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INTERESTING AND INNOVATIVE: EMBRACING ALTERVATIVE WINE
Alternative Wine Varietals
Interesting and innovative: Embracing alternative wine
Australia’s wine industry is known for being an innovation leader, with many local winemakers creating strong potential for alternative varietals, writes Brydie Allen.
We’re pretty lucky in Australia to be surrounded by so many incredible wines in so many corners of the country. Our local winemakers and their regions are known worldwide for exceptional work with key varietals, from Barossa Shiraz to Margaret River Chardonnay and much more.
Aside from the classics though, Australia’s wine industry is also known for its leading innovation, and with the freedom that is not seen within many European regions, the possibilities at our winemakers’ and grapegrowers’ fingertips are almost endless.
Coriole Vineyards
One such area of exploration can be found within the ever-expanding range of alternative grape varietals in which many independent Australian wineries play and lead. Some varietals start small, but then are executed so well that they become accepted as mainstream wine options by the domestic consumer market (e.g. Pinot Gris/Grigio). Meanwhile, other varietals inch themselves more shelf space as awareness about them grows, while some stay rare hidden gems.
For the most knowledgeable wine consumers, interesting varietals coming from our local winemakers are embraced as exciting options. But what about the regular punter?
-Peter Lloyd General Manager Coriole Vineyards
Peter Lloyd, General Manager of Coriole Vineyards in McLaren Vale, says the evolving success of alternative varietals shows a continued thirst for them in Australia. As a longtime local leader in this space, being the first producer in Australia to plant Fiano and Piquepoul vines, Coriole has seen this develop over time.
“Alternative varietals come and go, some graduate to become mainstream and others may fall by the wayside for viticultural, marketing or winemaking reasons, what is important is to keep experimenting but also do a little homework prior,” Lloyd said.
This is why wine label Alpha Box and Dice prefers a different term when describing these grapes.
“We like to think of our different wine varieties as ‘emerging’ rather than alternative. Many of them are now proven to thrive and produce outstanding wines in the regions that they weren’t traditionally planted, which indicates that their prevalence of production, consumer awareness and demand in the market is sure to continue to grow,” said the winery’s Jared Brown.
Assorted reasons for loving alternative wines
There are many reasons for wine producers to add alternative varieties to their lineup.
At Coriole, where alternative varietals like Fiano, Piquepoul, Sangiovese, Montepulciano, Cinsault and more make up more than half of the winery’s volume, the interest came in the 1980s while looking for alternatives for French varietals.
“We were interested in the new possibilities and the unique expressions that could be created from the varietals. This of course has broadened to find varieties that suit our climate and our viticultural future,” said Lloyd.
For Pizzini Wines in King Valley, which has an alternative collection featuring Brachetto, Lambrusco, Verduzzo, Teroldego and many more, it was a decision made in the early 1990s to help put the winery and the region on the map.
Pizzini family
“It was a big risk to take back then, but we knew it would be worth it,” said Brand Manager, Natalie Pizzini.
“We knew that for the King Valley to differentiate itself from all of the other Australian wine regions we needed to create a niche market - we couldn’t compete with Chardonnay from the Yarra, Cabernet from Margaret River or Shiraz from the Barossa.”
At Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards, with a portfolio that features the likes of Vermentino, Tempranillo and Mencia alongside more mainstream grapes, having that alternative side provides “light and shade”, according to Winemaker, Corrina Wright.
“It also provides new wines for different occasions. Fiano and Vermentino in particular work really well in this region - they have lovely high natural acidity, lots of texture and some saline qualities that work really well with the food we get from our oceans. Having beautiful wines with vines that are drought, heat and disease tolerant - that’s pretty good all around,” Wright said.
In the Barossa, Lou Miranda Estate and Levrier Wines by Jo Irvine are two producers that are doing some interesting things with alternative varietals, stemming from the work of previous generations.
Lou Miranda Estate, for example, has heroed Sagrantino in its Fierce III brand, developed as a modern take on the traditions the Miranda family has held in the industry since 1939. Sisters Lisa, Victoria and Angela have been the second generation at the helm since 2019, and while Sagrantino had been experimented with under the winery since their father planted vines in 2009, the sisters released their version of the varietal within the Fierce III collection as a symbol of the fresh take they’ve brought into the business.
Jo Irvine’s alternative hero at Levrier Wines is a Meslier single varietal sparkling wine, of which she says there are only 20 hectares planted worldwide, with two hectares in the Adelaide Hills. Irvine said her father saw the potential of the Meslier grape in the 1980s on a trip to France, and she was able to learn and experiment with him until she launched the wine under her own label.
“Meslier is only used to make sparkling wine, that we know of, but it is usually blended into house styles of Champagne… As far as I know, it has never been used as a single varietal in sparkling wine, so we make the only one in the world,” Irvine said.
Consumers keen to explore
Whether they were previously aware of them or not, consumers are not shying away from trying alternative wine varietals, with this becoming a key drawcard for some cellar doors.
Lloyd says: “Many people visit us to try our alternative varieties - that’s why they know about us. They are then surprised to see we make great Shiraz as well!”
It’s a similar story at Pizzini, where guests to the cellar door are coming specifically to try the wide range of Italian varieties.
Wright, who is also President of the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show (AAVWS), said people are always looking for something new, and that will only grow as more alternative varietals are stocked in the retail sector.
“I think a lot of people can get bored by the same wines, even great wines like McLaren Vale Shiraz. They want to have different things to taste and talk about. That is why we’re seeing a massive demand increase through South Australia and the eastern seaboard as well,” Wright said.
Education boosts awareness and uptake
Key to the success of any liquor category is education - do consumers know what a product actually is and what it can offer them? There are several strategies that wine brands are using to educate consumers about alternative wines.
The cellar door team at Oliver’s Taranga is renowned for its educational abilities, which saw it become the first cellar door team to ever take out the WCA Wine Communicator of the Year Award in 2022.
“Wine is quite intimidating in the first place, let alone with varietals that you’ve never heard of... I think our staff do a really great job of making everyone feel like they’re on an adventure and there’s no judgment, so why not have a go and try something different? More often than not, people find something that’s pretty good and it goes into their repertoire,” Wright said.
At Coriole, Lloyd said this comfort is created by helping “provide a frame of reference, i.e. make sure those trying Sangiovese for the first time are expecting a dry and tannic style… Once they have something to latch on to, they are very comfortable to explore.”
Irvine’s approach is to create ‘sensory plates’, which give consumers the chance to taste similar flavours to what they can find in the wine (e.g. green apple slices to match the green apple notes of Meslier). It’s not a food pairing that presents complementary flavours, but rather helps people learn how to identify and understand the flavour notes of different wines.
At Alpha Box & Dice, education comes from many angles. While the cellar door staff tell the story of the brand and each varietal, the winery has also collaborated with artists in the creation of each label to draw attention to the different varietals. The Alpha Box & Dice online store also builds into the educational process, utilising Shopify abilities to add engaging and interactive features.
“Consumers can click on the wine they are interested in to find out more about the backstory of that variety, the winemaking process, and tasting notes with best pairings,” Brown said.
The verdict: is there opportunity around alternative wines in-store?
All the winemakers in this story agree that opportunity in retail can come from multiple levels for alternative varietals, from the connoisseur to the average punter. In general, consumers are increasingly enjoying being explorers, seeking out new experiences that surprise and delight them, and that they can show off to their friends.
And as they explore these wines, they become aware of how well they can fit into the Australian lifestyle. A lot pair incredibly well with food, while others have lighter and refreshing styles perfect for hot weather, and others stack up some serious value at their price points. With more than 100 alternative varietals tasted at the 2022 AAVWS, there are plenty of angles to explore in the sector.
-Corinna Wright Winemaker Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards
Of course, it’s not as simple as whacking dozens of different and unusual wine varieties on the shelf and hoping they get a fraction of the love shown to our mainstream wines. As Lloyd noted, success all hangs on the ability of the retailer to surface the wines and why consumers would enjoy them.
“Wine is daunting enough as it is to many consumers so it’s important to find ways to communicate all the great things about these varietals,” he said.
“The lifestyle element helps here as it’s easily relatable - Piquepoul with new season’s oysters, Sangiovese with Italian tomato-based dishes, Negroamaro with a charcuterie board, etc.”
Pizzini believes this can all be achieved through close connections between retail and the wineries.
“It requires the makers to spend more time helping to educate those working in retail. Many of the lesserknown varieties are a hand-sell and require staff to be interested in talking about the wines to their customers – what to expect from the wine, what to serve it with, how long to cellar before the wine,” Pizzini said.
“This all helps to build excitement around these wines.”
