Seven new white varieties you need to know about
Taste and Talk reminder for next Thursday 22 January.
This century has seen a plethora of new white wine grape varieties adopted by Australian winemakers. Pinot Gris/Grigio introduced in the 1990s blazed the trail and can now be regarded as mainstream rather than alternative. Other white varieties are now poised to emerge from the rare category. How many have you tried?
A few white wine varieties have taken off over the past decade or two. The superstar, of course, is Fiano, now used by about 250 wineries around Australia1. We are all well aware of the Albarino/Savagnin mix up of a few years back. Both are now established with Albarino well out of the rare category2. Other varieties such as Arneis, Gruner Veltliner, Manseng are now middle range alternatives in terms of the number of Australian producers. But what of the next crop of rookies?
Seven White Varieties to Watch
These varieties are all candidates to follow the trajectory of Albarino or Arneis and graduate well out of the rare class. Which have you tried? Leave a comment below.
Arinto
This variety is grown throughout Portugal but its attraction for Australian growers and winemakers is its ability to thrive in hot regions with minimal irrigation. Unlike many white varieties Arinto retains its acidity in these conditions and produces zesty, crisp dry whites with a range of citrus flavours. Currently there are about 25 producers but it seems to have a future well beyond that.
Falanghina
The Campania regions (around Naples) is the home of this variety. It is a recent arrival in Australia but I now have eight producers on my database, up from just four when I was writing Beyond Shiraz last year. Like other Southern Italians it doesn’t mind the heat. Look for peachy and honey aromas and flavours, perhaps with some citrus as well.
Garganega
This is the variety behind the popular Soave whites from Veneto in North East Italy. It is probably unsuited to hotter climates but it seems to do well in regions as diverse as the Barossa and the King Valley. Wines are typically light bodied with soft floral and citrus aromas. There are about 25 Aussie wineries making Garganega.
Grillo
The introduction of Grillo into Australia followed a similar pathway to that of Albarino - a monumental stuff-up or followed by a more successful second effort. The first try was stymied by a misidentification. The propagating material turned out to be an obscure and low quality Balkan variety. The imposters have been ripped out and the real deal, from Western Sicily, is now being grown and vinified by about ten Australian Producers. Grillo wines are medium to full-bodied, and just slightly aromatic.
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Commercial Break
The E-book version and paperback version are now available for delivery to everywhere from Amazon.
Or, maybe better value depending on where you are…
Wholesale supplies of copies are available to wineries, bottle shops and other outlets for on selling. If you want 5 or more copies, I can supply them. Maybe you’d like some to give to your friends. Contact me darby.higgs@gmail.com
You can pick up your copy of Beyond Shiraz while tasting some outstanding wines at these outlets.
Adelaide Hills: Artwine Estate
Granite Belt: Savina Lane Wines
Melbourne: Rewine Wine Bar, 460 Queen Street, Melbourne
Mornington Peninsula: Hickinbotham of Dromana
Riverland: Bassham Wines
Yarra Valley: SOUMAH
More to come…
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Inzolia
There are about 8 producers of this variety in Australia. Like Grillo it is from Sicily. In the past both varieties were used on that island for its famous Marsala wines, but as fortified wines are no longer fashionable these varieties are used for dry white styles. Inzolia has long been grown in Tuscany under the name of Ansonica, but recently DNA analysis has shown the two varieties are identical. Inzolia at its best is nutty and herbaceous with a grippy mouthfeel, making them suitable wines for serving with oysters and fresh seafood.
Pecorino
This variety hails from Marche in Central Italy. It was once quite widely grown, but then became unfashionable and rare but is now undergoing a revival. It’s ability to make refreshingly crisp wines with complex aromas has sparked interest in Australia. Since 2022 it has had its own class in the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show and the number of producers is well above twenty. It is clearly in an upward trajectory.
Picpoul
The French name for the variety is Piquepoul Blanc. Picpoul is being used by more than twenty Australian wineries since its introduction in the 2010s. It is from the Languedoc region of Southern France. Like some of the other varieties described in this article winemakers are attracted to its ability to retain acidity in warm climates. More than twenty producers are now using this variety. Picpoul wines are noted for the sharp crispness and citrus aromas.
Taste and Talk
Our next Taste and Talk meeting will be held on Thursday 21 January at 5pm. Let’s discuss some of these whites or some other left of field varieties.
See this list of Fiano producers here.
There were less than 20 producers of Albarino listed in my 2019 Rare Ozzies book. Now I have more than fifty in my database.