The Great White

With the quest on to find the next “big thing ” in white wine , the shelves are alive with bottles clinking  saying  “pick me pick me”  “I`m the one who deserves your attention”.  Rich and textural,  great food matches there are any number of offerings to tempt the palate. These wines are now generally available at reasonable prices  so the consumer can get more adventurous. We seem to forget that our tastes change and who knows what delicious drop we may find once we look past the old favourites.

Arneis -  best consumed young while its distinctive personality is on show. Crisp, dry &  aromatic, almonds, pear juice, fresh apples and stone fruit are  common components of  Arneis. Fresh and dry this variety is sure to find a following in this country. Try with oysters.

Vermentino, another Mediterranean  varietal that is gaining ground. An aromatic white varietyVermentino wines are a pale straw colour and relatively low in alcohol, with crisp acids, citrus-leaf aromatics, and pronounced minerality. In the mouth, Vermentino shows flavours of green apple and lime, heightened by refreshing acidity, good richness and medium body. The wine’s crispness makes it a delicious accompaniment to fresh seafood, oysters, or grilled Mediterranean vegetables.

The Great White Blend - apart from more varieties on offer, winemakers are taking on the challenge and blending different varieties for new styles and food friendly wines.

Volante from T`Gallant (Mornington Peninsula) is a blend of  Pinot Gris, Chardonnay &  Viognier . The strengths of each variety  give surprising depth and complexity with  richness and texture that  makes it a great food wine. Food Match Spicy Thai - Green chicken curry. The richness and fruit sweetness on the palate is a great match with chilli and spice

McHenry Hohnen Wines from Margaret River acknowledge the Mediterranean climate of Margaret River with varieties associated with southern France and Spain (marsanne, roussanne, grenache, graciano, mataro, shiraz, tempranillo).  Add chardonnay, viognier , barbera, sangiovese and zinfandel and we have the foundations  for the McHenry Hohnen range of wines.

  The Three Amigos -  Marsanne, Chardonnay,Rousanne are the trio that make up this elegant blend. This  wine has a subtle nose of dried apricot and apple, underplayed with spice and vanilla seed. The palate is finely textured with weight and richness.

Yangarra Estate  Roussanne (McLaren Vale South Australia) has vibrant spicy and savoury aromatics and stone fruit flavours.  The 2008 Roussanne offers  layers of creamy French pears, fresh peaches and a refreshing acidity.

The 2009 Savagnin wines are starting to appear on our shelves. After much angst for growers and producers who thought they had the Spanish variety Albarino in the bottle last year have had to dust themselves off and deal with what they have -Savagnin which is being made in clean fruity Australian style, well worth trying.  There are any number of new wines out there for the adventurous so go for it and try something you may have not tried before.