Cortese vs Trebbiano Toscano
Cortese
A restrained Piedmont white of lemon and stone in a very light body, and the grape of Gavi.
- Lemon
- High acidity
- Stony finish
Recognize it
High acidity in a very light body with a restrained aroma. Lemon and a stony note are common. Lees-aged bottlings can gain texture while keeping their acidity.
Trebbiano Toscano
A neutral, high-acid Italian white, the same variety France calls Ugni Blanc and distils for Cognac and Armagnac.
- Lemon
- High acidity
- Light body
Recognize it
High acidity with a light body and restrained aroma. Lemon and green apple are common. In Cognac and Armagnac, where the same grape is called Ugni Blanc, it is picked to give low-alcohol, high-acid base wine for distillation.
How they compare
- SimilarBoth are restrained, high-acid Italian whites.
- DifferenceCortese usually shows more citrus and green-apple character; Trebbiano Toscano is more neutral.