Alternative Grape Varieties

Alternative grape varieties in my opinion are the most underrated wines in Australia. Everyone is still hung up on the ‘Tropical’ Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, ‘Jammy’ Shiraz from Barossa, ‘Creamy’ Chardonnay from Margaret River, ‘Earthy’ Pinot Noir from Burgundy etc., you get my drift…. Don’t get me wrong, they are great varieties that grow perfectly in these regions but what about the other 1300 varieties out there that don’t seem to get enough attention.

Here at Sails Restaurant I have taken the initiative to put many on our pour list to give our customers the opportunity to try wine outside their comfort zone. These wines are very approachable and will surprise the average diner how good they can be. You never know you might revert your choice of wine when dining out or at home.

One of my favourites at the moment is the Picpoul Variety. The production of Picpoul white wine is centred around a few small villages near the 2nd largest lake in France along the coastline of Languedoc-Roussillon. This is where most of France’s high class oysters come from and in saying that, the two are a perfect match.

Doamine de la Majone

Picpoul de Pinet, $13gls

Crisp, refreshing taste, aromas of citrus, apricots, blossoms and with a well defined minerality. It will accompany your fresh, clean and salty oysters superbly.

We have many other alternative red and white wine choices available by the glass and by the bottle. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Sam Troxell