A medley of quirky and downright difficult grapes are thriving in Australia, as Joelle Thomson discovers...

Australian wine often reminds me of one of Aesop’s famous fables, which tells the story of all the birds in the world competing to see who has the most impressive plumage and will be chosen to be king of them all.

It’s a powerful illustration of the breathtaking variety in Mother Nature’s kingdom and calls to mind the sheer range of grape varieties that are pressed into service to make wine (over 1,000 at last count).

This year, I was reminded again of the growing number of quirky, relatively unknown, and some downright demandingly difficult grapes that all seem to be doing rather nicely in Australia.

Everything from Albariño and Tempranillo (Spanish) to Assyrtiko (Greek), and Italy’s Aglianico, Fiano, Sagrantino, Sangiovese and Vermentino are currently growing in Australia and being used
to produce an incredible variety of interesting wines.

The reason these grapes grow well in many of Australia’s wine regions is due to the Mediterranean-style climate. Abundant heat and low rainfall create relatively reliable vintages from one year to the next, making for favourable growing conditions.

A tasting with Corey Ryan of the Barossa Valley winery, Sons of Eden, revealed even more strings to the Aussie wine bow this year when he pulled out a velvety smooth Montepulciano, followed by a gutsy Sagrantino, and then (under a different brand but still made by him) a high-quality magnum of Nero d’Avola. These grape varieties all originate in Italy and are rapidly finding their feet in Australia.

Corey was a pilot when he decided that studying microbiology would be more fun, and since it led to a career in wine, he was clearly onto something.

He’s best known on this side of the Tasman as the former chief winemaker at Villa Maria (2002-2009) and has created Sons of Eden wines with viticulturist and friend Simon Cowham. The pair have since pioneered off-beat European red grape varieties as well as innovative packaging and a refreshingly hands-off approach to Shiraz, that most Australian of reds.

Of the wines tasted with him this year, there are too many impressive dropsto name them all, but the following trio is worth tracking down: the bright and smooth 2019 Sons of Eden Cirrus Riesling; the 2022 Sons of Eden Notus Grenache (made from 100-year-old vines and aged in 500 litre puncheons for nine months) and the magnum of Wine Basket Nero d’Avola.

The latter is drop-dead drinkably good, possibly too much so. Its packaging is fashioned on the traditional Italian straw- clad ‘fiasco’, only better-looking. This wine speaks of warm climates and the need for purity ahead of oak influence. Corey respects the grape varieties in the wines he and Cowham produce, accentuating fruit flavours ahead of winemaking influence. It is easy to love the results.

Australia certainly has the climate to champion these great Euro grape varieties and its best producers are sympathetic to the grapes – rather than trying to make copycat styles. As the King of the Birds fable reminds us, variety is truly the spice of life.

Wine to try
2019 Sons of Eden Cirrus Riesling (RRP $35)
Stone Pony Wines
Aussie Riesling is dry. That is the house style. This is an exceptional example with intense lime juice flavours in a dry white (residual sugar less than 2 grams per litre). The grapes were fermented with wild yeasts and aged for six months on yeast lees in tank, which imbues this wine with flesh and palate weight. Beautiful to drink now and a keeper for at least five years.

Joelle Thomson is a journalist, wine writer and author.

joellethomson.com