Strange Bird grape varieties

Our Strange Birds™

The alternate varieties produced by Ballandean Estate are:

Durif (Doo-riff)

One of the new kids on the Ballandean block with the first vintage release being the 2013 and it looks like another happy Strange Bird™ in the vineyard.  The wine is full bodied with typical Durif characters of fruit cake and a touch of liquorice.

Fiano (Fee-ah-no)

A variety that hales from the southern part of Italy, particularly Sicily and Calabria. This variety is very happy here in Ballandean, its gorgeous vines flourishing in our cool climate,  producing a well-balanced and consistently flavoursome wine. Our Fiano displays a heady bouquet of ripe pineapple and lychee with a rich palate of tropical fruit and a luxurious mouthfeel.  This wine is also well-suited to rich seafood dishes such as salmon.

Jacquez (Ja-kes)

Once again, a very old planting at Ballandean that was originally used to intensify colour and for blending.  The juice of this variety is red and results in an intensely coloured wine that is perfectly suited to being blended with our Malbec — a very rare blend indeed! New research has suggested that this variety is actually an indigenous variety from North America, going against the old suggestion that it was from Europe. An intriguing variety.

Malbec (Mahl-bek)

A big and flavoursome wine that was traditionally used at Ballandean as a blending wine for Cabernet as was the trend at the time of planting.  Forty-plus years on, the vineyard is blessed to have a significant planting of this variety and is producing award-winning wines with them.  Our Malbec is big and juicy with touches of herbaceousness and leafiness.  The palate is well rounded with soft tannins and well integrated oak.

Nebbiolo (Neb-ee-oh-lo)

A finicky variety to grow in Ballandean, but when it’s right, it is so right! Usually produced as a medium-weight style with a heady bouquet of tar and cherry with a flavoursome palate and strong tannins.  This is most definitely a food wine and is well suited to anything Italian.

Saperavi (Sap-a-ra-vee)

One of the most rare varieties we have planted and indeed very rare in Australia.  This variety has red juice (very rare) and as a result, the wine is extraordinarily dark in the glass.  With a fruit-driven bouquet and big colour, you could be fooled into thinking that this wine was also very tannic, but when in your mouth, you soon realise the tannins are quite soft and the fruit flavours abound.

Sylvaner (Sil-var-na)

Originating from Alsace, this grape variety has been used a number of ways here at Ballandean. First as a dry white and then by the mid-1980s after a visit to France by Angelo, as a cordon cut dessert wine. The Sylvaner is famous for its luscious front palate with touches of honey and marmalade and its divine, crisp finish.  It is the perfect wine to serve with a crème brulee or try it with a rich cheese plate after dinner.  Ballandean Estate’s Sylvaner is recognised as the best of its style in the world. ,

Viognier (Vee-on-yay)

Often described as a red wine drinker’s white wine, as it is usually a heavier white wine with touches of spice and complexity. Our Viognier exhibits an enticing bouquet of apricots and is well suited to a rich seafood dish such as Prawn and Scallop Risotto.