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  Fine Australian Wine Online

White Wine Styles/Varietals

Australia’s white wines have a story to tell that’s all their own. The winemakers who create them have a unique approach that sets their wines apart from the rest of the world.  Don’t assume if you’ve tasted Australian Chardonnay, you have experienced the extraordinary diversity and quality of all that Australian white wines have to offer. Australian white wine can display as anything from opulent golden yellow to palest lemon yellow. The colour of the wine depends on the region it comes from and on the grape from which it was made. The choice of grape variety is obviously linked to where it is grown so the cooler climate areas or ‘cool pockets’ within an area are the white wine growing regions.


Chardonnay (pron. shar-don-ay)

The world's most famous white wine grape, Chardonnay is an international superstar varietal. Aussie Chardonnay is a particular favorite and in fact, in some countries people think Chardonnay is Australian for white wine!

This classic grape variety first came to Australia in the late 1920s but it wasn’t until the 1970s that it became the most widely planted variety in the country. You will discover Australian Chardonnay to be consistently well made, often with a hint of vanilla/oak flavors imparted by oak barrels during fermentation to produce complex, full flavored white wines.

Because Chardonnay adapts to so many different regions, it’s capable of developing many different styles. In cooler regions, Australian Chardonnay exhibits a delicate texture with crisp flavors of lime/citrus, green apples and hints of pineapple. In warmer regions, it can have a silky and luxurious mouthfeel with lush flavors of tropical fruit, ripe melons and peaches. When the wine is fermented in oak barrels, these characters may be combined with vanilla, buttery, toasty and nutty elements.

Chardonnay is usually served chilled and matches very well with chicken and with dishes that are served with a lot of butter or a cream sauce.  With so many different styles of Aussie Chardonnay to choose from, we're sure there are several that will please you!


Sauvignon Blanc (pron. sav-in-yon blonk)

What’s cool, white, wonderful, sometimes herbaceous, often grapefruit-like and occasionally grassy? It’s the superb varietal, Sauvignon Blanc. Australia is not yet well known for its Sauvignon Blanc but it is growing fast in popularity and increased plantings. It’s a very distinctive grape variety producing very zesty, refreshing wines.

As elsewhere in the world, it is a variety which shows its best when grown in cooler regions. Australia’s huge landmass with such diverse micro-climats provides some fine regions with the perfect growing conditions to produce wonderfully expressive Sauvignon Blanc. In the coolest regions these Australian wines have herbal (grassy), gooseberry characters. More typical are wines from slightly warmer climates showing more passionfruit flavor with a zing of acidity.

A classic Australian Sauvignon Blanc is dry, with a full fruit flavor. It is an excellent wine for enjoying chilled with or without food and is especially good when served with seafood. Sauvignon Blanc is often blended with Semillon, which creates a perfect partnership and fuller palate style.

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Semillon (pron. semi-yon)

Semillon is a versatile, high quality white grape capable of exhibiting a wide range of styles from bone dry to lusciously sweet. Semillon ripens earlier in the season than most grapes and is therefore less likely to be damaged by rains or frost.

Australian Semillons are full flavored white wines, mostly pale straw in color with aromatic expression of sweet citrus and orange blossom with classic varietal herbaceousness. Light to medium bodied, the finish is usually clean and fresh with lingering lemon/ lime, straw and grassy flavors with zesty steel acidity.

Vinified as a dry table wine it makes fresh white wines with tart, lemony flavors. When the wine is first bottled, Semillon will have bright acidity and tropical notes. However, as the wine is allowed to age in the bottle, it develops a honeyed, nutty taste. Semillon has the ability to bottle age for a very long time.

The wine growing regions of Western Australia make great dry Semillons. It is often the trend to add a little bit of the more herbaceous and racy Sauvignon Blanc to the blend to take advantage of the strengths of each variety.


Verdelho (pron. ver-del-o)

Verdelho as a varietal still wine is a success story the Aussies can claim as their own. It was originally brought to Australia for the purpose of making intensely sweet fortified wines, just as it does on the island of Madeira.  However, when bottled as a still table wine (unfortified) the winemakers of Australia found they’d hit on something really special.

Verdelho is a tangy medium-sweet white variety that originates around Portugal and is now grown all around the world. In Australia the Hunter Valley in New South Wales is where the Verdelho grape thrives in the warm sunny climate and sandy soil. Australian Verdelho has intense fruit of rich tropical citrus and aromas of lemon, honeysuckle and lime with a honey/mead characteristic. It’s like fruit salad without the sugar.

Best served cold, Verdelho will be a new discovery for many people. It can be enjoyed outdoors with summer barbecues of seafood, chicken and salads. Verdelho is a very versatile wine suitable to accompany most foods and it is a good wine for cellaring.

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