What About a Home-Grown Italian Drop?

by Louis G. Egan

Italian wine is world famous and it’s very easy to see why. Just the mention of Chianti conjures up images of rolling hills contoured with leafy green vines, a great table complete with a fresh tablecloth, which overhangs and sways in the breeze, steaming dishes made of fresh local ingredients, and in the centre, waiting to be poured into the stout glasses placed by every plate, a bottle of red wine (an old wicker-based fiasco if you’re a romantic). Wine grapes, though not native to Australia, have been grown and cultivated here since the arrival of the First Fleet. After a few failed crops in Sydney’s Botanical Gardens, diversity and production expanded greatly on the arrival of James Busby in 1832 with 363 carefully documented vine cuttings taken from a trip through the wine regions of Spain and France. Today, of the 130 varietals grown in Australia, 89 per cent of production is taken up by just 10 varietals, and 60 per cent is taken up by just four: Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Despite Australia’s significant Italian population, the Italian grape varietals have taken a while to gain any traction, and are still considered “alternative” varieties. Some Italian grapes, particularly Dolcetto, can be found in records from Victoria in the late 19th century, though it wasn’t until the late20th century that some producers started bringing Italian grapes and wine-making traditions here to Australia. After some trials in Barossa and Mudgee, the first successful plantings of Sangiovese (Chianti’s shining star) began in South Australia’s McLaren Vale in 1985, starting with Mark Lloyd of Coriole Wines, who said he wanted to try something “not French”. The trend continued to the point where South Australian Sangiovese has become a common sight on wine lists around the country. Sangiovese is a grape that really demonstrates the soil it’s grown in. Sangiovese maintains its Italian black fruit, herb and tomato leaf notes, but with a distinct Aussie twist that calls you back to the pale sandy soils and eucalypts of the McLaren Vale estate. Sangiovese can also make a wonderfully aromatic rosé. Since the 1990s in the Hilltops region of NSW, Freeman Vineyards have been

making a Rondinella Corvina blend in which the grapes are dried out before pressing, concentrating the flavours in a fantastic take on the Amarone style from Valpolicella DOC in north-eastern Italy. «Rondinella and Corvina grapes thrive in the local terroir - continental cool climate, elevation, and granitic loam soils. They ripen later than conventional varieties like Cabernet. Ours won’t be picked till later [in April],» says Jane from Freeman Vineyards. These wines are bold but controlled, with prominent aromas of cherry liqueur, cinnamon, dark chocolate and green pepper, and can be cellared for over 10 years. Apart from this uniquein-Australia Veneto blend, Freeman also produce a number of other Italian varietals, including Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. In Victoria’s King Valley, Italian grape varietals are taking hold in a big way. Populated by Italian farming families, tobacco was the traditional crop. But in the 1970s a change in government policy led to the phasing out of tobacco, and many farmers turned to wine production. This began with the more “traditional” (in the Australian sense) varietals of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Shiraz, but soon producers began to look towards their Italian heritage. In 2000, Dal Zotto wines planted the first Prosecco grapes and King Valley Prosecco became instantly popular for those seeking a relaxed-yet-sophisticated sparkling wine. The Italian trend continued and the King Valley’s cool climate has made a perfect home for white Italian varietals such as Arneis, Garganega and Pinot Grigio, and reds like Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Barbera and Montepulciano. Climate change has fast become a major issue for winemakers in Australia, with our already harsh climate becoming even more extreme. This is leading winemakers to plant more and more heat-tolerant varieties. Examples of these are found in Fiano and Nero D’Avola, both grown in abundance in the hot, dry climes of southern Italy. Fiano, a white grape originally grown in Campania, with prime examples from Avellino DOC, is now being grown all over Australia, from Queensland’s Granite Belt all the way to Western Australia’s Margaret River. Nero D’Avola, native to Sicily, is now being grown in fine examples in South Australia, across the inland Riverina and Riverland Districts and even as far north as Queensland. These two varieties are becoming very popular among winemakers and consumers and we can expect to see them a lot more in the future. Italian grape varieties are definitely a surging trend in Australian wine, which not only adds a long overdue diversity to the wine market here, but also gives us an opportunity to take a great-value sensory journey to Italy and back.

aUtUmN aNd WINteR paIRINgs

Try a rich and spicy Barossa Valley Nero D’Avola with some roast boar with fennel, sage and rosemary. A dry and aromatic King

Valley Nebbiolo pairs fantastically with a wild mushroom risotto. A Margaret

River Fiano will light up with some grilled salmon and asparagus.

ABOVE Photo by Philip Greenwood