruit intensity | medium-plus | Some variation | |
| Aromatic intensity | medium | Consistent | |
| Oak influence | low | Consistent | |
| Savoury character | medium | Some variation | |
| Floral character | low | Consistent | |
| Herbal / green character | low | Consistent | |
| Spice | low | Consistent | |
| Earthy character | low | Consistent | |
| Perceived freshness | medium | Consistent | |
| Texture | medium | Some variation |
Common flavours
Wines made from it
The same grape in different places and different hands. These are where the wide ranges above resolve into something specific.
Where it grows
- Madeira — Portugal
- Hunter Valley — Australia
If you like Verdelho, try…
Every suggestion says why it is connected and what will be different.
Closest matches
What is most like this?
Sercial
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more savoury.
Avesso
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be drier, and softer and rounder.
Arinto
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be fresher, and drier.
Similar but lighter
Something like this, but lighter?
English still white
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be fresher, and more oaky.
Picpoul de Pinet
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be fresher, and drier.
Picpoul
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be fresher, and drier.
Similar but lower in alcohol
Something like this, but less alcoholic?
Arinto
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be fresher, and drier.
Bical
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be drier, and fresher.
Nahe Riesling
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect it to be fresher, and more aromatic.
Similar but fuller
Something like this, but richer?
Bual
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be sweeter, and more savoury.
Antão Vaz
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be softer and rounder, and drier.
Douro white
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect it to be drier, and more oaky.
What to eat with it
Ranked by WineHQ's pairing engine, which reasons from the structure of the dish.
Fillet steak
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
Salmon
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
Asparagus
Works because bitterness in the dish and tannin in the wine accumulate rather than balance.
Salmon in a cream sauce
Works because the dish is rich, and acidity cuts through fat and refreshes the palate.
Trout
Works because low tannin avoids the metallic interaction with fish.
Turkey
Works because the finished dish, not the raw ingredient, sets the target.
What to avoid with it
Dishes the pairing engine scores badly, and the principle that explains why. A short list: most things are fine.
How to serve it
Temperature
9–12°C
48–54°F · Fridge cold
From a 20°C room, roughly two to three hours in the fridge, or about 20 minutes in a bucket of ice and water.
Decanting
No need to decant
Nothing about this wine suggests it needs decanting. Light, aromatic and sparkling wines generally lose more than they gain.
Glass
Universal wine glass
A medium tulip-shaped glass handles almost everything well. If you own one set of glasses, this is the set to own — the difference between a good universal glass and a grape-specific one is far smaller than the difference between a good glass and a bad one.
Ageing
Structured wines made from this grape commonly improve with age, though everyday bottlings do not.
The medium-dry classic Madeira style, sitting between Sercial and Bual. As with every Madeira, the ageing has already been done in cask by the time the bottle is sold, and what remains is a wine that keeps almost indefinitely once opened.
Family tree
Established by DNA analysis. Ampelography alone could not have found these relationships.
Parents
VIVC gives the parents as Castellana Blanca and Savagnin = Traminer.
Sources
Sources consulted
- Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) — Julius Kühn-Institut, Institute for Grapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof
- Instituto do Vinho, do Bordado e do Artesanato da Madeira — IVBAM, Portugal