Nebbiolo red wine variety in Australia
If you like difficult and eccentric wines then this variety is for you. Even British wine writer Oz Clarke says
"For years I couldn't get to grips with Nebbiolo"
Nebbiolo Grapes at Glenwillow Vineyard in the Bendigo wine region
Nebbiolo in Italy
Nebbiolo is a red grape variety grown in the Piedmont region of North West Italy.
It is the variety used to make the highly regarded Barolo and Barbaresco wines, named after the Piedmontese villages of their origin.
Some is grown in neighbouring Lombardy as well.
There is some Nebbiolo in California and Washington State but the general consensus in the US is that it has not been a successful import.
Nebbiolo grapes ready for processing at Virago Vineyard in the Beechworth Region, NE Victoria
More Italian red wine varieties used in Australia
Aglianico |
Aleatico |
Barbera |
Canaiolo Nero |
Colorino |
Corvina |
Dolcetto |
Friesa |
Lagrein |
Mammolo |
Marzemino |
Montepulciano |
Nebbiolo |
Negroamaro |
Nero d'Avola |
Nero Di Troia |
Primitivo |
Refosco |
Rondinella |
Sagrantino |
Sangiovese |
Teroldego |
Zinfandel
One of the best books about Italian wine grape varieties is Ian d'Agata's Native Wine Grapes of Italy
Nebbiolo in Australia
Where Nebbiolo is grown in Australia
In Australia this variety, like many other Italian wine varieties, is attracting some interest.
Nebbiolo has the reputation of being a difficult grape to grow, as many Australian winegrowers will tell you. Consumers too find their first introduction to the variety a little strange. The colour, aroma and mouthfeel are not what your average Shiraz drinker is used to.
It is a variety that needs to matched closely with the appropriate microclimate. It has been tried in most Australian wine regions but it seems that the most successful Australian Nebbiolo wines as far as critics and judges have come from the Grampians, the Mornington Peninsula, and King Valley in Victoria and the Adelaide Hills, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley in South Australia.
Those growers and winemakers who have persisted have been rewarded with some excellent Australian Nebbiolo wines.
Want to taste a range of Nebbiolo wines?
Try this 2 X 6 pack of Aussie Nebs from 6 producers in 6 regions
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- A T Richardson Grampians
- Adelina Wines Clare Valley
- Aldinga Bay McLaren Vale
- Alpha Box and Dice McLaren Vale
- Amato Vino Margaret River
- Arfion Yarra Valley
- Arlewood Estate Margaret River
- Arrivo Adelaide Hills
- Bacchus Hill Sunbury
- Ballandeen Estate Granite Belt
- Barrecas Geographe
- Bay of Shoals Kangaroo Island
- Ben Haines Wiens Yarra Valley
- Bent Road Granite Belt
- Bimbadgen Hunter Valley
- Bioreann Granite Belt
- Bird On A Wine Yarra Valley
- Black Stump Wines Clare Valley
- Born and Raised Heathcote
- Bowe Lees Adelaide Hills
- Brokenwood Wines Hunter Valley
- Bromley Geelong
- Brown Brothers King Valley
- Brown Brothers King Valley
- Bruno and George Barossa Valley
- Bull Lane Wine Company Heathcote
- Calico Town Beechworth
- Capel Vale Geographe
- Cappa Stone Murray Darling
- Carlei Estate Yarra Valley
- Carpe Diem Margaret River
- Casa Freschi Langhorne Creek
- Cassegrain Hastings River
- Castagna Vineyard Beechworth
- Ceres Bridge Estate Geelong
- Chain of Ponds Adelaide Hills
- Chestnut Hill Vineyard Port Phillip Zone
- Clovely Estate South Burnett
- Cockfighters Ghost Hunter Valley
- Coriole McLaren Vale
- Crowe Canberra
- Cupitt's Winery Shoalhaven Coast
- Dal Zotto Estate King Valley
- Darling Estate King Valley
- David Hook Wines Hunter Valley
- DCB Wine Yarra Valley
- Deep Woods Estate Margaret River
- Della Fay Margaret River
- Denton Viewhill Vineyard Yarra Valley
- Dhiaga Mornington Peninsula
- Di Lusso Estate Mudgee
- Di Sciascio Family Wines Heathcote
- Domaine De Binet Hunter Valley
- Domenica Beechworth
- Dromana Estate Mornington Peninsula
- Emilia Northern Tasmania
- Ernest Schuetz Wines Mudgee
- Feathertop Alpine Valleys
- Ferguson Falls Winery Geographe
- Fermoy Estate Margaret River
- Ferraro Wines Alpine Valleys
- Fetherston Yarra Valley
- First Drop Barossa Valley
- Fletcher Pyrenees
- Flying Fish Cove Margaret River
- Freeman Vineyards Hilltops
- Galli Estate Heathcote
- Garden of Earthly Delights Heathcote
- Giaconda Beechworth
- Glandore Estate Hunter Valley
- Glenlofty Pyrenees
- Glenwillow Vineyard Bendigo
- Grant Burge Barossa Valley
- Grape Farm Winery Pyrenees
- Grove Estate Wines Hilltops
- Happs Margaret River
- Hay Shed Hill Wines Margaret River
- Henschke Eden Valley
- Heritage Estate Granite Belt
- Hidden Creek Granite Belt
- Il Modo Murray Darling
- Indigo Wine Company Beechworth
- Jasper Hill Heathcote
- Kellivale Geographe
- Kellivale Wines Geographe
- Killara Estate Yarra Valley
- Kirrihill Estates Clare Valley
- L A S Vino Margaret River
- La Cantina King Valley King Valley
- La Fattoria Perth Hills
- La Prova Adelaide Hills
- La Villa Northern Tasmania
- Lambrook Adelaide Hills
- Langmeil Barossa Valley
- Lethbridge Wines Geelong
- Lino Ramble McLaren Vale
- Longview Vineyard Adelaide Hills
- Loom McLaren Vale
- Louee Wines Mudgee
- Luke Lambert Wines Yarra Valley
- Mada Wines Canberra
- Mayer Yarra Valley
- McIvor Estate Heathcote
- Merindoc Heathcote
- Merkel King Valley
- Millbrook Winery Perth Hills
- Montefalco Vineyard Porongurup
- Monument Vineyard Central Ranges Zone
- Moondarra Gippsland
- Mount Avoca Pyrenees
- Mount Cole Wineworks Grampians
- Mount Franklin Estate Macedon Ranges
- Mount Towrong Macedon Ranges
- Mountainside Wines Grampians
- Mr Barval Fine Wines Margaret River
- Musk Lane Macedon Ranges
- Next Crop Wines Langhorne Creek
- Ngeringa Adelaide Hills
- Nick Spence Wines Tumbarumba
- Nillumbik Estate Yarra Valley
- Nocture Margaret River
- Nuova Scuola South Burnett
- Oak Works Riverland
- Out of Step Yarra Valley
- Oxenbury Beechworth
- Paracombe Wines Adelaide Hills
- Parish Hill Wines Adelaide Hills
- Paul Osicka Heathcote
- Peel Ridge Peel
- Philip Lobley Wines Upper Goulburn
- Pike and Joyce Adelaide Hills
- Pizzini Wines King Valley
- Pokolbin Estate Hunter Valley
- Pondalowie Bendigo
- Prancing Horse Estate Mornington Peninsula
- Primo Estate McLaren Vale
- Protero Adelaide Hills
- Provenance Wines Geelong
- Quealy Mornington Peninsula
- Ravensworth Wines Canberra
- Red Feet King Valley
- Ringer Reef Winery Alpine Valleys
- Rochford Wines Yarra Valley
- Ros Ritchie Upper Goulburn
- Rowlee Wines Orange
- Rowsley Fault Vineyards Geelong
- Rutherglen Estates Rutherglen
- Sam Miranda Wines King Valley
- Sandhurst Ridge Bendigo
- SC Pannell McLaren Vale
- Scaffidi Estate Adelaide Hills
- Semprevino Adelaide Hills
- Serafino Wines McLaren Vale
- serrat Yarra Valley
- Shadowfax Vineyard and Winery Geelong
- Shobbrook Wines Barossa Valley
- Signor Vino Riverina
- Sirromet Granite Belt
- Soumah Yarra Valley
- Spider Bill Wines Adelaide Hills
- Spook Hill Wines Riverland
- Star Lane Beechworth
- Stuart Wines Yarra Valley
- SubRosa Grampians
- Sum of the Few Pyrenees
- Symphony Hill Wines Granite Belt
- Taltarni Pyrenees
- Tar and Roses Nagambie Lakes
- Tenafeate Creek Wines Adelaide Plains
- Tertini Wines Southern Highlands
- The Hairy Arm Heathcote
- Thick as Thieves Yarra Valley
- Thorn-Clarke Wines Barossa Valley
- Toppers Mountain New England
- Tractorless Vineyard Southern Highlands
- Trandari Hilltops
- Traviarti Beechworth
- Trentham Estate Murray Darling
- Tumbalong Hills Gundagai
- Unico Zelo Adelaide Hills
- Varney Wines McLaren Vale
- Vinea Marson Heathcote
- Vineyard 28 Geographe
- Virago Beechworth
- Warrenmang Vineyard Pyrenees
- Way Wood Wines McLaren Vale
- Yalumba Wine Company Eden Valley
- Yarra Peaks Yarra Valley
Last Update 3 August 2021
Award Wining Nebbiolo Wines
At the 2020 Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show 18 Nebbiolo wines were judged. Three Gold medals were awarded and one bronze medal. Gold medals were given to Longview 2018 Saturnus Nebbiolo (Adelaide Hills) Protero 2018 Nebbiolo (Adelaide Hills) and Serafino 2019 Bellisimo Nebbiolo (McLaren Vale).
Nebbiolo is one of the varieties described in the book What Varietal is That?
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the flavour of Nebbiolo
Nebbiolo makes wine with a distinct brown colour. The wines are usually long lived and often reward cellaring for a decade or so.
In some ways Nebbiolo wines resemble Pinot Noirs in the way that they age into wines with soft rich tannins. The wines have rich flavours with a nose most often described as 'tar and roses'.
Some other flavours and aromas to look for are spicy, chocolate, leathery and earthy flavours. Think of a forest floor.
Nebbiolo and food
In Daring Pairings Evan Goldstein recommends pairing Nebbiolo with Braised Duck Leg Ragu with Chestnut Polenta and Green Olives.
As a general rule of thumb, any food you could serve with mushrooms is suitable to accompany Nebbiolo. Suggested other food matches with Nebbiolo wines are grilled steak, slow cooked winter casseroles and game dishes.
At a long lunch for wine makers prepared by Mildura chef Stefano di Pieri I enjoyed braised ox cheek with polenta as a dish specially designed to accompany an award winning Nebbiolo.
Brasato al Barolo is a classic dish of a large piece of beef slowly braised in a Barolo wine. You can cheat a little by not using 100 Euro a bottle wine as discussed in this Q and A.
For an authentic touch you could try this variety with a Bollito misto, which is a Northern Italian dish of mixed boiled meats, sausages and offal served with a garlicky basil sauce.
More Italian red wine varieties used in Australia
Aglianico |
Aleatico |
Barbera |
Canaiolo Nero |
Colorino |
Corvina |
Dolcetto |
Friesa |
Lagrein |
Mammolo |
Marzemino |
Montepulciano |
Nebbiolo |
Negroamaro |
Nero d'Avola |
Nero Di Troia |
Primitivo |
Refosco |
Rondinella |
Sagrantino |
Sangiovese |
Teroldego |
Zinfandel
One of the best books about Italian wine grape varieties is Ian d'Agata's Native Wine Grapes of Italy
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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.
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