Italian grapes

Italian Varieties

by Toni Paterson Master of Wine

Italian grape varieties are all the rage in Australia at the moment. Although our bottle shop shelves are still dominated by Shiraz, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, there is an ever increasing range of ‘alternative’ varieties to be found.

Italian varieties with significant plantings in Australia include Sangiovese, Zinfandel (syn. Primitivo), Barbera and Nebbiolo. There are others, such as Dolcetto and Arneis which have small plantings yet have been on our shelves for a few years. However more and more niche varieties are popping up with exotic sounding names like Prosecco, Rondinella, Corvina, Lagrein, Marzemino, Vermentino and Sagrantino. I think it’s time we all started to learn Italian.

Let’s first have a look at the more popular varieties.

Some of you may be familiar with Sangiovese as it is the main component of the great wines of Chianti in Italy. It has vibrant red fruit, a solid structure and a drying finish. Its heightened acidity allows it to slice through the richest Italian cuisine making it a great food wine. The major plantings in Australia can be found in the river areas of south eastern Australia, all major areas of South Australia, as well as Mudgee, Rutherglen and Cowra.

Many people think that Zinfandel is American however it is genetically identical to the Italian variety Primitivo. It is a big, rich wine with opulent fruit and generous palate weight. It has been successful in the warmer regions of Australia such as the Riverina, Barossa Valley, Mudgee and McLaren Vale.

Barbera is a delightful Italian variety which is widely grown in Piedmont in Northern Italy. It has vibrant flavours, fresh acidity and soft tannins making it very easy to drink, with or without food. In Australia, significant plantings can be found in the Riverina, Mudgee, the Riverland and McLaren Vale.

Nebbiolo is the most powerful of all the Italian grape varieties. It is used to make Barolo, one of Italy’s most famous red wines. There is growing interest in the variety in Australia, due to its exotic flavour profile. Fragrance is coupled with fruit and structure making it a very serious red wine indeed.

But what about some of the others? Dolcetto is a fun and fruity wine which is very soft. It is a great variety for people who don’t normally drink red wine.

Arneis is a crisp white wine with lemon and pear flavours made by a handful of producers.

Prosecco, with its freshness and simplicity is used to make easy drinking sparkling wines.

Rondinella and Corvina are often seen together, being the main varieties of Valpolicella. Together they produce a wine with concentrated red fruit flavour with savoury tones.

Lagrein can have strong flavours and firm tannins so it’s not for the faint hearted.

Marzemino is full or berry fruits and spice – a great variety to pull out if you’re looking for something different.

Sagrantino is a red grape which produces a fabulous wine in Italy, Sagrantino di Montefalco. Hopefully plantings will increase in Australia – at the moment, only tiny quantities exist. It is a powerful wine with full flavour.

In contrast, Vermentino is a crisp, fresh white wine perfect for summer drinking. Let’s hope there will be more of this in the future as well.

Arrivederci!

© Toni Paterson 2005