fiano WHite Wine Variety

Is Fiano the most outstanding of all of the new white wine varieties in Australia?

The other contenders are Arneis, Gruner Veltliner, Petit Manseng, Savagnin and Vermentino.  The Iberian white wine varieties Arinto and Verdejo are also making an appearance and could be challenging in a couple of years time.

By mid 2022 I reckon Fiano is still miles ahead.  It is proving its maintaining its dominance in South Australia and proving its worth in many other temperate, warm and hot regions throughout the country.

Were does Fiano Grow in Australia?

Size of the font in the image below indicates relative number of wineries using Fiano.

Fiano in Italy

Fiano is a strongly flavoured white grape variety which is used to make the highly regarded Fiano di Avellino in Campania in Southern Italy.  Avellino is a wine region in the hills inland from Naples.

Fiano is also grown in other southern Italian regions such as Basilicata and the Salentine Peninsula in Puglia.

Your first lesson about Fiano from Jancis Robinson

Here's what the Unknown WInecaster says about Fiano

Fiano IN Australia

You can see what some winemakers think about this variety in the article What is so Special About Fiano

There is a small but steadily growing number of producers of Fiano in Australia. This is likely to continue over the next few years as more and more grape growers and wineries react to the problems of climate change by using Southern Italian grape varieties.

The time of vintage has been much earlier than usual in many recent years. Later maturing varieites are more suited to warmer areas as the grapes are able to ripen with a better balance of sugar, acid and flavouring compounds in cooler times.

It seems that South Australian winemakers are especially keen on the variety, taking the lead from Coriole who pioneered the Fiano in Australia.

Fiano has had its own class at the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show (AAVWS) since 2009.    

Check out this selection of Fiano wine at Vinodiversity's online wine merchant partner.

Australian Producers of Fiano

• 4382Terroir Granite Belt
• Alejandro Riverland
• Amato Vino Margaret River
• Angoves Winery Riverland
• Artwine Adelaide Hills
• Bailey's of Glenrowan Glenrowan
• Ballandean Estate Granite Belt
• Ballinaclash Hilltops
• Banrock Station Riverland
• Barfold Estate Heathcote
• Barristers Block Adelaide Hills
• Bassham Wines Riverland
• Beach Road McLaren Vale
• Beechworth Wine Estates Beechworth
• Berg Herring McLaren Vale
• Berton Vineyards Riverina
• Big Easy Radio McLaren Vale
• Bike and Barrel Alpine Valleys
• Bilgavia Wines Hunter Valley
• Billy Button Alpine Valleys
• Bimbadgen Hunter Valley
• Blood Moon Heathcote
• Blue Poles Vineyard Margaret River
• Bondar Wines McLaren Vale
• Bremerton Langhorne Creek
• Briar Ridge Vineyard Hunter Valley
• Brown Brothers King Valley
• Brumby Wines Swan Hill
• Campbells Wines Rutherglen
• Cantina Abbatiello Riverland
• Cappa Stone Murray Darling
• Carillion Wines Orange
• Chalk Hill Winery McLaren Vale
• Chalmers Heathcote
• Charlotte Dalton Adelaide Hills
• Cherabino Margaret River
• Chrismont King Valley
• Cirami Estate Riverland
• Clay Pot Wines Alpine Valleys
• Collector Wines Canberra
• Coriole McLaren Vale
• Countertop Swan Hill
• Cradle of Hills McLaren Vale
• Cragg Cru McLaren Vale
• Craigmoor Estate Mudgee
• Cupitt's Winery Shoalhaven Coast
• D'Arenberg McLaren Vale
• Dal Zotto Estate King Valley
• De Bortoli Riverina
• Dell'uva Wines  Barossa Valley
• Di Lusso Estate Mudgee
• Dirt Candy Hunter Valley
• Dodgy Brothers McLaren Vale
• Domaine De Binet Hunter Valley
• Drakesbrook Wines Peel
• Dryridge Estate Central Ranges Zone
• Duxton Murray Darling
• Eldorado Road North East Victoria
• Feathertop Alpine Valleys
• First Ridge Mudgee
• Flame Hill Queensland Zone
• Foster e Rocco Heathcote
• Fox Gordon Barossa Valley
• Galli Estate Heathcote
• Gapsted Wines Alpine Valleys
• Gargoyle Wines Barossa Valley
• Gibson Barossa Valley
• Grand Casino Riverland
• Granite Rose Mornington Peninsula
• Grant Burge Barossa Valley
• Greeenway Wines Hunter Valley
• Green Door Wines Geographe
• Grosset Clare Valley
• Grove Estate Wines Hilltops
• Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy McLaren Vale
• Hart and Hunter Hunter Valley
• Haselgrove McLaren Vale
• Heritage Estate Granite Belt
• Hidden Creek Granite Belt
• Higher Plane Margaret River
• Hofer Family Wines Langhorne Creek
• Hungerford Hill Hunter Valley
• Il Cattivo Currency Creek
• Il Modo Murray Darling
• Jasper Hill Heathcote
• Jericho Adelaide Hills
• Jones Winery and Vineyard Rutherglen
• Journey Wines Yarra Valley
• Juniper Estate Margaret River
• K1 by Geoff Hardy Adelaide Hills
• Kangarilla Road McLaren Vale
• Kimbolton Langhorne Creek
• Kirrihill Estates Clare Valley
• L’Enologa Murray Darling
• La Fattoria Perth Hills
• La Prova Adelaide Hills
• Lethbridge Wines Geelong
• Linear Adelaide Hills
• Lino Ramble McLaren Vale
• Main and Cherry Adelaide Hills
• Mansfield Wines Mudgee
• Marnong Estate Sunbury
• Marq Margaret River
• Matriarch and Rogue Clare Valley
• Maxwell Wines McLaren Vale
• McPherson Wines Nagambie Lakes
• MDI Murray Darling
• Millbrook Winery Perth Hills
• Miss Zilm Clare Valley
• Monkey Business Adelaide Hills
• Moppity Vineyards (and Cato) Hilltops
• Morrisons of Glenrowan Glenrowan
• Mount Eyre Hunter Valley
• Mount Pleasant Hunter Valley
• Mount Towrong Macedon Ranges
• Musk Lane Macedon Ranges
• Nick Spencer Wines Tumbarumba
• Nomads Garden Alpine Valleys
• Oak Valley Estate Murray Darling
• Oatley Wines Mudgee
• Olivers Taranga McLaren Vale
• Orbis McLaren Vale
• Out of Step Yarra Valley
• Ox Hardy Wines McLaren Vale
• Paisley Wines Barossa Valley
• Parish Hill Wines Adelaide Hills
• Parous Estate Adelaide Hills
• Pepper Tree Wines Hunter Valley
• Pete's Pure Murray Darling
• Petersons Glenesk Estate Mudgee
• Phaedrus Mornington Peninsula
• Pikes Clare Valley
• Pindarie Wines Barossa Valley
• Quid Pro Quo Hunter Valley
• Redbank Victoria King Valley
• Redheads Barossa Valley
• Ricca Terra Riverland
• Riverbank Estate Swan Valley
• Rollick Barossa Valley
• Rutherglen Estates Rutherglen
• Saint Aiden Wines Geographe
• Salena Estate Riverland
• Saltram Barossa Valley
• SAMU Riverland
• Santa & d’Sas Geelong
• Sassafras Canberra
• Savina Lane Granite Belt
• SC Pannell McLaren Vale
• Serafino Wines McLaren Vale
• Sew and Sew McLaren Vale
• Sherrah McLaren Vale
• Shingleback McLaren Vale
• Shut the Gate Clare Valley
• Signor Vino Riverina
• Silent Noise Mclaren Vale
• Sirromet Granite Belt
• Six Acres Yarra Valley
• Starrs Reach Riverland
• Stefano di Pieri Murray Darling
• Stomp Hunter Valley
• Summit Estate Granite Belt
• Susuro Adelaide Hills
• Sutton Grange Winery Bendigo
• Symphony Hill Wines Granite Belt
• Taylors Clare Valley
• Tellurian Heathcote
• The Overflow Queensland Zone
• The Pawn Wine Company Adelaide Hills
• Thistledown McLaren Vale
• Tim Adams Clare Valley
• Tonon Vineyard and Winery Perth Hills
• Travertine Estate Hunter Valley
• Tregarthen Barossa Valley
• Trimboli Riverina
• Tumbalong Hills Gundagai
• Unico Zelo Adelaide Hills
• Varney Wines McLaren Vale
• Victory Point Wines Margaret River
• View Road Wines Adelaide Hills
• Vigna Bottin McLaren Vale
• Vignerons Schmölzer & Brown Beechworth
• Vinaceous Various
• Vineyard 28 Geographe
• Vino Intrepido Heathcote
• Vino Volta Swan Valley
• Whitton Farm Canberra
• Wise Wine Margaret River
• Witches Falls Winery Granite Belt
• Woodgate Wines Manjimup
• XO Wine Co Adelaide Hills
• Year Wines McLaren Vale
• Zerella (la Gita) McLaren Vale
• Zilzie Murray Darling
• Zonzo Yarra Valley

What does Fiano Taste like?

De Long's Wine Grape Varietal Table lists the variety as having the potential to produce light-weight wines of moderate to high acidity.

The flavour profile is described as

Nutty, herbal, aromatic, with smoky spicy notes and hazelnuts

In her latest book Vine Grapes Jancis Robinson describes the variety as

Rich waxy, strongly flavoured fashionable...

Fiano and Food

These crisp dry white wines can be paired with a range of foods. Try them with seafood, pasta dishes or other Italian style cuisine.

Try Fiano with pan fried King George whiting and chips.

Brian St Pierre in this book suggests that Fiano is one white wine variety that goes well with dishes normally associated with red wines such as stuffed eggplant, or rolled veal birds.

An Offer from our online Wine Shop Partner

Med Red offer. Includes two bottles of each of six wines, different producers, different regions, different alternative varieties and blends. Plus a bonus bottle. All at an affordable price.

Details here