Pikes 2009 Luccio Pinot Grigio

I've been watching the to-ing and fro-ing in the media about alternative grape varieties for a while now, and while I don't have the tasting background to contribute to those conversation about those varieties in their European contexts I'm always looking for something interesting to try.

I may be wrong, but it seems we're looking at an on-going evolution in Australian wine, and there's no way that process is going to grind to a halt any time soon if, indeed, it reaches a conclusion at all.

It also seems fairly obvious that most of the initial plantings were selected from a very small subset of the classic French varieties with a bit of Riesling thrown in, presumably because the German settlers in the Barossa brought it with them.

That's simplifying things, but we're talking about an industry that for years labelled bottles as Claret, Burgundy, Hock and Moselle, so it's fairly obvious that under those circumstances you're going to be using the grapes that traditionally go into those names in their European setting, or, more specifically, the ones that you can get to grow in Australian conditions.

Which means, of course, that you probably wouldn't have been seeing too much Pinot Noir going into something labelled Burgundy.

The growth of the Australian wine industry over the past forty years has, equally predictably, been based on increasing varietal labelling using those standard varietals with new regions and varieties being thrown into the mix as someone gets a bee in their bonnet or a bright idea.

Expanding into cool climate areas offers opportunities to try things that didn't work in more traditional areas, and whether you agree with notions of climate change you'd have to admit that there's a fair chunk of the Australian viticultural landscape that's closer to southern Italy and Sicily than it is to Champagne, Burgundy or the Rhine Valley, so it would seem to make sense to be experimenting with varieties that grow well in those conditions regardless of global warming issues.

While Pinot Gris/Grigio is a cooler climate varietal, and some of those considerations might not seem to apply it has been one of the notable beneficiaries of recent diversification.

It's also obvious why we've tended to go for other varieties along the way since it doesn't quite reach the same heights as Riesling, Chardonnay, Semillon or, more recently, Sauvignon Blanc. At the same time, when you're looking for something that's relatively low in terms of alcohol/volume, and easy food friendly drinking you can't go far wrong with something along the lines of...

Pikes 2009 Luccio Pinot Grigio (4.5* $17) Previously Pinot Grigio Blend, with substantial assistance from Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc, this 100% Pinot Grigio looked attractive in the glass, and that impression carried across the nose, with evident pears and tropical fruits and the palate, which delivered restrained varietal character. Food-friendly style that's one to bear in mind next time around. Sure, it's not top notch highly memorable five star drinking but there's definitely a spot for something along these lines in the fridge over summer.