While the exact varietals weren’t documented, the grape vines that arrived in Australia with the First Fleet were most likely French, including the likes of pinot noir, chenin blanc and semillon.
And for the two centuries that followed, French grapes dominated the Australian wine scene (with chardonnay, cabernet, shiraz and sauvignon blanc among the most popular). Since the late 1990s however, there’s been a surge in plantings of Italian varietals. Given the Australian climate and global warming, this makes great sense – especially for Italian varietals traditionally found in the hot, dry south. Here are some of the most popular Italian white varietals in Australia and some of my favourite wines made from them.
Arneis
With a name that means ‘little rascal’ in Piedmont dialect, arneis has a reputation for being hard to grow. It’s found a happy home in several cool Australian regions. Including Orange, where winemaker Nadja Wallington and sommelier Louella Matthews make The Somm & The Winemaker arneis. Fermented on lees in old French oak, it’s full of citrus and ripe fruit with a savoury finish, perfect with grilled prawns, pear & walnut salad.
Fiano
From Mediterranean Sicily and Campania, fiano is quite at home in hot, dry McLaren Vale, where Coriole introduced it to Australia in 2002. Coriole Rubato Reserve is considered by many to be the best fiano outside Italy with bold ripe fruit aromas and a pleasing touch of bitterness on the finish. Ki, by McLaren Vale winery In Praise of Shadows, is an elegant expression of fiano with delicious citrus and melon notes, great with rosemary focaccia.
Vermentino
Versatile vermentino can be dry, sweet, still or sparkling. The classic white grape of Sardinia it’s also popular in Liguria where it’s called pigato. In Mudgee, David Lowe has traded chardonnay for vermentino which he finds better suited to the increasingly warmer climate there. It ripens later than chardonnay, producing a more aromatic wine with better acidity. I love his organic vermentino as an aperitivo with pane carasau, olives and cheese.
Moscato Giallo
Named ‘yellow muscat’ for its golden berries, moscato giallo is part of the huge muscat family. In north-eastern Italy it’s traditionally made into a sweet passito wine. In Victoria, Dane Johns makes a beautiful skin contact moscato giallo. Fistful of Flowers has a delicious floral, grapey nose and complex bitter-sweet taste thanks to the splash of vermentino he blends in. I adore it with a rich potato & smoked fish tart (see video below).
Pecorino
This Italian grape has the same name as Italian sheep cheese because shepherds (or sheep?) liked the grapes. Maybe. Etymology aside, pecorino hails from central Italy and its lower water needs and ability to hold good flavour and acid in warmer areas led to some of the first Australian plantings in the Hunter Valley. The Little Wine Company pecorino has plenty of aromatic crispness and good fruit flavour, great with salmon Wellington.
Updated 04 Feb 2025
