Portuguese Alvarinho Review: A Powerful £8.99 White Wine That Surprised Us! (Episode

In this episode of Wine Mastery, John and John explore a fascinating twist on a much-loved grape variety. If you enjoy Spanish Albariño, this Portuguese Alvarinho (labelled Alvarinho rather than Albariño) might just surprise you as much as it surprised us. Coming in at only £8.99, it’s an affordable white wine with a surprisingly complex personality — far fuller, richer, and more powerful than the Albariños many people know.

We begin by taking a look at the bottle and noting something unusual right away: at 13% ABV, this white wine already hints at a bigger, bolder flavour profile. The colour is striking — a deep golden hue that almost edges toward rose-gold. That richness carries straight onto the nose, where we both immediately pick up unexpected notes like bubble gum, tropical fruit, floral tones, honey hints, and even subtle touches that made us think of sweetness or blossom. There’s a lot going on before we even taste it.

On the palate, it opens with intense stone fruit flavours — think apricot and peach — before a perfectly timed splash of fresh acidity lifts everything and stops the wine from becoming too heavy or cloying. It’s a wine that evolves second by second, and even long after swallowing it keeps returning with waves of flavour. This is not your typical light, refreshing Albariño; it’s a full-bodied white with real presence and power.

Because of that, it demands strong food pairings. John M suggests a ripe, almost over-the-edge Brie, while John L pairs it with a seafood paella, a dish that he feels would match the wine’s depth beautifully.

We finish with viewer Q&A: ever wondered why wine tasters make that famous “slurping” sound? We explain why it genuinely affects flavour and why tasting wine properly is about more than just the tongue.

If you enjoy discovering new wines, unusual expressions of familiar grapes, or great value bottles with personality, this Portuguese Alvarinho is definitely one to try.

Chin chin!

0:00 Introduction
0:30 The Price
1:41 The Colour
2:19 The Nose
4:08 The Taste
8:03 Pairings
9:38 The Scores
11:29 Viewers Question



Social Media
YouTube -    / winemastery  
Instagram -   / winemastery  
Twitter -   / @winemastery  
Facebook Page -   / winetastingcourse  


Remember to subscribe to
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_c...

Visit our website
http://www.winemastery.co.uk