Alternatives ON SHOW

RAISE A GLASS AS THE WESTERN AUSTRALIAN ALTERNATIVE WINE SHOW CELEBRATES AND ADVANCES THE RICH DIVERSITY OF THE GEOGRAPHE WINE REGION.

By TORI WILSON

Gone are the days of walking into a decent wine bar and finding only Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and fellow tried-and-true classics. With over 10,000 different varieties of wine in existence, a taste for the lesser known — or alternative varieties — is on the rise, and there’s no wine region within Western Australia satisfying this demand quite like the Geographe Region.

Home to 57 growers, 26 producers and 36 grape varieties, Geographe is the most diverse wine region in the state. So, it only seems fitting that what was once the Geographe Wine Show now reflects its excellence in producing alternative varietals with the new title, The Western Australian Alternative Wine Show (WAAWS), which it will operate as in September 2023 for the second year.

“The objective of a wine show is obviously to determine the best wine, but also, to help winemakers and growers produce better wines,” says WAAWS Committee chairman and Vinyard 28 owner, Mark Cumbers.

In previous years, the level of focus on traditional varieties and a narrow look at alternatives meant the opportunity to advance alternatives was lacking, Mark says, despite a growing number of producers doing so well in the area and a rising demand among consumers for the tasty new drops.

“We wanted to grow and evolve the wine show and incorporate alternative varieties,” says Mark, who explains any producer within the state can submit an alternative varietal wine into the show, while traditional entries are exclusive to Geographe producers.

“It’s giving an avenue for Western

Australian producers of alternative varieties to get a better idea of where their wines are standing up against other examples of the same varieties.”

Barbera, Nero D’Avola, Dolcetto, Zinfandel, Fiano, Vermentino and Verdicchio are just some of the alternative varieties currently thriving in the Geographe Wine Region.

When asked why these varieties excel in Geographe, Mark says it’s down to a combination of factors, with climate packing the most punch.

“Go back to the old, French word ‘terroir’; it’s a combination of the soil, the climate, the humidity — even down to what side of the bed the winemaker gets out of — which comes together to make the wine at the end of the day.

“Geographe is very much a Southern Mediterranean climate, which is why Spanish and Italian varieties grow so well here.

“It’s about picking the right region (for the variety) and Geographe is a very young region led by people willing to experiment,” says Mark.

Top Wines To Try

While there’s ample appetite for alternative options to keep on expanding, there’ll always be a place for the classics that do well in the Geographe Wine Region.

For 2022, Smallwater Estate’s 2021 Shiraz claimed the top spot of Geographe Wine of the Show, as a wine of exceptional quality.

This was certainly no fluke for Smallwater, which is prolific in its award winning. It was awarded Best Geographe Red the past three years for its Shiraz. Its 2021, which has yet to be released, has also already claimed gold at the Wine Show of WA. It’s 2021 Rob’s Block Cabernet Sauvignon recently won gold and a trophy at the national Winewise Awards and the Australian New Zealand Boutique Wine Awards. The list goes on.

“Good wine is grown on the vine,” says owner John Smallwater. “Geographe is quite vast. We’re coastal plains up until the escarpment. We grow a lot of incredibly good fruit.

“With that being said, I employ exceptionally talented winemakers and we don’t shortcut on barrel selection, which can make a huge difference. It’s just attention to detail for the whole process, really.”

In Smallwater’s vineyards, you can find an array of varieties including Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet, Zinfandel, Petit Verdot, and more recent plantings of Fiano and Saperavi.

A Fiano claimed the Best Geographe White Wine for WAAWS 2022, belonging to Vineyard 28, which produces a number of alternatives, also including Arneis, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo.

“Fiano is very much an emerging variety in Australia and suits this region very well,” says Mark.

“Green Door is another producer that's been making it for many years and has had great success with it.”

Mark recommends freshly shucked oysters with Fiano, "a beautiful food wine".

In the case of Vineyard 28’s, you can expect orange peel on the nose, a palate full with citrus and lime, firm acidity, length and a subtle beeswax texture. Predominately clean and fresh, it’s been softened slightly with a few months on old oak to finish.

With so many outstanding producers present within the region and ample awardwinners, a wine tour is well worth planning a trip around.

Visit geographewine.com.au to find a few that tickle your fancy and go forth from there.