First Australian Assyrtiko to make UK debut

Australia’s first wine made from Greek variety Assyrtiko is to get its debut at this year’s Australia Day tasting in London.

Peter Barry harvesting Assyrtiko in the 2015 vintage

Clare Valley producer Jim Barry Wines first planted the variety in 2012 and the results are now to be unveiled at the Australia Day tasting in London on 26 January.

After a laborious process involving a two year quarantine period, the first half hectare of cuttings (sourced from Argyros Estate on Santorini) were planted in August 2012 at the estate’s Lodge Hill vineyard.

Production started with just 42 half bottles in the maiden 2014 vintage and since then volumes have climbed to 1,000 litres (just over 1,000 bottles) in 2015 – the vintage which will be shown in London. The vineyard has also grown to a total of three hectares since 2012.

Peter Barry, Jim Barry’s son, explained: “Assyrtiko is to Santorini what Riesling is to Clare. The Assyrtiko is the dominant grape variety grown on the Santorini Island and considered by many to be one of the greatest wine grapes in Greece.

“I tasted Assyrtiko when I visited Santorini in 2006 and again in London in May the following year. I liked the fresh, crisp, acidic qualities of the wine, as well as its low pH and steel backbone. I particularly liked the unwooded style, as I believe this wine carried itself well without the need for oak.

“My communications with our distributor in Greece and Konstantinos Lazarakis MW, along with further information from experts in the field, confirmed that Assyrtiko is high in acid, low in pH and grown in hot regions.”

The planting of Assyrtiko in Clare Valley is just one of many experiments with ‘alternative varieties’ happening currently in Australia.

Fiano, Tempranillo, Savagnin, Vermentino, Nebbiolo and more are being planted and vinified across Australia.

Barry continued: “My family has been making wine for a long time. My late father, Jim Barry was a pioneer winemaker in Clare and was a passionate believer of keeping with the times and making interesting wine.

“He urged those in the region to steer away from traditional varieties such as Crouchen, and to plant Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Malbec – varieties that were uncommon in the times. I, like my father, have an interest in growing grapes that have a future in our region.

“Furthermore, climate change has certainly opened our eyes to trying different techniques in the vineyard, and in this case, different varieties which are adaptable to warmer climates. Sometimes necessity is the mother of invention. We are trying to stay at the forefront of the trends, which is why we will be the first in Australia to plant Assyrtiko.”

The wine will be available to taste at Negociants UK’s stand 61-65.