Alternative adventures
In Western Australia’s oldest wine region, just half an hour north of Perth, there’s a group of creative winemakers helping to lead the charge for Australian Chenin Blanc. A versatile white grape variety, Chenin Blanc is revered in France and appears in some exciting wines around Australia. In the Swan District wine region, more than 30 wineries are putting their unique stamp on the grape, with a new wave of young winemakers experimenting with styles.
At Sittella winery near the Swan River, the traditional method sparkling Chenin Blanc has become a top-selling sparkling wine in Western Australia. Nearby at John Kosovich Wines, but a world away in style, there’s an award-winning Chenin Blanc that’s left to age in the bottle for about six years before being released.
Then there’s the experimental, small-batch winery Vino Volta, where winemaker Garth Cliff is doing all the right things with his left-of-centre wines. Having worked in the region for well over a decade, he felt it wasn’t getting the attention it deserved, so in 2018, he and his partner Kristen McGann launched their own label.
Garth makes four different styles of Chenin Blanc, including a unique wine aged under a waxy layer of yeast, and has been listed in the Young Gun of Wine Top 50. Joining him on that list is Alexi Christidis of Chalari Wines, whose unconventional wines include a Chenin Blanc infused with Greek pine sap, as a tribute to his late father.
District of diversity
Creative expressions of an alternative variety is one of many things that make the Swan District a one-of-a-kind region. Following the scenic coastline north from Perth, it’s a vast landscape full of vineyards, farms and orchards, and it’s rich in natural beauty. Many wineries are scattered along the winding Swan River in the Swan Valley subregion, tucked into the region’s south-east corner.
With wine grapevines first planted here almost 200 years ago, this is one of Australia’s earliest wine regions and home to some of the country’s oldest vines. Established long before the famous Margaret River wine region, the Swan District put Western Australian wine on the map.
The Swan District’s warm Mediterranean climate ripens grapes quickly, and it’s one of the first regions in Australia to start harvest each year. As well as Chenin Blanc, the Swan District makes a wide range of wines – from bright sparkling styles to rich fortified wines including Port, Muscat and Pedro Ximénez. You’ll find diverse Chardonnay, fruity Verdelho and full-flavoured Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, among other delicious drops.
For visitors to the Swan District, there’s no shortage of things to do. Vineyards and wineries have been joined by breweries and distilleries, plus there are artist studios and an abundance of fresh produce and gourmet treats. Located so close to Perth, it makes for a perfect day trip or easy weekend getaway.
