I am indebted to Ms Pia Akerman, daughter of the redoubted Piers Akerman (former editor of the Adelaide “Advertiser” and now conservative columnist on the “Daily Telegraph” Sydney) for the information that Italian grape varieties are taking off in Australia (26/1/08). She is quite right in reporting that varieties such as Nebbiolo, Tempranillo and Viognier are climbing the popularity stakes with our grape growers. Admittedly most are increasing from a small base. For example Viognier (one of my favourite whites) has grown in plantings by 1005 per cent in the Clare Valley in five years. But that’s from just 2.2 hectares to 24.3 hectares. Varieties such as Petit Verdot and Mataro are also increasing, according to Pia and the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation. But while there’s a trend there – drinkers looking for different flavours – caution should be exercised. Viognier is a French-derived white grape, and red Mataro has been around here for well over a century.Indeed, “The Australian’s” headline “Mediterranean grapes squeeze out locals”, may be a Dead Cat pun (“squeeze out”, get it?). All of our grape varieties are Mediterranean, from, Shiraz to Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling to Chardonnay. Many Aussie winemakers have been playing around with different varieties for decades. Italian family makers are obvious, but others less so. The Brown Family are the standout here.The Browns, who have been growing at the hamlet of Milawa, in north west Victoria, since 1880 are the best example. They started planting “odd” varieties in their Nursery vineyard several decades ago. Nebbiolo and Tempranillo are among them. They also have Barbera, Sangiovese, Sienna and Roussanne among their reds and Moscato and Vermentino among their whites. The Browns make and market these wines in a very interesting way. They are initially grown in the little test vineyard and the resulting wines are sold only at their cellar door outlet at the Milawa winery. That way they get feedback on whether drinkers like them. Then if they do, larger plantings follow and they go onto the national market.The cellar door itself is a warm, charming and well designed place, adjacent to an excellent restaurant where you can eat very well and enjoy their wines. It’s worth a visit if you are going to the Victorian snowfields or travelling the Hume Highway between Melbourne and Sydney. The nearest big town is Wangaratta, which has its own attractions.
Meanwhile things are under way with the 2008 vintage. Like its predecessor, it is shaping up to be low yielding, though certainly better than 2007. The initial warm spell got the grapes ripening earlier than usual, which started the harvest in the first few weeks of January in the hot, irrigated areas. Cooler weather afterwards moderated things, which should see some good whites and more elegant reds. While it’s really too early to tell how things will wind up, it looks promising. Meanwhile grab all the decent reds you can, because of the looming shortage. Things will be better when the 2008 wines become available, starting later this year.
I celebrated my 65th birthday not long ago with my brother in Canberra, and we enjoyed a 10-year-old bottle of Penfolds RWT Shiraz from my cellar. It was fantastic, which just goes to prove the values of the Rewards of Patience.
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