Who are the champions of alternative varieties?

From Greco in the Vale to Fiano in Mudgee.

The Australian wine industry is now producing a “new breed” of alternative varietals, and a new breed of winemakers who are pushing the boundaries in order to find a niche in this tough business. We are a lucky nation to have had many Italians’ make Australia their home back in the 50’s, who bought their experience and passion for farming and viticulture to our shores.  Now 3 to 4 generations later, with a bunch of innovative young {and older} winemakers looking to experiment, using old techniques with new ideas, we are starting to see the new wine styles we will be drinking into the future.

I set out to find the best of the varietal innovators, with a focus on Italian varietals, travelling for 8 weeks across the eastern states of Australia, from Mudgee in New South Wales to Mt Benson in South Australia.  Sadly missing from this trip is the King Valley or Little Italy, in Victoria due to border restrictions.

With a viticultural history that stretches back to 1858, Mudgee, in the central west of NSW, has played a key role in Australian history. Although primarily a producer of robust and deeply coloured red wines, Mudgee was the cradle in which a particularly good clone of Chardonnay lay unrecognised for over 50 years, a clone which some believe may have been a descendant of the Chardonnay introduced to Australia in 1832 by James Busby. There are now 35 cellar doors, producing wines from 34 varieties.  The champions of the varietals in this region are First Ridge and Di Lusso.

Travelling the Wine Regions of Australia,  my Facebook group discusses more about varietal producers in Australia.