Vermentino wine variety in Australia

Vermentino is one of the exciting new white varieties from Southern Italy that are making an impression on the wine scene in Australia.

Cosa Nostra Vermentino from the Alpine Valleys made by Santolin Wines

In Italy, France and the Islands 

Vermentino is an aromatic white wine variety whose native habitat is the Italian region of Liguria and the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Corsica. On Corsica it is known as Malviose of Corsica. It is also becoming increasingly popular under the name of Rolle in Provence and in the Languedoc-Roussillon Wine Regions in Southern France.

Other synonyms include Piccobon, Uva Sapaiola, Vermentino Bianco, Formentino (Italy); Carbesso. Carbes, Brustiano di Corsica, Malvasia Grossa, Malvasie Precoce d’Espagne, Malvasie à Gros Grains.

On Sardinia the most highly regarded Vermentinos are from the DOCG region of Vermentino di Gallura in the North East of the island.

By Giorgio Gallesio (NYPL Digital Gallery) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Vermentino wines in Australia

Since the turn of the 21st Century more Australian wineries, especially those in the mild to warm wine regions, are turning to Vermentino.

The variety has the ability to produce wines with firm acidity and good flavour even under the hot conditions experienced in some recent vintages.

One indication of it's growing importance is that since 2009 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show (AAVWS) has had a class for Vermentino to be judged separately. Previously it was in the "other whites" classes.

In 2017 there were 41 Vermentino wines judged at AAVWS.

My expectation is that this variety will play an increasingly prominent role in Australian wine regions that are too warm to produce quality wine from varieties like Chardonnay. In fact the variety is well known for its ability to withstand extreme heat waves.

What do you think about this variety?  

I'd love your opinion. Please leave a comment in the box near the bottom of this page, or just take a look at what others are saying.

Vermentino grapes. Image from Wines of Merritt

Australian Producers of Vermentino

There are now more than one hundred producers of this variety, a huge vote of confidence by Australian Winemakers, and the willingness of Australian winelovers to try something new.

• 919 Wines Riverland
• Aldinga Bay McLaren Vale
• Alejandro Riverland
• Altair Estate Margaret River
• Ambrook Wines Swan Valley
• Angoves Winery Riverland
• Angullong Wines Orange
• Aravina Margaret River
• Atlas Wines Clare Valley
• Atze's Corner Wines Barossa Valley
• Aylesbury Estate Geographe
• Balancing Heart Wines Granite Belt
• Barangaroo Boutique Wines Grampians
• Bassham Wines Riverland
• Beach Road McLaren Vale
• Bellwether Coonawarra
• Berg Herring McLaren Vale
• Berton Vineyards Riverina
• Big Easy Radio McLaren Vale
• Billy Button Alpine Valleys
• Bimbadgen Hunter Valley
• Black and Ginger Grampians
• Blood Moon Heathcote
• Box Grove Vineyard Nagambie Lakes
• Bremerton Langhorne Creek
• Briar Ridge Vineyard Hunter Valley
• Bullers Calliope Rutherglen
• Calabria Family Wines Riverina
• Calais Estate Hunter Valley
• Camwell Wines McLaren Vale
• Cappa Stone Murray Darling
• Carillion Wines Orange
• Carpe Diem Margaret River
• Castelli Estate Denmark
• Chalk Hill Winery McLaren Vale
• Chalmers Heathcote
• Chapel Hill McLaren Vale
• Cirami Estate Riverland
• Clay Pot Wines Alpine Valleys
• Cofield Wines Rutherglen
• Condie Heathcote
• Conte Estate Wines McLaren Vale
• Craigmoor Estate Mudgee
• Crittenden Estate Mornington Peninsula
• Cush and Cush Heathcote
• Dalfarras Nagambie Lakes
• David Hook Wines Hunter Valley
• Delinquente Wine Riverland
• Della Fay Margaret River
• Di Lusso Estate Mudgee
• Dirt Candy Hunter Valley
• Dowie Doole McLaren Vale
• Due Jolly Perth Hills
• Ephemera Heathcote
• ess&see McLaren Vale
• Feathertop Alpine Valleys
• Ferraro Wines Alpine Valleys
• First Creek Hunter Valley
• First Ridge Mudgee
• Fishbone Margaret River
• Five O’Clock Somewhere McLaren Vale
• Flying Fish Cove Margaret River
• Flynn's Wines Heathcote
• Four Winds Vineyard Canberra
• Fowles Wine Strathbogie Ranges
• Fox Creek Wines McLaren Vale
• Garden and Field Barossa Valley
• Gibson Barossa Valley
• Glandore Estate Hunter Valley
• Golden Grove Estate Granite Belt
• Gumpara Winery Barossa Valley
• Happs Margaret River
• Hastwell and Lightfoot McLaren Vale
• Hay Shed Hill Wines Margaret River
• Heart of Gold Bendigo
• Heartland Wines Limestone Coast Zone
• Heathcote Winery Heathcote
• Heritage Estate Granite Belt
• Hidden Creek Granite Belt
• Hither and Yon McLaren Vale
• Hungerford Hill Hunter Valley
• Jacksons Hill Hunter Valley
• Jamsheed Yarra Valley
• Kangarilla Road McLaren Vale
• Kirrihill Estates Clare Valley
• King River Estate King Valley
• Krystallo Estate Upper Goulburn
• Koerner Wines Clare Valley
• La Fattoria Perth Hills
• La La Land Murray Darling
• La Maschera Barossa Valley
• Lake Breeze Langhorne Creek
• Landaire Padthaway
• Langmeil Barossa Valley
• Lillypilly Estate Riverina
• Longleat Wines Goulburn Valley
• Love + Glory McLaren Vale
• LS Merchants Margaret River
• Mansfield Wines Mudgee
• Mallee Estate Riverland
• Mandoon Swan Valley
• Marq Margaret River
• Matriarch and Rogue Clare Valley
• McPherson Wines Nagambie Lakes
• McIvor Estate Heathcote
• MDI Murray Darling
• Millbrook Winery Perth Hills
• Mercer Hunter Valley
• Merindoc Heathcote
• Michelini Alpine Valleys
• Mitolo McLaren Vale
• Montebello Estate Hunter Valley
• Moojelup Farm Geographe
• Mount Towrong Macedon Ranges
• Mr Mick Clare Valley
• Munari Heathcote
• Muster Wine Company Barossa Valley
• Myattsfield Vineyard and Winery Perth Hills
• Nikola Estate Swan Valley
• Oak Works Riverland
• Oakover Estate Swan Valley
• Oakway Estate Geographe
• Olivers Taranga McLaren Vale
• Oxenbury Farm McLaren Vale
• Patritti Wines McLaren Vale
• Petersons Glenesk Estate Mudgee
• Peter Drayton Wines Hunter Valley
• Pinelli Swan Valley
• Pirate Cru Barossa Valley
• Politini King Valley
• Prometheus Riverland
• Ravenscroft Wines Granite Belt
• Rabbit and Spaghetti Clare Valley
• Ricca Terra Riverland
• Riverbank Estate Swan Valley
• Ros Ritchie Upper Goulburn
• Route du Van Yarra Valley
• Saddlers Creek Wines Hunter Valley
• Salena Estate Riverland
• Santolin Yarra Valley
• Serafino Wines McLaren Vale
• Scarborough Wine Hunter Valley
• Scarpantoni Estate McLaren Vale
• Seppeltsfield Barossa Valley
• Signor Vino Riverina
• Sirromet Granite Belt
• Sixty Eight Roses Riverland
• Small Victories WIne Barossa valley
• Spring Spur Alpine Valleys
• Stakehill Estate Peel
• Stefano di Pieri Murray Darling
• Summit Estate Granite Belt
• Susuro Adelaide Hills
• Symphony Hill Wines Granite Belt
• Swinny Frankland River
• Taylors Clare Valley
• Tallagandra Hill Canberra
• Tallavera Grove Winery Hunter Valley
• Tanglefoot Winery Peel
• The Overflow Queensland Zone
• Temple Bruer Langhorne Creek
• The Little Wine Company Hunter Valley
• Tonon Vineyard and Winery Perth Hills
• Torrent Swan Valley
• Trimboli Riverina
• Trentham Estate Murray Darling
• Vale Creek Wines Central Ranges Zone
• Varney Wines McLaren Vale
• Vasarelli McLaren Vale
• Vigna Bottin McLaren Vale
• Vinaceous Various
• Vino Intrepido Heathcote
• Whistling Kite Wines Riverland
• Willem Kurt Beechworth
• Windy Creeek Estate Peel
• Windy Creek Estate Swan Valley
• Wines of Merritt Margaret River
• Witches Falls Winery Queensland Zone
• Wren Estate Hunter Valley
• Yalumba Wine Company Eden Valley
• Yelland and Papps Barossa Valley
• Zonte's Footstep McLaren Vale

Taste Some Vermentino

As you can see there are lots of Aussie producers of Vermentino, but which one for you? 

Why not make up your own tasting pack from our online merchant partner.  They usually have plenty to choose from, or you can make up a case with some other interesting alternative varietal wines.

Buy some Vermentino from our

Online Wine Merchant Partner

Other Italian White Wine Varieties used in Australia

Vermentino and Food

Light and crisp Vermentino wines are ideal to serve alone as an aperitif, but many of these wines can play a role pairing with a range of foods, especially seafood.

Vermentino has enough oomph to pair with simple seafood dishes or even those with rich creamy or buttery sauces. These wines can also be paired with Sardines or a plate of whitebait with aioli.

Fresh sardines are so much better when you pair them with a glass of Vermentino