If you like this, try…

Wines like Encruzado

The Dão’s outstanding white variety, capable of Burgundian weight and longevity. Below: what to try next, grouped by the direction you want to travel.

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What do you like about Encruzado?

Optional — the results below already work without it. But “I like Malbec” is at least four different preferences wearing one name, and saying which one you mean changes the answer substantially. Only qualities this wine actually has are offered.

I like…

How full and weighty it is The creamy, rounded texture That it is properly dry

But it’s a bit…

too sharp or lemony too tropical or sweet-smelling too heavy too buttery or thick too savoury or funky too austere

Clear all

What these words mean

The citrus and orchard fruit: Lemon, lime, green apple, pear. The signature of a cool-climate white — quieter and less perfumed than tropical fruit, and a different thing from the acidity it usually travels with.
The tropical fruit: Passionfruit, mango, pineapple, guava. It comes from riper fruit and warmer sites, and it is the difference between Marlborough and Sancerre in the same grape.
How full and weighty it is: Body is how much the wine seems to fill your mouth — the difference between skimmed and whole milk. It comes mostly from alcohol and ripeness.
The creamy, rounded texture: A soft, almost dairy-like roundness. In white wine it usually comes from malolactic fermentation or from time on the lees, not from the grape.
The savoury, meaty side: Leather, olive, cured meat, dried herbs, tobacco. It is what people mean by calling a wine "serious" rather than "fruity", and it comes with age as well as with place.
That it is properly dry: No perceptible sugar at all. Almost all red wine is dry and a good deal of white wine is not, which is why this is a more useful thing to say about a white than about a red.

Looking for something keeping that it is properly dry, while moving away from too savoury or funky and too heavy.

Based on what you said

Ranked against the qualities you named rather than against the wine as a whole. The directions below are refined the same way.

Avesso

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Keeps that it is properly dry.
Substantially less savoury or funky.
Substantially less heavy.

Falanghina

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Keeps that it is properly dry.
Substantially less savoury or funky.
Substantially less heavy.

Torrontés

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Keeps that it is properly dry.
Substantially less savoury or funky.
Substantially less heavy.

Mtsvane Kakhuri

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Keeps that it is properly dry.
Substantially less savoury or funky.
Substantially less heavy.

Sauvignon Blanc

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Keeps that it is properly dry.
Substantially less savoury or funky.
Substantially less heavy.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Keeps that it is properly dry.
Substantially less savoury or funky.
Substantially less heavy.

Bical

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Keeps that it is properly dry.
A little less savoury or funky.
Substantially less heavy.

Loureiro

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Keeps that it is properly dry.
Substantially less savoury or funky.
Substantially less heavy.

Closest overall

Nearest neighbours, no change of direction.

Closest matches

The nearest overall neighbours across structure and flavour, with no deliberate change of direction.

Avesso

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and broader and softer.

Falanghina

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

Torrontés

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and more aromatic.

Mtsvane Kakhuri

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

Different grape, similar feel

Deliberately excludes the variety you already know, to find a genuinely new wine that fills the same role.

Avesso

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and broader and softer.

Falanghina

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

Torrontés

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and more aromatic.

Mtsvane Kakhuri

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

Change the structure

Same idea, different weight, grip or freshness.

Similar but lighter

Keeps the character but reduces weight, alcohol and density in the mouth.

Arneis

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more floral.

Athiri

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more floral.

Auxerrois

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and softer and rounder.

Avesso

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and broader and softer.

Similar but lower in alcohol

Holds the character and the weight where it can, and moves specifically on strength. Note that below about 11% the choices narrow sharply, and below 5% they are mostly a different category rather than a lighter version of the same one.

Loureiro

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be lighter in alcohol, and lighter.

Mantinia Moschofilero

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be lighter in alcohol, and lighter.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be fruitier, and more herbal and green.

Moschofilero

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be lighter in alcohol, and lighter.

Similar but fuller

Keeps the character but adds weight, concentration and mouthfeel.

Condrieu

Condrieu scores closest to Encruzado across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.

Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and sweeter.

Viognier

Viognier scores closest to Encruzado across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.

Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and sweeter.

Auxerrois

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and softer and rounder.

Antão Vaz

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.

Similar but less tannic

For readers who find firm reds drying. Reduces tannic grip while holding flavour and weight roughly steady.

Nothing in WineHQ's catalogue makes this move meaningfully from here. These are the closest wines otherwise, but do not expect them to deliver what you asked for — the honest answer is that this style does not have a good neighbour in that direction.

Auxerrois

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and softer and rounder.

Avesso

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and broader and softer.

Alvarinho (Monção e Melgaço)

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and fresher and more acidic.

Falanghina

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

Similar but more structured

More tannic architecture, for food or for ageing.

Mtsvane Kakhuri

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

Malvazija Istarska

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and less oaky.

Istrian Malvazija

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more restrained in fruit.

Ribolla Gialla

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more restrained in fruit.

Similar but fresher

Raises acidity and overall lift, usually by moving to a cooler-climate expression.

Loureiro

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be lighter, and lighter in alcohol.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be fruitier, and more herbal and green.

Sauvignon Blanc

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more herbal and green, and more aromatic.

Šipon

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and less oaky.

Similar but softer

Lowers acidity and sharpness in favour of a broader, gentler feel.

Auxerrois

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and less oaky.

Antão Vaz

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.

Pošip

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.

Malagousia

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and stronger and warmer.

The sparkling version

Moves to a sparkling expression while holding the flavour and weight as close as possible.

Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and more floral.

Prosecco

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.

Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and lighter.

Glera

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.

Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and lighter.

Austrian Sekt

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and more savoury.

Similar but sweeter

Adds perceptible sweetness, which also softens acidity and chilli heat.

Maria Gomes

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and more floral.

Montlouis-sur-Loire

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.

Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and more floral.

Kerner

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.

Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and more floral.

Solaris

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.

Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and more floral.

Change the flavour

Same shape, different aromatic character.

Similar but less oaky

One of the commonest requests in wine. Strips oak influence while holding grape character and weight.

Avesso

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be broader and softer, and leaner and more cutting.

Falanghina

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and more aromatic.

Torrontés

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and more aromatic.

Mtsvane Kakhuri

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and more aromatic.

Similar but more oaky

Adds barrel character, toast and a creamier texture.

White Bordeaux

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more restrained in fruit.

Chardonnay

curated

Comparable structure, texture and response to barrel ageing.

Expect: Rounder and more overtly oaky.

Dry Furmint

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more savoury.

California Chardonnay

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.

Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and sweeter.

Similar but more aromatic

More to smell before you taste — floral, fruity or spiced aromatics.

Falanghina

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

Mantinia Moschofilero

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be lighter, and lighter in alcohol.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be fruitier, and more herbal and green.

Moschofilero

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be lighter, and lighter in alcohol.

Similar but more restrained

For readers who find intensely aromatic wines tiring over a whole glass. Keeps the structure, turns the volume down.

Pinot Blanc

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and leaner and more cutting.

Cortese

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be lighter, and more restrained in fruit.

Koshu

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.

Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and lighter.

Trebbiano d’Abruzzo

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more restrained in fruit.

Similar but more floral

Pushes specifically towards rose, violet, blossom and elderflower character.

Falanghina

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

Loureiro

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be lighter, and lighter in alcohol.

Mantinia Moschofilero

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be lighter, and lighter in alcohol.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be fruitier, and more herbal and green.

Similar but more savoury

Moves away from primary fruit towards earth, herb, meat and umami character.

Franken Silvaner

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more restrained in fruit.

Rkatsiteli

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more restrained in fruit.

Jura Savagnin and Chardonnay

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more restrained in fruit.

Grüner Veltliner

They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more restrained in fruit.

Similar but fruitier

More obvious, generous fruit flavour, usually from a warmer climate.

Avesso

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and broader and softer.

Falanghina

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

Loureiro

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be lighter, and lighter in alcohol.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be fruitier, and more herbal and green.

Change the place

Keep the grape, move it somewhere else.

Same grape, cooler climate

Typically fresher, lighter and more herbal, with lower alcohol.

Douro white

Both are made from encruzado, and they occupy similar territory for weight and structure, both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more savoury.

Same grape, warmer climate

Typically riper, fuller and more generous in fruit, with higher alcohol.

Douro white

Both are made from encruzado, and they occupy similar territory for weight and structure, both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more savoury.

Change the mood

Safer, stranger, cheaper or more serious.

A safe next step

Well-known wines that are widely available and unlikely to surprise anyone.

Sauvignon Blanc

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more herbal and green, and more aromatic.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be fruitier, and more herbal and green.

Pinot Grigio

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be lighter, and more restrained in fruit.

Albariño

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more floral.

Something more adventurous

Less familiar wines that occupy similar territory — the interesting end of the shelf.

Avesso

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and broader and softer.

Falanghina

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

Torrontés

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and more aromatic.

Mtsvane Kakhuri

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

A better-value alternative

Wines that occupy similar sensory territory from regions carrying less price premium. WineHQ does not hold live prices, so this reasons from regional reputation and demand rather than from a price feed — treat it as a lead, not a quote.

Avesso

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.

Expect: Expect it to be less oaky, and broader and softer.

Falanghina

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

Torrontés

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and more aromatic.

Mtsvane Kakhuri

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more floral, and less oaky.

A step up

The benchmark expressions of the same territory, usually with more concentration, structure and ageing potential.

Chardonnay

curated

Comparable structure, texture and response to barrel ageing.

Expect: Rounder and more overtly oaky.

Albariño

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more floral.

Rías Baixas Albariño

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and more floral.

Australian Riesling

The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.

Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and leaner and more cutting.

How these are chosen

Each suggestion is scored across sixteen taste dimensions, weighted so that structure matters more than flavour, and adjusted for whether the wine actually moves in the direction you asked for. Curated links from an editor carry extra weight — but only when the editor tagged them for this direction. Nothing here is a black box; see the taste model for the full method.