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Wines like Friulano
Friuli’s signature white: dry, nutty and savoury, formerly called Tocai Friulano. Below: what to try next, grouped by the direction you want to travel.
Refine
What do you like about Friulano?
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.
What these words mean
- 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.
- How light it is
- A wine you can drink without it feeling like a commitment. Usually lower in alcohol as well as lighter in the mouth.
- 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.
- That it is not oaky
- No barrel character — just the fruit and the acidity. Chablis and Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc are the reference points.
- 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 buttery or thick, too heavy and too savoury or funky.
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.
Sauvignon Blanc
curatedA useful anchor for a dry white with herbal, green-edged aromatics.
- Keeps that it is properly dry.
- Substantially less buttery or thick.
- A little less heavy.
- Substantially less savoury or funky.
Loureiro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Keeps that it is properly dry.
- Substantially less buttery or thick.
- Substantially less heavy.
- Substantially less savoury or funky.
Gavi
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 buttery or thick.
- Substantially less heavy.
- A little less savoury or funky.
Picpoul de Pinet
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Keeps that it is properly dry.
- Substantially less buttery or thick.
- Substantially less heavy.
- A little less savoury or funky.
Picpoul
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Keeps that it is properly dry.
- Substantially less buttery or thick.
- Substantially less heavy.
- A little less savoury or funky.
Aligoté
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Keeps that it is properly dry.
- Substantially less buttery or thick.
- Substantially less heavy.
- A little less savoury or funky.
Cortese
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 buttery or thick.
- Substantially less heavy.
- Substantially less savoury or funky.
Alpine white
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
- Keeps that it is properly dry.
- Substantially less buttery or thick.
- Substantially less heavy.
- A little less savoury or funky.
Closest overall
Nearest neighbours, no change of direction.
Closest matches
The nearest overall neighbours across structure and flavour, with no deliberate change of direction.
Sauvignon Blanc
curatedA useful anchor for a dry white with herbal, green-edged aromatics.
Expect: Friulano is much less pungent, with an almond-skin bitterness in place of Sauvignon’s gooseberry and cut grass.
Loureiro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and lighter in alcohol.
Gavi
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Picpoul de Pinet
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Different grape, similar feel
Deliberately excludes the variety you already know, to find a genuinely new wine that fills the same role.
Loureiro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and lighter in alcohol.
Gavi
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Picpoul de Pinet
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Picpoul
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
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.
Aligoté
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more oaky.
Alpine white
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and lighter in alcohol.
Colombard
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and lighter in alcohol.
Cortese
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and more restrained in fruit.
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.
Alpine white
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be lighter in alcohol, and leaner and more cutting.
Colombard
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be lighter in alcohol, and more fruit-driven.
Loureiro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be lighter in alcohol, and more fruit-driven.
Gavi
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Similar but fuller
Keeps the character but adds weight, concentration and mouthfeel.
Dry Furmint
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Chardonnay
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Fiano
Both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Fiano di Avellino
Both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and rounder and creamier in texture.
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.
Loureiro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and lighter in alcohol.
Gavi
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Picpoul de Pinet
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Picpoul
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
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 fuller and richer, and more fruit-driven.
Trebbiano Spoletino
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 more restrained in fruit.
Brda Rebula
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more restrained in fruit.
Koshu
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more fruit-driven.
Similar but fresher
Raises acidity and overall lift, usually by moving to a cooler-climate expression.
Aligoté
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and more oaky.
Alpine white
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Colombard
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and more restrained in fruit.
Cortese
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and more restrained in fruit.
Similar but softer
Lowers acidity and sharpness in favour of a broader, gentler feel.
Auxerrois
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Antão Vaz
Antão Vaz scores closest to Friulano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and fuller and richer.
Pošip
Pošip scores closest to Friulano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and fuller and richer.
Malagousia
Malagousia scores closest to Friulano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and fuller and richer.
The sparkling version
Moves to a sparkling expression while holding the flavour and weight as close as possible.
Austrian Sekt
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and fuller and richer.
Sekt
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and fuller and richer.
Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and fuller and richer.
Crémant
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and fuller and richer.
Similar but sweeter
Adds perceptible sweetness, which also softens acidity and chilli heat.
English still white
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and more restrained in fruit.
Vinho Verde
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and more fruit-driven.
English Bacchus
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and more fruit-driven.
Bacchus
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be sweeter, and more fruit-driven.
Change the flavour
Same shape, different aromatic character.
Similar but more oaky
Adds barrel character, toast and a creamier texture.
Alvarinho (Monção e Melgaço)
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and rounder and creamier in texture.
White Bordeaux
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Dry Furmint
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and rounder and creamier in texture.
Verdicchio
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 rounder and creamier in texture.
Similar but more aromatic
More to smell before you taste — floral, fruity or spiced aromatics.
Mantinia Moschofilero
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and leaner and more cutting.
Moschofilero
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and softer and rounder.
Loureiro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and lighter in alcohol.
Sauvignon Blanc
curatedThe structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more fruit-driven.
Similar but more restrained
For readers who find intensely aromatic wines tiring over a whole glass. Keeps the structure, turns the volume down.
Gavi
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Cortese
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and more restrained in fruit.
Melon de Bourgogne
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and lighter in alcohol.
Jacquère
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and lighter.
Similar but more floral
Pushes specifically towards rose, violet, blossom and elderflower character.
Loureiro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and lighter in alcohol.
Mantinia Moschofilero
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and leaner and more cutting.
Moschofilero
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and softer and rounder.
Albariño
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more oaky.
Similar but more savoury
Moves away from primary fruit towards earth, herb, meat and umami character.
Vin Jaune
Vin Jaune scores closest to Friulano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and fuller and richer.
Santorini Assyrtiko
Santorini Assyrtiko scores closest to Friulano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be more savoury, and fuller and richer.
Melon de Bourgogne
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more restrained in fruit, and lighter in alcohol.
Gavi
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Similar but fruitier
More obvious, generous fruit flavour, usually from a warmer climate.
Loureiro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and lighter in alcohol.
Sauvignon Blanc
curatedA useful anchor for a dry white with herbal, green-edged aromatics.
Expect: Friulano is much less pungent, with an almond-skin bitterness in place of Sauvignon’s gooseberry and cut grass.
Moschofilero
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and softer and rounder.
Mantinia Moschofilero
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and leaner and more cutting.
Change the place
Keep the grape, move it somewhere else.
Same grape, warmer climate
Typically riper, fuller and more generous in fruit, with higher alcohol.
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
curatedA useful anchor for a dry white with herbal, green-edged aromatics.
Expect: Friulano is much less pungent, with an almond-skin bitterness in place of Sauvignon’s gooseberry and cut grass.
Pinot Grigio
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be softer and rounder, and more fruit-driven.
Albariño
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more floral.
Rías Baixas Albariño
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more floral.
Something more adventurous
Less familiar wines that occupy similar territory — the interesting end of the shelf.
Loureiro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and lighter in alcohol.
Gavi
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Picpoul de Pinet
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Picpoul
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
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.
Loureiro
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be more fruit-driven, and lighter in alcohol.
Gavi
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin, and both come from the same country.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Picpoul de Pinet
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
Picpoul
The structural profile is close across body, acidity and tannin.
Expect: Expect it to be leaner and more cutting, and more restrained in fruit.
A step up
The benchmark expressions of the same territory, usually with more concentration, structure and ageing potential.
Santorini Assyrtiko
Santorini Assyrtiko scores closest to Friulano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more savoury.
South African Chenin Blanc
They occupy similar territory for weight and structure.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more savoury.
Australian Chardonnay
Australian Chardonnay scores closest to Friulano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more savoury.
White Burgundy
White Burgundy scores closest to Friulano across WineHQ’s taste dimensions.
Expect: Expect it to be fuller and richer, and more savoury.
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.