Australian Whites
Vintage image sourced on Pinterest
For those of us who grew up in the United States, Australian white wines were essentially just Yellow Tail Chardonnay. Maybe one of Yellow Tail’s Sauvignon Blancs or Pinot Grigios if the local grocery was really well-stocked. Now, there is nothing wrong with Yellow Tail - in fact, their Chardonnay was without doubt the best performer in a lineup of popular inexpensive white whites tasted blind in one of my WSET Diploma study sessions in San Francisco.
The problem isn’t Yellow Tail or other inexpensive Aussie “critter” wines…it’s the a general lack of knowledge, availability and awareness of other Australian white wines in the United States. And of how outstanding they can be.
If you’re reading this post from countries like the UK, New Zealand, China or Australia, you might be thinking duh, of course there are fantastic white wines in Australia, how could you not have known this?
All I can do is shrug and say that the wine market is a complex, living thing, ever-changing and often fickle. Where you live matters a lot - even in today’s global economy. Culture and access can change one’s perspective on everything when it comes to wine.
Wherever you live and wherever you grew up, this tasting guide is intended to give you a taste of what Australian white wine has to offer. I have no doubt that you’ll find an ace.
Stuff to know
One of the reasons Australian white wines are hard to find in certain markets like the United States is that the grape varieties are often the same ones planted in other “New World” countries like New Zealand, the United States, Canada, South Africa, Chile and Argentina, brought over by European immigrants as they sought familiarity and opportunity while building new lives abroad. The challenge is that it’s just not easy to compete with domestic wines unless the differences are very, very clear. “Old World” countries like France, Italy and Spain have an advantage in this respect in that their wines are usually labeled by place, rather than grape. While this might deter or intimidate, especially while first learning about wine, it sends a clear signal: a White Burgundy, for example, is a Chardonnay wine that can only come from Burgundy and is not exchangeable with California Chardonnay or Australian Chardonnay, no matter how delicious or even similar the latter Chardonnays taste.
When faced with choice between a Margaret River Chardonnay and a Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, many Americans will choose the latter for familiarity’s sake…and because they might not even know where Margaret River is, much less how and why their Chardonnays taste different from California ones. The same can be true for South Africans and Canadians. The thought often being: why buy an Australian Chardonnay if there are good ones made domestically at similar price points? Anyone who has ever moved to a different part of a large country or moved abroad will be familiar with how certain produce, like blueberries or avocados, for example, tastes entirely different - or isn’t even available - in their new home. Given that wine is fermented grape juice, why wouldn’t it taste different when grown in a different place?
Another reason Australian white wines have struggled to gain a strong foothold in the United States is because there’s a perception that Australia is hot. And yes, parts of Australia are crazy hot…but in the same way that Europeans I’ve met while living in France and Denmark often perceive the United States as California, New York, Florida and Texas without anything in between, Australia is much more than Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and The Outback. There are many areas in Australia that are well-suited to white wine production, usually with cooling influences from oceans, rivers and/or elevation.
Australia, like most countries outside of Europe, has a wine history that’s inextricably tied to colonialism, immigration and innovation. Without the weight of hundreds of years of tradition or strict regulations, growers and wine producers often forged their own paths. This meant that grape varieties we might be familiar with from particular regions and countries in Europe, like Dry Rieslings from Alsace and Germany, full-bodied Viogniers from the Rhône, or Chardonnays from Burgundy didn’t have to be grown in the same types of landscapes and they didn’t have to undergo the same winemaking methods as were used in Europe. Australians were free to experiment and figure out what worked best in their terroir, often with state-of-the-art winemaking equipment.
In some periods of Australia’s wine history, this meant most winemakers chose to create extra ripe, fruit-forward wines. Thanks to this, there’s still a lingering misperception that all Australian wines - both white and red - adhere to this style. The reality, though, is much, much more nuanced, with many winemakers today crafting wines that are elegant, restrained and well-balanced, rather than extra ripe.
Australia’s most-planted and best-known white wine grape is Chardonnay, that impossible-to-pin-down, yet ubiquitous grape. There’s also Pinot Grigio (AKA Pinot Gris), Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Semillon and Viognier produced all over the country in styles as varied as the people themselves.
When buying Australian wines, you should know upfront that screwcaps are common and are in no way an indication of quality, good or bad. If anything, research has demonstrated that wines aged under screwcap can age as well (and sometimes even better) than those bottled with corks. Many top-quality Australian wines are bottled with screwcaps, so please try not to judge the wine by its bottle.
What to look for in this tasting
Australian wines in general, especially many of the ones available on export markets, tend to be known for being fruit-forward, full-bodied wines with high alcohol levels and so much ripeness that they almost trick your mind into thinking they’re sweet. There are wines that are precisely that type, especially those that come from the warmest Australian wine regions and from winemakers who stylistically aim for this type of wine.
But often, this perception isn’t true at all. I’ve tasted Chardonnays so elegant that I would’ve guessed they were from France and Rieslings so austere I’d have guessed Austria before Australia. This isn’t to say that wines from Europe are better by any means, only that generalizations can be misleading (shocker, I know).
Since this tasting is an overview of Australia’s white wines, it’s organized by grape variety, rather than region. Since each grape variety will bring its own set of characteristics to the table and those can vary widely depending on the Australian wine region and winemaking choices, there is a huge range of aromas, flavors, acidity and body levels in these wines. In this case, it’s best to get into the wine descriptions themselves to get a better idea of what you’re in for with each wine.
The wines
#1: Australian Chardonnay
Australia, like the United States, has few winemaking regulations and huge climatic variations, both between and within wine regions. Some winemakers choose to clearly label their Chardonnay wines, making it easy to figure out what you’re buying when reading either the name or the wine’s description. When this isn’t the case, climate is still a good rule of thumb.
In Southern and Eastern Australia, Chardonnays tend to lean toward the overtly oaky and ripe styles, though there are always some exceptions. In the Hunter Valley on the East Coast, Chardonnays can be moderately ripe or full-on tropical, while on the Western Coast, in Margaret River, moderately warm climate Chardonnays are crafted with as much precision and aging potential as some top White Burgundies by producers like Leeuwin Estate.
Victoria’s Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula and South Australia’s Adelaide Hills are known for their moderately cool climates and creamy Chardonnays with minimal oak influence.
In Tasmania, things can get full-on chilly, and the Chardonnays are often subtler here, with producers like Tolpuddle creating growing demand for these top-quality wines.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Stick with a Chardonnay from any Australian region
#2: Australian Riesling
One of the most memorable Australian Rieslings I’ve ever tasted was a Pikes “Hills and Valleys” 2014 Clare Valley Riesling. I will never forget it, because it was in a brown bottle with screw cap and a fish on the label in profile, looking for all the world like a trophy catch in a Midwestern lake house. I was not excited to drink that wine. Never, ever would I have picked that bottle by its label, which just goes to show you.
Because it was delicious. And so completely different from Rieslings I’d tasted from Europe or the United States. It was bursting with lime zest and blossom and had this subtle hot plastic aroma that in combination with all that lime just made me think of margaritas. In the best kind of way. I was living in Dijon, France at the time, where there were still several months to go before the dreary, grey days were over, but I still felt like I should be sitting outside eating fish tacos while drinking this wine. I’ve since tasted plenty of other Australian Rieslings, and I can happily say that there are many more appealing labels (unless fishing is your thing, of course), but fair warning: most will have screw caps. Please, please don’t let this deter you. Australian Rieslings are crazy cool.
What to ask for: Ask by name. Most Australian Rieslings are dry.
Alternative(s): Look for Rieslings from the Clare Valley or Eden Valley, Great Southern, Canberra, Tasmania or New Zealand
#3: Australian Semillon
Semillon (”sem-ee-yohn”) is best known for being a blending partner in Sauternes and similar dessert wines and the dry white Sauvignon Blanc-based blends in Bordeaux. Despite being known as a blending grape, Semillon has more than enough to offer to stand on its own, and in Australia, it often does.
Semillon has been planted in Australia since the 1830s, and over the almost 200 years since, its popularity has spread to several winemaking regions, where it is used to make youthful, fruit-forward and refreshing wines, rich and full-bodied wines aged in oak barrels and even sweet dessert styles like those from Riverina providing Australia’s answer to Bordeaux’s famous Sauternes. Many of these Semillons are wildly age-worthy, even (or especially) the ones you might not expect.
Hunter Valley Semillon, from a zone about 125 miles (200km) north of Sydney on Australia’s eastern coast, is Australia’s most famous style of Semillon, a signature style that tends to show up in blend tasting exams and competitions for those of us who pursue that kind of thing. In theory, Hunter Valley Semillon is one of those wines you should feel relieved to get in a blind tasting, since it’s so distinctive that it could only be what it is, never confused for anything else. If only.
There’s the light body and low alcohol level, a dead give-away if you’re good at identifying that quickly (a skill I’m forever trying to improve). There’s the high, almost buzzing acidity, a characteristic I’ve also experienced in some wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and some Vinho Verdes from Portugal. The real problem occurs when you get a young Hunter Valley Semillon, since its flavors can be so restrained as to be almost non-existent, or at least one-note. I’ve written tasting notes that just had lemon, lemon zest and lemon icing (like the kind on a cake) for some of these young wines. But if you get one with some age? Now, that’s another situation entirely. Hunter Valley Semillons, despite their dullness in youth, can - and should - age for decades. After at least 5 years, the wines retain their light body and high acidity, but start developing flavors of toasted almonds, honeycomb and hay that are so distinctive together that truly, if you get one of these wines in a blind tasting, you’ll feel a sense of relief.
In Western Australia, Semillon wines in Margaret River tend to be blended with Sauvignon Blanc, though either variety can take the lead percentage-wise. Margaret River Semillon-based wines tend to have more texture, weight and fruit flavors than those from Hunter Valley, which are harvested early to create their signature style. Expect to find flavors like gooseberries, guava, grapefruit and freshly cut grass, often with a subtle smoky quality. Sometimes, these wines are fermented and aged in oak barrels to add texture, body and flavors of vanilla and spice.
What to ask for: Ask for a dry Semillon wine.
Alternative(s): Look for Australian Semillon wines from regions like the Hunter Valley, Margaret River or the Barossa Valley
#4: Australian Sauvignon Blanc
Despite neighboring New Zealand’s global dominance in Sauvignon Blanc production, Sauvignon Blanc has been planted in Australia since the 1800s, and is Australia’s second-most planted white grape, behind Chardonnay. It’s planted all over the country and made into many different styles, which makes it hard to pin down exactly what Australian Sauvignon Blanc tastes like. Generally, though, we can say that Australian Sauvignon Blancs tend to be less “green” than those from New Zealand, with less green bell pepper, gooseberry and grassy flavors and more passion fruit, guava, grapefruit, lime and lemon. Note that I’m using the word “generally” here as a buffer, since this isn’t always the case.
Most Australian Sauvignon Blancs are grown in regions with strong cooling influences like ocean breezes or elevation and are fermented in stainless steel, then bottled and released quickly after fermentation, creating fresh, fruit-forward wines. There are exceptions though, with some Sauvignon Blancs undergoing lees stirring, oak barrel fermentation and/or aging that add weight, texture, body and richness to the wines.
Australia’s best-known Sauvignon Blanc wines are from the Adelaide Hills. Sauvignon Blanc is also the most-planted white grape variety in the Adelaide Hills, planted more frequently even than the country’s near-ubiquitous Chardonnay.
In Western Australia, Sauvignon Blanc wines in Margaret River tend to be blended with Semillon, though either variety can take the lead percentage-wise. Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc-based wines tend to have more texture and weight than those from the Adelaide Hills, both thanks to the contribution of Semillon and because they undergo oak barrel fermentation and/or aging more frequently.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Look for Australian Sauvignon Blancs from regions like Adelaide Hills, Margaret River and Tasmania
#5: Australian Viognier
Viogner (“vee-own-yay) is one of those pain-in-the-butt grapes, like Pinot Noir, that are just difficult. It’s a grape variety that demands a lot of love and attention, in both the vineyards and the winery. Because of this neediness, French winemakers in Viognier’s home region of Condrieu in the northern Rhône almost allowed the grape to become extinct just before the 1980s, when only a few producers were choosing to bother with the labor-intensive and costly management of Viognier wines on steep, terraced slopes.
In Australia though, Viognier was just picking up at the same time it was moving toward extinction in France, in the 70s and early 80s. Some Australian winemakers were only experimenting with Viognier as a blending partner for their Shiraz wines, imitating the practice of co-fermentation common in the Northern Rhône, where Viognier contributes aromas, stabilizes color and alters the texture and tannins of the red Shiraz wines. Others were trying their hands at making 100 percent Viognier white wines.
Australian Viognier can be as aromatic, weighty, viscous and full-bodied as the best wines of Condrieu, with flavors of fresh peaches, apricots, orange blossoms and honeysuckle, low levels of acidity and a bitter bite, like almond skin, on the finish. They can also be delicate, unoaked and youthful, made from grapes grown in cooler areas and harvested earlier to achieve styles that are more refreshing than indulgent.
Viognier is also sometimes blended with other white grapes from the Rhône; Marsanne and Roussane, in regions like the Goulburn Valley in Central Victoria.
What to ask for: Ask for a 100% Viognier from Australia
Alternative(s): 100% Viognier or Viognier-based white blends from Australian regions like Riverina, Riverland, Murray-Darling, the Goulburn Valley, the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale
#6: Australian Pinot Grigio
If you’ve read the Pinot Grigio/Gris tasting guide, you’ll be familiar with the fact that the grape goes by both its Italian and French monikers, depending on where its grown and what style of wine is created. In Australia, where the grape has been grown since the 1830s, Pinot Grigio/Gris goes by both names, and the one that’s used on the label can be used as an indicator of which style of wine you can expect.
Australian Pinot Grigios tend to be pale, dry and citrus-y crisp wines with a light to medium body. Australian Pinot Gris wines, on the other hand are usually golden-amber-colored and weighty, with a rich, almost oily texture, juicy, ripe stone fruit flavors and a candied ginger-y bite that spices things up.
If you aren’t sure which style you prefer, it couldn’t hurt to grab one of each so you can taste both.
What to ask for: Ask by name
Alternative(s): Look for an Australian Pinot Gris from Victoria, particularly Mornington Peninsula, or Tasmania, or a Pinot Grigio from Riverina, Murray-Darling or Riverland
Tasting tips
The eats
If you live somewhere where seafood is easy to find, this would be a great tasting for which to make Aussie-style barbecued prawns (AKA shrimp) and grilled barramundi. Alternative white fishes sea bass, snapper or grouper can sub in for barramundi if it’s not available where you live, too.
If you need to keep things simpler and want to take the charcuterie route, there’s plenty to play with. Cheeses like Chèvre, Comté, Edam, Feta, Swiss, Marscapone and Brie could all work with the variety of white wines in this tasting. Salami, Mortadella, Speck, Prosciutto or other cured meats work well here, too. Round things out with figs, dried apricots, apple slices, almonds, pine nuts, crackers and sliced baguettes and you’ll have plenty for everyone to enjoy.
The prep
Where you live will strongly impact your ability to find the wines for this tasting. This means that some of these wines might be easy to find, while others can take a while, all based on where you live. Give your guests at least 2 weeks to find their wines for this tasting.
Encourage your guests to give their wines some pre-tasting fridge time, since this is a tasting where it’s best if the wines are lightly or fully chilled. It’s a good idea to have an ice bucket or two handy as well, to accommodate any guests who forgot or didn’t have time to chill their wines before arrival.
A note on the tasting order: The wines are listed in the order of which should be included first. If you have fewer than 6 wines/guests, you’ll still have a well-rounded experience. However, the order in which you taste the wines, regardless of how many wines are included, is recommended as follows:
Australian Sauvignon Blanc
Australian Riesling
Australian Pinot Grigio/Gris
Australian Semillon
Australian Viognier
Australian Chardonnay
