Arinto White Wine Variety

This is a Portuguese white wine variety from the region of Bucelas just north of Lisbon.  In fact the variety is also known as Arinto de Bucelas.

Arinto is one of the varieties which have been identified as able to thrive in hot dry climates and through heatwaves. Unlike many other white wine varieties it is capable of maintaining acidity through long hot summers.

In its native Portugal Arinto is the most widely grown white variety. It thrives in a wide range of climates and is used there to make varietal wines, as well as adding acidity and a steely backbone in blends.

Australian winemakers have been impressed by Arinto's ability to produce zingy wines with citrus aromas. While it has very much the new kid on the block here Arinto certainly has a major role to play in the future, and perhaps in more regions than it presently grows. 

Stanton and Killeen are one of the pioneers of Arinto in Australia

Bay of Shoals Arinto from Kangaroo Island

Australian Producers of Arinto

Arinto Grapes at Dog Rock

There number of producers of Arinto in Australia is growing rapidly. By 2023 there were 27 producers.  At the end of 2019 I published my Rare Ozzies book with just seven producers listed.  Included in the book are comments from Arinto producers Bassham, Ricca Terra, Whistling Eagle and Stanton and Killeen.

• 4382 Terroir Granite Belt
• Alejandro Riverland
• Amato Vino Margaret River
• Bassham Wines Riverland
• Bay of Shoals Kangaroo Island
• Delinquente Wine Riverland
• Dogrock Winery Pyrenees
• Inkwell McLaren Vale
• Linnaea Heathcote
• Lino Ramble McLaren Vale
• Livewire Wines Geelong
• Matriarch and Rogue Clare Valley
• Mitchelton Nagambie Lakes
• Nikola Estate Swan Valley
• Olive Farm Wines Swan Valley
• Ricca Terra Riverland
• Shaw + Smith Adelaide Hills
• Stanton and Killeen Wines Rutherglen
• The Other Wine Co Adelaide Hills
• Whispering Brook Hunter Valley
• Whistling Eagle Wines Heathcote
• Wines By Farquhar Barossa Valley
• Witches Falls Winery Queensland Zone
• Zilzie Murray Darling

Iberian varieties used in Australia

These varieties, now used in Australia, all originated in Spain or Portugal

Albarino | Arinto | Cabernet Franc | Graciano | Grenache | Grenache gris | Macabeo | Mataro/Mourvedre | Mencia | Palomino | Pedro Ximenez | Prieto Picudo | Souzao | Tempranillo | Tinto Cao | Tinta Negra Molle | Touriga | Trincadeira | Verdejo | Verdelho

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Learn about Iberian wine regions with this map

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