There’s a growing catalogue of wine varieties now thriving in our regions, opening up a whole new world of tastes and textures to enjoy.
Have you noticed it?
All those exotic names on labels these days.
You would be forgiven for thinking you have been transported to the other side of the world and landed somewhere in Italy, Spain or southern France.
The oldies and goodies are still with us.
Don’t fret if you’re stitched on to your favourite regional heroes – they’ve been that way for good reason for several decades.
In the Adelaide Hills the traditional whites remain Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and Chardonnay, and now Pinot Gris.
Red drinkers are still ensconced in a tide of Pinot Noir and Shiraz.
In Langhorne Creek it has been all about Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec and their blends, some with a few additions of Merlot and Petit Verdot.
The old white variety of the region has long been Verdelho, a hangover of the days when fortified wines were the mainstay of the Australian wine industry and its exports to Britain.
Fast forward to today and those catalogues look very different.
Now you need to get your head around the likes of Fiano, Vermentino, Albarino, Pecorino and several others with similar exotic monikers.
And that’s just the white wines.
If you’re a red drinker, then wrap your lips around these beauties: Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Tempranillo, Touriga, Graciano, Aglianico, Barbera, Nebbiolo and many more.
These mostly Italian or Spanish/Portuguese origin varieties have been lumped under the banners of “alternative” or “emerging” varieties, which feels a bit simple given they come from such grand Old World traditions.
Non-traditional for us perhaps?
Increasingly, they are being called Mediterranean or Iberian varieties, to be more specific.
Whichever way you see them, their drinking appeal suits an evolving Australian palate for bright and refreshing styles of white wine and lighter to medium-bodied in reds, compatible with casual dining and more relaxed lifestyles.
The diversity of flavours and feels in the new Australian varieties provide exciting wine tasting for the adventurous.
That’s exactly what attracted Paracombe Wines winemaker Paul Drogemuller to a swag of new varieties a decade ago, starting with Pinot Blanc and now including other Italian varieties Fiano, Vermentino, Pecorino, Sangiovese, Montepulciano and Nebbiolo.
Many are sourced from nearby growers in the northern districts of the Adelaide Hills region, especially the Amadio Vineyard between Kersbrook and Williamstown, which is a major supplier of Italian grapes to many high-profile labels.
“You couldn’t give an Italian varietal wine away 10 years ago,” Paul recalls.
“But we could see they grew well in the warmer parts of the Hills.
“I’ve never been scared to give something new a try – to have a go.
“You just have to be daring.”
Paracombe Wines’ location with so many different aspects on the vineyard allows Paul and his family to grow small plots with a range of varieties that suit individual soils types and terroir influences – that flexibility being one of their great assets, he says.
“Matching each of those sites with separate plantings means we can get each to shine in the vineyard so we can then go about preserving the natural characters of each of the varieties.”
Growing multiple varieties in small plantings is also the way Langhorne Creek-based Bremerton works, having begun their stable of non-traditional varieties with the reds Graciano, Tempranillo and Barbera in 2010, following with the white that everyone’s talking about, Fiano, in 2012.
“We saw they worked viticulturally in a nearby vineyard, and we didn’t have a great diversity in our portfolio,” Bremerton winemaker Rebecca Willson recalls. “We also have a cellar door where we can test the market.”
What she and her co-proprietor, sister Lucy Willson, have found is a greater awareness and demand for the new varieties, which has come from more brands now offering a wider range of wines.
In Langhorne Creek leading producers Lake Breeze and Kimbolton also are offering new releases, the former with Vermentino, Pecorino and Nero d’Avola while the latter is a major grower of Montepulciano for themselves, also supplying to 18 producers from every major SA region, as well as Fiano and the Spanish and French variety Carignan for themselves and others.
Why the region has become an incubator of new wine styles has a lot to do with its unique climate which suits a diverse range of varieties, Rebecca says.
“The Lake Alexandrina and Southern Ocean cooling influence means we get sun and also good acidity retention in the fruit,” she says.
“We’re not overly hot, not overly cold.
“It’s not extreme, so it’s a bit like a genuine Mediterranean climate.
And clearly not only do the vines and grapes like it, but also more and more people are appreciating the increased diversity in their wine tastes.
As Paul notes, “we’re not re-inventing the wheel, we’re just adding in new spokes”.
