We gathered every Australian red wine with a white accent – that is, wine that looks red but contains some quantity, however large or small, of white grape material – we could find and set our expert panel the task of finding the wines that compelled the most. All wines were tasted blind, and each panellist named their top six wines. Below are the wines that made the panellists’ top-six selections from the tasting.
Our panel: Jemma Fielke, winemaker and viticulturist, J&S Fielke Wines; Gary Mills, winemaker, Jamsheed; Clementine Bird, writer, Wine With Clementine; Andrea Infimo, sommelier, Osteria Renata; Emily Kinsman, winemaker, ECK Wines; Stuart Dudine, winemaker, Alkimi; Valentina Moresco, winemaker, Krinklewood; Mitch Sokolin, winemaker, Eleven Sons and Limestone Cowboy; Chrissie Smith, winemaker, Intrepidus.
Selected in the top six wines of the tasting by Smith, Infimo, Fielke, Kinsman and Bird, this wine – 97% shiraz, co-fermented with 3% lightly-pressed (wet skins) marsanne – stood out for its lifted aromatics, elegant structure and quiet complexity. Smith described it as “bright, lifted, floral red berry and pepper on the nose,” carrying through to a palate of “blackberries, white pepper and spice,” with “super-bright acid” lifting vivid fruit and “elegant tannins” guiding a long, seamless finish. Infimo praised the “ripe, almost stewed fruit” of black raspberry, mulberry and plum, contrasted by a savoury herbal element reminiscent of Cynar. “It doesn’t sit in either ‘chillable red’ or ‘traditional shiraz viognier’ territory,” he noted, instead showing medium body, “lovely crunch,” and a lifted energy thanks to the white grape inclusion. Fielke focused on “super-delicate whole bunch and floral notes – jasmine, orange blossom – with zippy, fresh acidity,” while Kinsman admired the wine’s savoury side, with “olive tapenade, cranberry and blackcurrant” and a “saline, moreish” edge. Bird described it as “intensely salty” on the nose, with “cranberry, black olive, cocoa, hibiscus and orange peel,” and a palate that “starts soft” before firming into “slightly dusty tannins.” She declared it immensely drinkable and perfect with “a plate of salted almonds or smoked bacon.”
Named in the top six by Dudine, Mills, Moresco, Fielke and Sokolin, this playful-yet-serious wine – labelled as a straight cabernet franc but made with a ‘splash’ of chenin blanc – had the panel enamoured with its charm and aromatic lift. Dudine likened it to “a big kid’s dream,” bursting with “Iced Vovo, fairy floss, red jam,” and leesy, doughy complexity, trailing into “gravel-esque tannins” and an “apricot-esque finish.” Mills called it “very pretty” with “rose petal, red currant, Red Frogs and jubey confectionary,” admiring its bright, sweet-fruited personality, supple texture and easy drinkability. Moresco highlighted its “wild cherry, raspberry cheesecake and soft leather,” with a “mid-palate that’s airy, intentionally restrained” and a finish that left her wanting another sip. “A beautifully made wine that favours elegance over power,” she concluded. Fielke found “blueberry pie, vanilla, marshmallow and crunchy red apple,” noting the contrast between the “creamy, lifted nose” and the “bright palate.” Sokolin praised its hibiscus and cherry fruit core, observing, “It would please someone looking for a more recognisable red wine profile … It’s versatile – keep some bottles in the ice, others on the table. No meal choice on this flight – it’s chicken and it’s beef.”
Smith, Infimo, Moresco and Dudine each selected this wine – made from 67% tempranillo, 22% shiraz, and 11% white frontignac, all co-fermented – in their top six of the blind tasting, all highlighting its joyous brightness and compelling complexity. “Blackcurrant bomb!” exclaimed Smith. “Really vibrant blackcurrant fruit on the nose and palate… Crunchy acid that makes your mouth water and want to drink more. Bright, fun, inviting – I could see this being enjoyed chilled after a long, hot day.” Infimo called it “gentle and cuddly,” describing a Mediterranean-leaning profile of “baking spices, rosehip and herbs… ripe cherry, plum and mulberry, with malleable tannins and structural acidity,” crediting the addition of white grape material for its lift and freshness. “This is the kind of red I’d drink with steak on a hot day!” Moresco described it as “a joyous and intriguing wine… saffron, curry leaf and Indian spices rise first, giving way to potpourri and tart raspberry,” praising its “elegant and finely textured” palate with “cranberry, thyme and five-spice.” Dudine found it “bursting with red plum, black olive and shades of boxwood … light, fresh, with wonderful length and texture. Viva!”
Selected in the top six by Sokolin, Infimo and Mills, this field blend – comprised of 33% pinot noir, 19% chardonnay, 17% pinot blanc, 14% sauvignon blanc, 8% merlot, 5% tempranillo, 2% cabernet sauvignon, 1% muscat, 1% gewürztraminer, all picked and co-fermented together – impressed for its cohesion, lift and singular charm. Sokolin praised it as “wonderfully expressive and well-constructed,” noting a dense core of “red currants, berries and hibiscus,” layered with a floral “green blossom” quality that gave it perfume and poise. “It answered only to the gods of pleasure and perfume,” he added. Infimo described the colour as a “vibrant pale ruby,” with aromas of gunflint, hibiscus, rose, poppy stems, redcurrant and pomegranate. “Dangerously drinkable,” he said, admiring the bright palate and “seamless but filigreed tannins.” Mills found it “youthful, vibrant, prickly,” with a svelte, acid-driven palate and “Red Frog flavour explosion.” Reminiscent of a Tavel-style light red, it walked the line between red and rosé with confidence and style.
Moresco, Fielke and Dudine each placed this wine in their top six of the tasting, with its balance of power and prettiness making a striking impression. Moresco described it as “utterly captivating,” with a nose of “rose petals, bubblegum, sweet chocolate and cocoa,” and a palate that was “bold and expressive,” yet carried a “quirky edge” that gave the wine charisma and lift. “Not to be underestimated,” she said, calling it “a wine with character, charisma, and a touch of mischief.” Fielke found it “dark and brooding,” with notes of leather, tobacco and blackcurrant, but beautifully balanced by “incredibly supple” tannins and a sense of lift. “A really great example of building excellent structure (and colour!), while keeping a gentle hand in the winery,” she noted. Dudine was struck by its power, describing aromas of “red plums, raspberry jam, fairy floss and biscuity coconut,” and a palate of “white pepper, black olives, mixed red fruits” and rich spice. “This is a serious wine that will need food,” he added, suggesting “a Saturday date night with slow-cooked lamb shank and jus.”
Selected in the top six by Kinsman and Bird, this wine – made from 97% shiraz co-fermented with 3% pressed viognier skins (no juice) – made a lasting impression with its bold generosity and elegant balance. “Ooft, this wine is delicious!” exclaimed Kinsman, who was captivated by the deep red-purple hue, floral aromatics and sweet red fruit. “Plum and cherry lead the palate, with a savoury finish and soft, dusty tannins – not overbearing, just enough to keep me going back for more.” Bird admired its vibrant, crushed-raspberry colour and rosewater perfume, with fruit characters ranging from wild raspberry to pomegranate and cranberry. “It’s immensely drinkable,” she said, “with firm but unobtrusive tannins, a warming finish, and the kind of salty-savoury undertone that would sing with fragrant pilaf or Moroccan stew.”
Moresco, Mills and Fielke each picked this wine – made from 98.5% shiraz, 0.5% marsanne, 0.5% mataro, 0.5% viognier, blended from multiple separate co-fermented components – in their top six, struck by its depth, precision and complex interplay of elements. Moresco described it as “complex, confident and delicious,” praising the “captivating nose” lifted by a refined reduction and “oak that’s beautifully chosen and impeccably handled.” She noted a red fruit core layered with “smoky paprika, briny capers, clove and star anise,” calling it “a wine that rewards attention and lingers in both thought and glass.” Mills likened it to red velvet cake with “cordite/graphite-like reduction,” highlighting a “sweet palate” and “flashy and brave” fruit intensity. Fielke admired its “beautifully rounded” character, noting “dark chocolate, blackberry and plum” on the palate, with “herbaceous, minty” aromatics and impressive length.
Chosen in the top six by Moresco and Bird, this wine – 98% shiraz co-fermented with 2% viognier – delivered clarity and charisma in equal measure. Moresco described it as “a wine of quiet assurance” with a smooth, polished palate of “bright cherry and wild berry,” lifted by an Amaretto Sour-like note and grounded by “olive tapenade and dried herbs.” She noted its Mediterranean vibe, with floral tones of rose and violet adding charm. Bird called it “made for a Sunday roast,” praising its dense fruit – “loganberry, mulberry, and heavy red berries” – and savoury herbs like rosemary, oregano and thyme. “Great grippy tannins, balanced acid, and a notable lift keep it from toppling into heaviness,” she said.
Bird included this wine – 95% shiraz co-fermented with 5% viognier – in her top six for its earthiness and refined texture. “Stunning colour,” she noted, “with a grounded sense of place – not just in the bottle, but in the vineyard.” The wine opened with “fresh-soil humus” and red fruits – “strawberries, cranberry, ripe red cherry” – all wrapped in supple tannins and bright acidity. She described its texture as “silky and supple,” its palate as “a little smoky,” with hints of balsamic and black olive, and the herbal lift of liquorice root. “It’s compelling,” she said. “I’d serve it with charcuterie and semi-hard cheeses to let the wine shine.”
Selected in her top six by Fielke, this was one of the standout wines of the day for its finesse and complexity. “One of the prettiest wines of the day,” she said, admiring its subtle earthiness and layered aromatics – truffle, pine needles, mint, and fresh tobacco. The palate shone with bright red fruits – cherry, kirsch, strawberry – all delivered in a seamless, moreish flow. “I found myself going back to this wine a few times,” she added. “Each time as good as the last.”
Sokolin and Fielke both selected this quietly confident wine – made from 60% durif, 37% shiraz, and 3% viognier, each parcel matured separately and blended prior to bottling – in their top six. Sokolin noted that while the white grape addition may have played a subtle role, “this is clearly a classically styled mid-weight red” with a dense pomegranate and blue-fruit core. “There’s plenty to chew on,” he added, “but it’s not overtly tannic – your father-in-law won’t suspect a thing.” Fielke flagged it as a wine that grew in appeal: “It took a little while to open up,” she said, “but revealed subtle layers of freshly baked pastry, mulberry and cherry. It’s generous but shy, and I suspect it will evolve beautifully over time.”
Chosen in Mills’ top six for its playful, chillable appeal, this wine – a co-ferment of 50% pinot noir with 30% syrah and 20% chardonnay – offered brightness and ease. “Red figs, nectarine, tangelo, with tamarind spice,” he noted, calling it “waxy and petite, but with juicy acid and pulpy fruit.” While the palate leaned toward the delicate, its svelte structure and fluidity made it “very good, easy drinking – could definitely see this in or out of the fridge.”
Sokolin singled out this wine – a co-fermented blend of undisclosed proportions of grenache, mourvèdre, shiraz, cinsault, counoise, and roussanne – in his top six for its graceful evolution and quiet intensity. “Age was an advantage here,” he said, noting how it “rose above its peers” with a perfume of lavender and white pepper, wrapped in a delicate frame. “Like a pot simmering with Provençal herbs,” he mused. “Unaggressive and charming – lower in alcohol, yet saying everything it needed to say more slowly and quietly than the others. Speak softly, but carry a big stick of bouquet garni.”
Kinsman included this wine – 95% shiraz co-fermented with 5% viognier – in her top six for its deep, earthy charm and persistent finish. “Dark red-purple in colour,” she said, “with aromas of damp forest floor after rain – earthy and mossy.” She noted the wine’s structured, chalky tannins and dark fruit character – “plum, blackcurrant, blackberry” – balanced by an undercurrent of brightness. “It has depth and a finish that lingers for a while,” she added.
Selected in her top six by Smith, this wine – comprised of equal parts pinot noir and pinot gris, co-fermented – impressed with its seductive aromatic lift and savoury detail. “Slight sexy reduction complements the red berry nose,” she said. “Like eating wild berries laying on a forest floor.” She praised the integration of savoury, stemmy spice – “pepper, cinnamon, subtle oak tannin” – which offered structure and contrast to the sweet raspberry fruit. “Although lighter in style – no doubt due to the white grape component – it’s a balanced and complex red,” she said.
Bird selected this wine – a mix of 52% pinot gris, 33% pinot noir, 7% chardonnay, 5% riesling, 3% sauvignon blanc, with most of the pinot gris and pinot noir co-fermented and other components fermented separately and blended in later – in her top six, charmed by its featherlight elegance and breezy drinkability. “Pale red, with a strawberry nose, aromatic lychee, rose petal, and strawberry juice,” she said. The palate is “tart, bright, savoury” with “a slightly creamy texture made fresh by the bright acidity.” Though light in body, it’s juicy and expressive. “Quintessential picnic wine,” she added. “If gingham was a wine, it would be this.” Bring cheese, bread, and good company.
Mills included this wine – 97% shiraz co-fermented with 3% viognier, named after its ‘just a dash of viognier’ – in his top six for its rich generosity and unexpected lift. “Sweet confected blackcurrant and blackberry, darker chocolate, dark cacao, cream confection on the palate – almost over the top,” he said, “but oozing fruit weight, and the palate is kept in check.” Mid-weight tannins frame the lushness, while a fresh front palate and long finish give it drinkability. “A steak-night wine,” he said. “Wraps you up in a warm hug. Has the acid to cut through fatty cuts of wood-fired meat or sit nicely alongside a cheese platter with some tasty bresaola.”
Chosen in the top six by both Kinsman and Mills, this wine – 97% shiraz co-fermented with 3% viognier – found favour for its brightness, complexity, and structure. Kinsman was drawn in by “spice, violets and plum” on the nose, leading to fruit-driven layers of “strawberries, blueberries, and rhubarb,” with a touch of stewed plum adding welcome complexity. “Balanced acid, with a bright lasting finish,” she noted. Mills described “ruby-red grapefruit, red apple, bubblegum,” along with “dusty cocoa and red stone fruit.” He praised the “tight palate” and “good angular tannins” for providing structure. “Smokey graphite, youthful and bright – a good drinker with solid length.”
Infimo singled this wine – a co-fermented blend of 97% shiraz and 3% viognier – out in his top six as a powerful yet balanced expression of the style. “A wine of concentration and complexity, built for the long run,” he said. Deep purple in colour, the nose opens with vanillin oak spice, toast, and clove. Beneath the seasoning lies a core of elegant dark fruit – crushed blackcurrant, blackberry compote, and plum – with savoury notes of smoked barbecue meat and prune juice suggesting a touch of bottle age. “Full-bodied and undoubtedly shaped by winemaking,” he noted, “but it holds perfect balance thanks to its intense fruit concentration. Will only get better with a few more years.”
Smith nominated this wine – 97% shiraz co-fermented with 3% viognier – in her top six for its generous fruit expression and seamless structure. “Ripe raspberries and red and black cherries fill out the palate,” she said. “A generous, rounded mouthfeel is cushioned by firm, integrated tannins that support the plush fruit.” A bright acid line brings energy and lift, helping the wine stay lively and structured. “It’s crying out for a charcoaled, rich cut of meat,” she added, “or a chargrilled vegetable lasagne for the veggie folk.”
Sokolin selected this wine – a co-fermented blend of 60% pinot noir, 20% pinot gris, and 20% pinot blanc – in his top six for its bold use of aromatic varieties and its playful point of view. “Something more in line with what I was expecting today,” he said. “Clearly some fragrant varieties used with intention – and without fear of retribution.” He suspected gewürztraminer was in the mix, calling it “the dominant player here, if not by weight then by performance.” Floral and spicy, “but not painfully so,” he noted that if it veers too far into “grandma’s perfume” territory, “you can chill it.” Age has likely tempered it. A wine with flair, charm and flexibility.
Kinsman selected this wine – equal parts pinot noir and pinot blanc, co-fermented – in her top six for its freshness, charm and textural appeal. “This wine showed youthfulness while also having beautiful texture and balance,” she said. “Bright light red-purple in colour, with strawberry, hints of blueberry, rhubarb and violet.” She praised the “bright acid – not overbearing – and medium length to the palate.” With no oak influence, the wine “is a delightful dance of red fruits – a light and easy-drinking wine with a soft, delicate palate.” Juicy and joyful, it was simply “delicious in the glass.”
Dudine named this wine – 96% durif co-fermented 4% viognier – within his top six, drawn to its layered character and culinary compatibility. “Aromas of confected red strawberry and vanillin,” he said, give way to “spice notes of white pepper, cured meats and fresh summer figs.” The palate is finely balanced, with “precise acidity, soft silky tannin and a rolling finish with shades of apricot marmalade.” With its freshness and flavour complexity, he saw it pairing beautifully with the aromatic spices of a Moroccan tagine.
Infimo picked this in his top six for its bold savoury complexity and well-integrated maturity. “Clearly showing some bottle age,” he said. “At first impression, it appears ferrous and sanguine, with a lot of charred meat, iodine and compelling earthiness.” But it doesn’t lack fruit: “concentrated black raspberry compote, red and black plum,” with hints of bacon, vanillin, nutmeg and wood spice. “The palate is rich and concentrated, with ripe primary fruit still well-integrated with oak and bottle development. Great length.” He suggested this be your last dry wine in a long lunch – “it screams for dry-aged rib eye!”
Smith named this wine – a field blend of 85% shiraz, 10% touriga nacional, and 5% viognier co-fermented as whole bunches – in her top six for its vibrant fruit, floral perfume and firm structure. “Violets and lifted florals on the nose – wine pot pourri,” she said. The palate features “super juicy blackberry fruits, tart baked rhubarb and raspberries steeped in pepperberry spice.” She noted the wine’s firm tannin profile but praised the “plush fruit” that carries through with “generous length.” She highlighted the “clever use of a white variety” to lift the aromatics and add floral interest.
Dudine included this wine – 96% shiraz, 4% viognier, each fermented separately then blended together – in his top six for its layered depth and drinkability. “This is an easy wine to like,” he said. “Darker tones of black olive with blueberry, raspberry and darker bramble fruits.” Mahogany oak, white pepper and fruit sweetness offer richness and dimension. “The velvet tannins just roll over the palate,” he added, “leading to a complex blue-fruited, intense finish.” With its balance and flair, it’s “very moreish – wine to take to dinner when you want to impress.”
Infimo placed this wine – predominantly merlot, co-fermented after pressing with undisclosed portions of chardonnay, pinot gris, marsanne, pinot noir, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and other varieties – in his top six for its bright, lifted aromatics and refreshing finish. “Vivid, bright ruby colour with gentle aromatic intensity,” he noted. The nose offered “raspberry seed and wild strawberry, followed by natural fruit spices – cherry cola and nutmeg.” A pleasant stemminess – “rose thorn and sloe bush” – lifted the bouquet. “Lively and fresh, yet it doesn’t lack mid-palate weight,” he said, with a compelling blood orange/Aperol character. “A great picnic wine!”
Smith singled this wine – 97% shiraz co-fermented with 3% viognier – out in her top six for its balance of brightness and richness. “Moreish cherry-berry acid lift and drive,” she said, “then bang! Straight into denser fruits of the forest – like a mouthful of black forest cake.” Cocoa, juicy berries and tart cherries round out the palate. “Inviting, with subtle reduction and oak use,” she noted, with “crunchy tannins and acidity that make this wine super bright.” For pairing, she suggested “sharp crumbly cheddar, manchego or pecorino” to match its vibrant energy.
Bird included this wine – 95% shiraz, co-fermented with 5% viognier – in her top six from the blind tasting, despite – or perhaps because of – its puzzling complexity. “This wine confused me a bit,” she said. “The nose smells of vanilla, lush baking spice, but also butter and something dough-y. This one is doing my head in. A chardonnay blend? Savagnin? Confusing in a good way.” She noted subdued dried red fruits – “raspberry, cranberry, strawberry” – along with “dried orange peel, pot pourri and dried rose petals.” Underpinning the perfume was a “heavy core of black fruit: wild blackberry and juicy black cherries.” A wine that kept her guessing, she called it “very intriguing” and a fine match for pork dishes or roasted miso eggplant.
Sokolin named this wine – 50% merlot, 40% sauvignon blanc, 10% gewürztraminer, all separately fermented then blended together – among his top six, charmed by its originality and refreshment factor. “I don’t know how this made my top six,” he admitted, “and I think this wine probably doesn’t know either.” He described it as “very much like a herbaceous, snappy sauvignon blanc, yet light red in colour,” with “cherry water and even a hint of citrus, courtesy of the sauvignon blanc.” Though it drank more like a rosé, its low grip and refreshing drinkability made it stand out. “Uncomplicated, but like a very well-constructed cocktail of high-quality ingredients,” he said. “Not an afterthought, nor modelled on anything in particular.” He concluded: “A cold glass of this instead of the appellation French rosé at the neighbourhood wine bar every time – no arguments.”
Kinsman picked this wine – an equal-parts blend of pinot noir and pinot gris, fermented separately and aged together – in her top six for its vibrant fruit and effortless charm. “Gosh, this wine is juicy and oh so refreshing,” she said. “It almost drinks like a rosé.” With a “soft, pale red” hue and a “delicately perfumed” nose, it reminded her of “a berry smoothie on a hot summer’s day” – full of strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Bright, youthful and easy-drinking, she said it was “the kind of wine you could finish off on a lazy summer’s afternoon.”
Dudine selected this wine – a co-fermented blend of 97% shiraz, 1% roussanne, 1% viognier, 1% marsanne – in his top six, calling it “a very serious wine” with lots of character. “It reminds me of being a kid down at grandpa’s bowls club,” he said. “Aromas of leather, spice, wooded outdoor seating and heady Old Spice – all in a good way.” The palate brought black olives and blackcurrants wrapped in “sexy, high-quality charred oak,” with “wonderful talc-esque tannins” and a finish of “fresh figs and marmalade.” Though he noted it would age well, he added: “It would be hard not to drink this gem early!”
Moresco singled this out in her top six – made from undisclosed proportions of shiraz, grenache, and viognier – for its emotional pull and layered complexity. “A wine that unfolds like a cherished memory – complex, brooding, and quietly beautiful,” she said. The nose evoked “amaretto sour, Campari, almond and a whisper of liquorice – bittersweet and nostalgic, made me feel homesick.” Savoury notes of “toasted nuts, tobacco and the earthy perfume of underwood” followed. On the palate, she likened its structure and soul to nebbiolo – “dark and introspective, yet elegant,” with blackcurrant and blackberry fruit “wrapped in fine, dusty tannins.” The finish echoed with “forest floor and spice – savoury and grounded.” A quiet contender that “stays with you, not just on the palate but somewhere deeper.”
While red wines that contain white grape material may seem like a relatively recent phenomenon – whether your reference point here is the vogue for shiraz and viognier co-ferments that swept Australia in the 1990s, or the later trend for lighter red wines with obvious white grape components that formed part of the Australian natural wine movement in the 2010s – the practice itself is an ancient one, and likely predates written history. Archaeological evidence from sites clustered around the Caucasus – in what is now Georgia, Armenia, and northern Iran — shows that humans were making wine from at least around 8000 years ago, before the development of written history.
While it’s hard to say what exactly those wines would have looked like, given the lack of written records, it’s likely that those wines would have been a light red. Those early wines would have been made from fruit from the common grape vine, Vitis vinifera – the same single species that is still responsible for nearly all of the world’s wine production – and the general consensus amongst ampelographers (scientists who study wine grape varieties) is that Vitis vinifera’s berries were originally red, with white grapes developing as colour mutations over time.
While humans now have an extensive catalogue of different wine grape varieties in a number of different hues to choose from when making wine, these early winemakers and grape growers would not have had such a luxury, as grape varieties per se did not yet exist. In nature, Vitis vinifera plants reproduce sexually, with pollen from a male plant fertilising a female plant’s ovary structures to form a seed. These seeds form inside sugary berries, which then fall to the ground or are dispersed by birds (who eat the berries and helpfully excrete the seeds), and a seedling grows. That seedling contains genes from both its mother vine and father vine, much like in human reproduction.
But Vitis vinifera can also reproduce via cuttings, in which case the new vine that results is genetically identical to its parent vine – a fact that comes in handy if you’re a prehistoric grape grower who finds that the wine you make from this vine tastes better than the one you make from that vine. As grape growing and winemaking spread as agricultural practices westward across the Mediterranean basin from their Caucasian cradle, human beings started to refine the hugely genetically diverse range of Vitis vinifera plants created naturally via sexual reproduction into the 1500 or so grape varieties that are used in the wine industry today.
The process of creating a genetic clone of a vine from its cuttings is not perfect, however – whenever a vine’s DNA is replicated inside its cells, there is a chance of a replication error, which creates a mutation of the original. In Vitis vinifera, one effect these spontaneous mutations can have is to change the colour of the berries from an original black skin to a pinkish or a green skin, which is exactly how both pinot gris/grigio and pinot blanc developed from the original pinot noir. (For this reason, ampelographers consider all of these different pinots to be clones of the same variety, rather than different varieties.)
Early winemakers would likely have pitched in the originally relatively rare white grapes into their red wine ferments, but as more of these white grapes could be reproduced via cuttings – as well as going on to create new varieties, some of them white, via sexual reproduction – they could, over the course of thousands of years, eventually be separated out and treated differently to red grapes in the winery, with the juice from white grapes being quickly separated from the skins, and the skins of the reds being macerated in the fermenting juice. (With a very small number of exceptions, all of the colour in red grape varieties is in the skin, not the pulp of the grapes.) This process of gradual genetic refinement alongside changing winemaking practices eventually lead to the binary system of ‘white wine’ and ‘red wine’ that we currently use to talk about the colour of wine.
Despite the development of this binary system, white grapes have continued to find their way into red wines. Adding a small portion of white grape material to a red wine – whether that occurs during fermentation or afterwards, during blending – can affect the finished wine in many different ways: in some cases adding acidity and freshness, in other cases enhancing aromatics, and sometimes even paradoxically deepening colour. One of the most famous examples of the practice is in the Côte-Rôtie appellation of the Northern Rhône region in France, where a small proportion of the white grape variety viognier has long been planted alongside syrah (aka shiraz) vines. These viognier berries were traditionally – and for some producers continue to be – harvested alongside and fermented with the syrah. And it was in Côte-Rôtie that the idea for what would eventually become an Australian craze for shiraz viognier cofermented wines first took root.
Winemaker Tim Kirk of Clonakilla was on honeymoon with his wife, Lara, in the Rhône in 1991 – just as the then-rare viognier vines that his father, John, had planted six years earlier in the family’s Murrumbateman vineyard were about to bear their first commercial quantities of fruit. “I had an invitation to go and visit Marcel Guigal in Côte-Rôtie,” Kirk says. “There I was able to try, through the generosity of the family, out of barrel, their 1988 single-parcel Côte-Rôties … I tried the ‘La Mouline’ with 11% viognier – unbelievable. I tried the ‘La Turque’, 7% co-fermented viognier – stunning wine. Then the ‘La Landonne’, 100% syrah – amazing. But I was just haunted by the intensity of the perfume, the quality of the spice, and the ethereal nature of those aromas and textures [in the co-fermented wines].”
“I said to dad, ‘Why don’t we have a crack at doing what they do in Côte-Rôtie? Instead of making white viognier, let’s check those grapes in with our shiraz and see what happens.’ And to his eternal credit, he said, ‘Yeah, okay, let’s do it’.”
John Kirk had originally planted his viognier vines in order to make 100% viognier-based white wines modelled on another famous Northern Rhône appellation, Condrieu, but Tim had other ideas. “I said to dad, ‘Why don’t we have a crack at doing what they do in Côte-Rôtie? Instead of making white viognier, let’s check those grapes in with our shiraz and see what happens.’ And to his eternal credit, he said, ‘Yeah, okay, let’s do it’. … We did the co-ferment, we sent samples off to writers – they loved it.”
Clonakilla benefitted from some remarkable timing – in 1992, the concept of labelling wines by their grape variety, rather than by the name of an old-world model (as in ‘Hunter Burgundy’), was still relatively novel in Australia, and the blockbuster Barossa, McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek shirazes that would go on to define Australian wine on the international stage in the late ’90s and early 2000s were only just starting to emerge. “It just seemed to electrify people,” Kirk says. “It certainly grabbed people’s attention that we would be doing this thing which was so keenly modelled on what was happening in the Northern Rhône, which was a fresh take on [Australian] shiraz … To our delight, we found not only did the critics want to write about it and talk about it, but our customers loved it, and it became kind of a bit of a legendary wine.”
“Viognier’s a small percentage of ‘Dry Red Wine № 2’, but it really has just this most vibrant purple.”
While the first vintage of this wine was labelled as a straight shiraz – a permissible omission within the context of Australian wine labelling law, which dictates that a varietally labelled wine can contain up to 15% of unlisted varieties – the viognier inclusion was no secret, and later vintages were labelled as ‘shiraz viognier’. Clonakilla’s Shiraz Viognier put the winery, and this technique, on the Australian wine industry’s map – and created a small craze for shiraz and viognier co-fermentations within the Australian wine industry. While these wines are no longer quite as fashionable as they were in the early 2000s, they are still made in some volume.
Côte-Rôtie literally translates from the French as ‘roasted slope’, but it’s not actually a terribly warm region to grow grapes – and in following the Rhône tradition, Kirk had perhaps inadvertently solved a problem inherent to Clonakilla’s cool-climate viticulture in Murrumbateman, that of body and colour. “In my view the co-ferment of viognier and shiraz works better in cooler kinds of climates, where you have a more red fruit, spice and pepper driven, kind of collection of perfume and aromatics,” Kirk says. “It definitely rounds out the wine. It fills in some of the linear elements in a cool year, and gives you that upward lift in the perfume – but in a subtle way, hopefully.”
In addition to making leaner shirazes from cool climates seem a bit richer in body and texture, co-fermenting a small portion of viognier can in fact deepen the colour of the wine. Viognier skins contain certain non-pigmented chemical compounds called phenolics that, during fermentation, form chemical bonds with pigmented chemicals called anthocynanins in the shiraz skins. The bonded forms of these anthocynins are more deeply pigmented and stable within the finished wine than unbonded forms from just shiraz would be. It’s a winemaking trick that Yarra Yering winemaker Sarah Crowe uses to her full advantage in the creation of the Yarra Valley estate’s famous ‘Dry Red Wine № 2’ – a wine that was secretly using a pinch or two of white grape material long before Kirk’s Rhône revelation kicked off the shiraz viognier trend.
“It’s a small percentage,” Crowe says of the viognier component of ‘Dry Red Wine № 2’, “but it really has just this most vibrant purple. We’re a cool climate – we don’t have a huge amount of sunlight here. So we might not have the density, but we do have the purple.” Crowe also finds that the viognier gives the finished wine’s palate a little extra textural oomph: “We get a different weight, a silky slipperiness.” In addition to adding viognier to parts of the fermenting shiraz base of ‘Dry Red Wine № 2’, she also adds a small quantity of another Rhône white grape, marsanne, to the fermenters of other parcels of shiraz destined for the final blend – not for colour, but for a different type of texture. “Marsanne’s quite a phenolic variety,” she says. “So we get this little bit of a chew and a pull on the side of the palate. It adds a bit of grippiness, but also breadth to the palate.”
Crowe’s highly detailed approach to making and blending ‘Dry Red Wine № 2’ uses white grape varieties as practically-invisible supports to the red stars of the show – a philosophy that Kirk echoes when talking about his aims for Clonakilla’s shiraz viognier. “It just gives you a lift, and hopefully it’s subtle,” he says. “It should be below almost conscious acknowledgement – it’s a subtle thing, it’s folded into the wine, it shouldn’t be sticking out. It’s like anything. If you’ve got oak, or alcohol, or tannin, or viognier – if some element is so obvious, then you’ve got it wrong. You’ve done too much.”
While Kirk and Crowe might want the white grapes to be practically invisible in the finished reds, another school of winemakers goes in the opposite direction, using large quantities of white grape material in their red wines to lighten their body, streamline their profiles, and add acidity and drive. Much of the interest in this very different approach to the issue of how to mix red and white grapes can be sheeted home to the natural wine movement in Australia – a movement that has drawn inspiration from the traditionally minded, low-intervention winemaking currently taking place in Georgia after the fall of the communist system and the collapse of Russia as its primary wine export market. Just as shiraz viognier was starting to descend from its heyday, a very different style of red and white blend started to emerge, with makers such as Gentle Folk’s Gareth Belton, Sam Vinciullo, and Jauma’s James Erskine creating genre-defying ultra-light red wines with significant proportions of white grape material.
Anim’s Max Marriott is another maker who draws inspiration from Georgian wine – specifically ‘Poliphonia’ by Pheasant’s Tears. This wine is made from over 400 different grape varieties (white red, and every shade in between) from the winery’s nursery block, which is dedicated to preserving endangered indigenous Georgian grape varieties that have been pushed to the brink of extinction by industrial Soviet viticulture. It’s one of several reference points for Marriott’s ambitious ‘Field’, a true field blend comprised of a fruit salad of white and red varieties out of the Clarence House vineyard in Tasmania’s Derwent Valley – all harvested simultaneously and co-fermented to create a bright, fresh red that can be equally enjoyed with or without a chill.
“It’s just the idea of taking away some of the hubris and pomp around wine – to dial that back a bit, and have a bit of fun with it,” Marriott says of his decision to mix all of the Clarence House varieties together. “At the end of the day, [this wine is] just delicious and drinkable, but still leaning into the integrity side of things as much as possible.” For Marriott, that integrity to the field blend concept means coming to terms with stepping away from the element of control: “You take some of the control out of it,” he says. “It’s not a lottery – we’re all experienced and educated in that winemaking space! – but you kind of let the wine go on a bit of a journey as well, and it’s kind of cool and interesting to see where it goes.”
“It’s just the idea of taking away some of the hubris and pomp around wine – to dial that back a bit, and have a bit of fun with it.”
While Marriott doesn’t see himself as working within the strict definition of natural wine – he thinks of ‘Field’ as “a pivot off that to some extent” – wines such as ‘Field’ show the impact that the natural wine scene has had on Australian wine in general, especially in creating a market amongst younger wine consumers for lighter, brighter red wines – ones that usually contain a goodly portion of white grapes. They also taste a lot like what wine historians think those very first wines out of the Caucasus may well have tasted like – bright, fresh, unfussy, made for immediate consumption.
While Marriott’s ‘Field’ and Crowe’s ‘Dry Red Wine № 2’ are very different beasts, Crowe admires the fact that Australian winemakers have such room to play when it comes to how to mix red and white grapes together, and what varieties can be used. “I think the great thing about making wine in Australia is that there’s no rules,” she says. “You do what you enjoy and what tastes good, and what the consumers want.” With Australian winemakers using white grape material in their red wines in just about every conceivable possible way and combination, there’s so much room for exploration within the category of red wines with a white accent – and plenty more exciting wine to be made in the future.
Our panel: Jemma Fielke, winemaker and viticulturist, J&S Fielke Wines; Gary Mills, winemaker, Jamsheed; Clementine Bird, writer, Wine With Clementine; Andrea Infimo, sommelier, Osteria Renata; Emily Kinsman, winemaker, ECK Wines; Stuart Dudine, winemaker, Alkimi; Valentina Moresco, winemaker, Krinklewood; Mitch Sokolin, winemaker, Eleven Sons and Limestone Cowboy; Chrissie Smith, winemaker, Intrepidus.
Fielke launched the discussion by observing that, for her, “Subtlety was key. I thought the most compelling wines were ones that weren’t as overt,” she said. “I found those ones more engaging, and I just wanted to keep going back and trying the glasses again, compared to some of the things that were like, ‘Oh, wow, that’s heaps of that particular variety’ – which kind of got a little overwhelming.”
Smith agreed with Fielke on this topic. “Some of the wines obviously tried too hard to add something [with their white grape material] and weren’t balanced,” she said. “But the ones that looked really good were just balanced and I think the fruit really sung.”
By contrast, Sokolin was not looking so much for subtlety as a clear sense of concept and direction with the finished wine. “I was looking for a bit more of a real concept, or an idea that was executed with big intention,” he said. “It felt like there were some maybe lacklustre red wines that winemakers were trying to rescue with a bit of white, or something like that. I found that I rewarded something that really went out there with a big vision, and even if it was a bit too much – something stepping out a little bit with a bit more than just a couple drops of [white grape material].”
Infimo was impressed by the diversity of the tasting gamut. “I was trying to be open-minded and not just reward the ‘light and quaffable’ – that kind of chillable, light in colour, light in tannins, higher acidity, more perfumed style. I was trying to be very fair, and also reward the more old-school wines. There was some of them that showed a bit of bottle development that were more integrated than more youthful examples.” He added that of these wines, “most probably shiraz-based,” he saw wines that “were in balance – they were mid-weight, they were showing spices, and everything was in harmony and integrated.”
“You can give a wine 95 points technically, but is it good drinking? Do you want to buy a bottle and take it home? They’re the kind of things I was looking at with these wines because of the breadth of the brief.”
Dudine emphasised that it was a challenging category to judge, given the huge range of different varieties, regions, and winemaking philosophies represented in the lineup. “For all of us as industry professionals, there was very little yardstick to go on because of the breadth of the wines that we were tasting,” he said. “I had to look at it in broad brushstrokes. And I assessed the wines technically, but I also thought – and this is something that I’ve grappled with a lot looking at wines in the winery and classifying wines – like, you can give a wine 95 points technically, but is it good drinking? Do you want to buy a bottle and take it home? Do you want just one glass at the pub? Will you have another glass at the pub? Will you buy six bottles and put them down and drink one every year? They’re the kind of things I was looking at with these wines because of the breadth of the brief.”
Moresco said that while the intellectual challenge of figuring out what varieties were being used in any given wine, and why they might have been chosen, was interesting, she wanted to focus on the finished wines. “I wasn’t really trying to find out what was in the glass,” she said. “I was just focusing on, like, ‘Okay, how is this wine in the glass right now, regardless of what it [actually] is?’” For her, the key question was “Is this white wine too much in this blend, or not enough? Is it watering down the tannins of the red, or bringing it forward and broadening the palate overall?”
“What I find interesting is that shiraz viognier co-ferments almost legitimised white wine usage in red winemaking. Whereas when I first started out, you didn’t say fuck-all about it.”
Mills looked at the development of the category from a historical perspective – and revealed his own biases. “I’ve always had a personal belief that if you had to use viognier in your shiraz, you’ve just got the wrong shiraz vineyard,” he said. “So I’ve always hated that style of wine, but what I find interesting is that it’s almost legitimised white wine usage in red winemaking. Whereas when I first started out, you didn’t say fuck-all about it.” Mills notes that white grape additions were common to reds for balance purposes, but kept hush-hush because the consensus view was consumers would not understand: “It was like – ‘Don’t tell anyone you’re using white wine in your red’, you know? And now it’s like, ‘Hey! I did this!’”
Fielke added to Mills’s experience by observing that “If you go back far enough in Barossa history, there’s a lot of 100-plus-year-old vineyards in there with a little bit of riesling, with a little bit of trebbiano, or a little bit of this or that – and it’s exactly for that reason.” She continued: “Obviously, things have changed over that period of time in terms of the climate and the way that people make their wine. Thankfully, there’s a new wave of the Barossa sort of swinging back around and making things are more exciting and more vibrant without having acid additions” – something she sees white grape material potentially helping with.
For Kinsman, the panel tasting afforded her the opportunity to workshop ideas as a winemaker. “I was going to try and dabble in some marsanne shiraz this year, but my supply of marsanne didn’t quite work out as I wanted, so I didn’t have anything to spare to set aside for my shiraz,” she said. “But I’m definitely keen to try. And I have played a little bit of red and white over the years, as I’ve had a few little barrels that have been delicious and I’ve just blended them up with the idea being sort of ‘pizza and play’ wines, which are a bit of everything but still really delicious.” Watch this space!
Jemma Fielke is one half of J & S Fielke from the Adelaide Hills, a small vineyard and winery started in 2019. Jemma’s start in the wine industry came from a chance encounter with a friend that led her to taking a role in the Cellar Door at Rockford Wines in the Barossa Valley. This then railroaded her veterinary career and led her down the viticulture and oenology pathway, eventually graduating with first-class honours for her research into the yeasts present for the fermentation of Wayalinah in 2017, having also been awarded the Treasury Wine Estates prize for Excellence in Winemaking and undertaking vintage at the Wolf Blass Winery in the same year. After completing uni, she found her feet in a viticulturist role at Rockford Wines, where she was still able to make her way into the cellar for vintage as well as harvest in the Finger Lakes in 2018. In 2021, she took a role as the vineyard manager at the Deanery Vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, bringing her back into the Hills community and allowing her to focus on the region that she feels so passionate about, further strengthening her vision alongside Steve Fielke for the wines of J & S Fielke.
Originally from Western Australia, Gary Mills completed a Bachelor of Literature before moving to Japan to study and work as an English teacher. Upon returning to Australia he had an epiphany during a brief stint as a Japanese-speaking tour guide in Queensland and began work in the vineyards of Margaret River. A five-week vintage posting at Ridge Vineyards California turned into a two-year full time position under the tutelage of winemaker Paul Draper. The Jamsheed label began in 2003, when Gary returned to Australia, with a focus on single vineyard Syrahs and aromatic whites from unique sites in Victoria. In 2019, Gary along with hospitality lifer and his partner in life and crime, Elika Rowell, opened the doors of Jamsheed Urban Winery to the people of Preston and beyond, precisely where the wine is made. Mills was a Young Gun of Wine Awards finalist in 2008 and 2009.
Clementine Bird is a Melbourne-based wine professional, writer, and educator with a background in wine buying, sommelier roles, and content creation. A WSET Diploma candidate and Certified Sommelier, she currently works as a senior sommelier at Reine & La Rue and runs Wine with Clementine, a digital platform focused on accessible wine storytelling. With experience spanning Domaine Chandon to editorial roles, Bird combines deep industry knowledge with a flair for communication. Her writing explores everything from producer profiles to trade insights, and she remains actively involved in the wine community through projects like Women and Revolution and Rootlings.
Andrea Infimo grew up in Naples, coming to Australia as an environmental science graduate in 2013. He began working at Movida Sydney on what was meant to be a sabbatical year, but there he fell in love with wine. After Movida, he worked at Sydney’s iconic 121 BC wine bar, then under Annette Lacey MW for the Lotus Group. A move to Melbourne saw Infimo reconnect with Movida in 2018, where he is the Group Beverage Operations Manager, as well as the Head Sommelier for the original restaurant. Infimo completed his WSET Diploma in August 2022. He currently works as a sommelier for Osteria Renata.
Emily Kinsman is the owner and winemaker of ECK Wines, which was launched at the end of 2019. Originally a corporate litigation lawyer, Emily’s label ECK Wines was borne out of a love to create and wanting life to be ‘of the land’. Emily strives to make compelling new world wines from traditional French varieties in her core range, with some nouveau styles adding interest to her appellation range. Emily farms two sites; a small plot of shiraz in Central Heathcote and a five-acre, closely planted site of pinot Noir and gewürztraminer in the Macedon Ranges. Emily also works closely with half-a-dozen growers in Heathcote and the Macedon Ranges; her wines tell the story of place, people and play.
Stuart Dudine is the owner and winemaker of Alkimi Wines, which he founded in 2014. Since 2016, he has also served as the Senior Contract Winemaker for Kellybrook Winery in the Yarra Valley. Stuart graduated with a Wine Science degree from Charles Sturt University in 2010, after completing his first vintage in 2006. His winemaking approach has been shaped by experience at Henschke, Yarra Yering, Mac Forbes, and internationally in Piedmont, Austria’s Wachau, and most notably, the Rhône Valley—both in the north (Côte-Rôtie) and the south (Châteauneuf-du-Pape). These experiences deeply influenced the style of his first Alkimi wines.
Valentina Moresco graduated in 2014 with a degree in viticulture and oenology from the University of Turin. After working at some renowned wineries in Barolo and Barbaresco, she gained international experience with vintages in Germany, Australia, and New Zealand. She first worked in the Hunter Valley in 2016 and joined Krinklewood as assistant winemaker in 2017, stepping into the winemaker role in early 2018. Her red winemaking is shaped by her Italian roots—especially nebbiolo and barbera—while her approach to whites draws influence from her time working with sauvignon blanc in New Zealand.
Mitchell Sokolin left his native New York and a background in retail to pursue a career as a ‘vagabond winemaker’. The last twelve years with grapes have brought him long stints in Barolo, the remote western reaches of Spain, France, Ukraine, Georgia and of course Victoria, where he founded Northcote wine bar Gray and Gray, and currently produces wine under the labels Eleven Sons and Limestone Cowboy.
Chrissie Smith is the winemaker and viticulturist at Intrepidus Wines in the Canberra district, which she launched in 2021. With vintages at Clonakilla, Ravensworth, Collector Wines and Castle Rock Estate, her wine making style is a blend of classic and experimental. A Bachelor in Viticulture from Charles Sturt sees Smith prioritise a vineyard-first approach, where she is passionate about regenerative agriculture.
GET FIRST ACCESS TO THE NEXT WINE ICONS – DELIVERED
Find out moreEach month, get 3 bottles of our freshest discoveries. We taste thousands to bring you the best.
Join us and support emerging winemakers, sustainable vineyards, and the development of young professionals.
In this first instalment of a seven-part series produced in collaboration with Vintage Cellars – 70 years of supporting wine in Australia – we look at Australian wine in the 1950s, and the game changing path that Penfolds Grange and a renegade winemaker by the name of Max Schubert set course for Australia’s love affair with shiraz.
Cabernet franc is the other cabernet, largely marginalised in blends, and often with its identity banished to the back label at that. But franc deserves better. It drives some of the great wines of the world, either in part or in total, and it can be rendered as a wine of immediate vibrancy and intoxicating fragrance, or settle into the satisfied purr of a wine of statuesque pedigree, destined for a long life and sustained glory.
It’s hard to mount an argument against the Yarra Valley being Victoria’s most important wine region. It is the home to some of the most hallowed names. It is also the cradle for some of the country’s finest winemaking talent, and for a zone with a distinctly classical feel, it is notably progressive, with vignerons both fledgling and established shaping a new future. Over the years, the Yarra has provided a wealth of YGOW finalists. This year’s Top 50 includes DCB Wine’s Chris Bendle and Tim Perrin from Oakridge.
Please sign in or create account as candidate to bookmark this job
Please sign in or create account to save this search
Please sign in or create account as candidate to create a resume
