The most successful of the new white wine varieties in Australia is undoubtably Fiano. There are now about 200 Aussie producers1 and thousands of enthusiastic, savvy consumers. But let’s talk about a trio of new kids on the block. All three, like Fiano, are from Southern Italy.
The interest in Southern Italian wine varieties has been stimulated in part by the concern by Australian winemakers to adapt to changing climate. For white varieties in particular there is a need to have varieties that can survive droughts and the increasingly frequent intense heatwaves as well as maintain sufficient acidity as they ripen in warm regions.
Each of the three varieties described below fit the bill.
Grillo
Until recent decades this variety was mainly used to make Marsala wine in the western regions of Sicily. As the fashion for fortified wines has declined Grillo has been increasingly used to make crisp dry white wines. It is still mostly confined to Sicily but is some is grown elsewhere in Italy.
Attempts to establish Grillo in Australia were derailed when it was found that the material that had been imported was actually another obscure Balkan variety called Slankamenka. These sorts of nursery errors are more common that most people never hear about. Slankamenka was found to be most unsuitable and most, if not all, of the vines of it in Australia have been pulled up.
After this false start there are now just a few producers of the real Grillo2 in Australia. Maybe it will catch on, but time will tell. In the meantime it remains as a Rare Ozzies3 variety.
Falanghina
Falanghina can refer to two separate varieties, both growing in the southern Italian region of Campania. Falanghina Flegrea is the most widely planted, Falanghina Beneventana is more widespread. They are used mainly for dry whites but they are sometimes used for sparkling or passito styles.
The variety introduced into Australia by Chalmers is Falanghina Beneventana.
I have just three producers of Falanghina in Australia listed on my database - Artwine in the Adelaide Hills, Chalmers in the Murray Darling and Lark Hill in the Canberra district. I am sure there are more producers and we will see more of it incoming years
Insolia
This variety is from Sicily, where the name is often spelt Inzolia. It is also grown in Tuscany under the name of Ansonica, which in pre DNA times was thought to be a separate variety.
Like Grillo, Insolia was often used to make Marsala but nowadays it is used to make crisp dry whites, either as a varietal or in blends.
On my database at the moment is Chalmers in Murray Darling, Heritage Estate in Granite Belt, Hidden Creek in Granite Belt, Main and Cherry in Adelaide Hills and MDI Murray Darling.
A Vinodiversity Curated 6-pack of Alternative Varieties
Well three six-packs, actually. You can get six different wines, or two each of three different whites or two bottles each of three different reds.
The wines are Falanghina, Fiano, Inzolia, Cabernet Franc, Nero d’Avola and Tempranillo.
Price is $139 including freight to Victorian addresses
You can see more details of the wines here.
You can use the form on the Vinodiversity page, or you can just email darby.higgs@gmail.com and I will send you payment details.
See Vinodiversity’s Fiano page for the list of producers
More about Grillo in Australia
Rare Ozzies are varieties with less than about a dozen Australian producers