Australian Fiano

Fiano is perfectly suited to Australia’s essentially warm and dry climate, and plantings of this delicious white varietal are increasing across the country. Originating from Italy’s Sicily Campania regions, it’s thriving here with winemakers embracing its hardiness and wine drinkers loving the diverse styles it can be made into.  

What is Fiano?

Fiano wine is a white wine made from the Fiano grape variety. It originates from the Campania region in Southern Italy and has over two thousand years of history. 

What type of wine is Fiano

Fiano is a white wine famous for its complex flavour profile, including citrus and stonefruit flavours,  and its racy, mouth-watering acidity. Aromas often feature citrus blossoms, honey and hazelnut. Its style can range from light and fresh to rich, textural, and mouth-coating. It is similar in weight to Pinot Grigio, Semillon and unoaked Chardonnay.

Is Fiano Red or White?

Fiano is a medium-bodied white wine known for its aromatic complexity and rich texture.

What is the difference between Italian and Aussie Fiano?

Australian Fiano tends to have a brighter, more refreshing acidity than Italian examples, but both deliver a lovely saline finish.  Traditionally, Italian Fiano is more richly flavoured and fuller-bodied. It expresses subtle nutty aromas, with fresh pear, citrus, and honey flavours, and delivers rich and waxy textures.  

What does Australian Fiano taste like?

Fiano is either lighter in body with dominant citrus fruit flavours or richer with more weight and pronounced stone fruit characters. Some richer wines result from the clever use of lees or subtle oak influence. If you’re a fan of Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot G, you’ll enjoy the lighter styles, while lovers of Chardonnay will most likely prefer the richer examples.  

Is Fiano sweet or dry?

 Fiano is classified as a dry white wine, and it tends to deliver bright and refreshing acidity. However, Fiano grapes can also be made in sweet and Sparkling styles.  

Is Fiano similar to Pinot Grigio?  

If you enjoy Australian Pinot Grigio, you’ll also enjoy the lighter-style Fianos with their lemon zest and grapefruit citrus aromas and flavour profiles. They are also similar in weight to Pinot Grigio, and like Pinot Grigio, they’re delicious served with creamy cheese, simple pastas, seafood, and Mediterranean dishes.  

Is Fiano similar to Semillon?  

Regarding similarities between Fiano and Semillon, Semillon tends to be lighter-bodied and drier than Fiano. However, its citrus characters are similar to those of lighter-style Fianos. With higher natural acidity, both are perfect to serve with seafood or fried dishes. 

Is Fiano similar to Chardonnay?  

If you enjoy modern Australian Chardonnay, you’ll most likely love the richer style Fianos with their peach and apricot stonefruit aromas and flavours. Like Chardonnay, the richer style Fianos are medium-bodied and have more weight.   

Best Fiano in Australia

Fiano thrives in hot, dry climates, making it ideal for growing in many of Australia’s wine regions. It can tolerate the heat spikes Australia can experience during vintage and is an environmentally friendly variety that requires much less water than most varieties.  

Fiano retains its acidity in the heat. While Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, for example, often lose their acidity when the temperature rises, Fiano can be made into a beautifully balanced, refreshing wine.

It loves hot and dry climates and thrives in the regions of McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Hunter Valley, Riverland, and Riverina, where producers are crafting some of the best Fiano in Australia. Top-class examples also come from Adelaide Hills and King Valley, where the climate is cool.  

What region in Australia produces the best Fiano?

The key regions for producing Fiano in Australia include Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley, King Valley, Hunter Valley, McLaren Vale, Riverland, Riverina, Heathcote, and Murray Darling.  

Around 111 hectares of Fiano are planted across Australia’s wine regions, accoun ng for just 0.2% of white wine varie es. It’s growing in popularity with winemakers and wine lovers.  

Murray Darling-Swan Hill, NSW, is the largest grower of Fiano with 43% of Australia’s Fiano produc on, while Murray Darling-Swan Hill, VIC, accounts for 11%. 

McLaren Vale Fiano

When Coriole released Australia’s first Fiano in McLaren Vale in 2005, it signalled an exciting time for white wine lovers. Characterised by warm summers, mild winters, good winter rainfall and low relative humidity with relatively high evaporation, McLaren Vale enjoys a classic Mediterranean-style climate. Naturally hardy and drought-tolerant, Fiano grapes thrive in this region.

Leading producers of McLaren Vale Fiano include Coriole, Penny’s Hill, Hugh Hamilton, d’Arenberg, and Serafino.  

Adelaide Hills Fiano

The Adelaide Hills is a long and narrow wine region with the Barossa Valley lying to the north and McLaren Vale to the south. The peaks and valleys teem with farmland and vineyards producing sensa onal wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, Sparkling, Chardonnay, Fiano, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, and Merlot. The elevation of the Adelaide Hills grants it a distinctly cooler climate that imparts its grapes vibrant varietal flavours and character, with a good degree of natural acidity.

Discover delicious local Fiano by K1 by Geoff Hardy, La Prova, ArtWine, The Lane Vineyard, and Hesketh. 

Clare Valley Fiano

Clare Valley is blessed with a moderate continental climate, enjoying warm to hot summer days tempered by cool breezes in the afternoon and evening. Rainfall is low, and there is a high percentage of high-degree days; however, temperatures drop quite a lot through the night, and a diurnal variation keeps the average temperatures lower and grants the vines relief from the heat. Ripening is slowed, and the fruit develops extra complexity—a boon for aromatic vines like Fiano.  

Enjoy Clare Valley Fiano from producers including Hesketh, Credaro, Eldredge, and Art Wine.

Hunter Valley Fiano

While the Hunter Valley is deservedly celebrated for its Semillon – brilliant, age-worthy and utterly distinctive – alternative varieties, like Fiano, continue to enjoy a rise in popularity.  The Hunter Valley has a temperate climate in which Fiano vines thrive.  

Many local wineries, including Margan, Vinden, Tyrrell’s Hungerford Hill, Dalwood Estate, Briar Ridge, and Hart & Hunter, produce fabulous Hunter Valley Fiano.    

King Valley Fiano

The King Valley wine region is in northeast Victoria, next to the Alpine Valleys and Beechworth regions and south of Rutherglen. Outside of the Victorian portion of the Murray Darling-Swan Hill region, King Valley is the largest winegrape-producing region in Victoria by tonnage. Fiano loves the King Valley terroir, which has mineral-rich soils that provide lovely minerality in the wine.  

Enjoy King Valley Fiano by Pizzini, De Bortoli, Gapsted Estate, Dal Zotto and Chrismont. 

Do you chill Fiano wine?

Yes, it is best to chill Fiano wine before serving it. The ideal serving temperature for Finao is 8°-10 °C. 

Does Fiano age well? 

Fiano is best enjoyed while fresh and young, but due to its natural acidity, it can be cellared up to five years.  

Best Food Pairings for Fiano

Since Fiano comes from a coastal-bound region, it makes sense that it pairs well with seafood, including raw and baked fish, shellfish and molluscs.  

How to buy Fiano wine from Wine Selectors?

Want the best Australian Fiano delivered to your doorstep? With Wine Selectors, you can explore Australia’s top Fiano from the comfort of your home. Order a mixed Fiano case at 20% off RRP, or sign up for a Customised subscription to enjoy styles handpicked just for you. 

It’s also delicious with vegetarian pasta dishes, as the wine's acidity offsets the richness of cream-based sauces and complements the acidity of tomato-based recipes.