Primitivo, sangiovese, montepulciano - from Italy to Australia. Interview with oenologist Robert Patynowski

Australian winemakers perfectly understand the needs of consumers, which is why they reach for varieties that the whole world loves. Primitivo, sangiovese, montepulciano from Australia is a tribute to old European varieties that are experiencing a revival in the New World.

An interview with Robert Patynowski, oenologist, wine expert, Australian with Polish roots, owner of the Grono Wines brand.

You are an Australian oenologist, you owned vineyards in the Riverland and Barossa Valley. Is it appropriate for someone like this to order Italian wine for dinner?

I always order the wine I feel like drinking, but most often from Australia. I remember my first fascination with the aromas of Old World wines. It was 1995, I was in the second year of oenology studies at the Roseworthy Campus of the University of Adelaide, the first agricultural university in Australia. During the sensory classes learned about wines from Northern Italy for the first time. Luckily for me, the tasting involved Barolo.

I immediately started trying to source scions of the nebbiolo variety, from which Barolo is made, from the university's vineyard. At that time the cultivation of this variety was not widespread in Australia. Shortly afterwards, I attended an educational tasting organized by a Mornington Peninsula producer who specialized in Italian varieties - mainly from northern Italy.

We tried wines from the varieties dolcetto, barbera, nebbiolo, and arneis, as well as sangiovese, montepulciano and primitivo. I was very impressed by them because they had a completely different structure compared to, for example, (the more commonly encountered) French wines. The French varieties seemed more sweet, expressive, fruity in taste, extravagant... Those from Italy surprised me, and in a way delighted me, with their rawness. In addition to fruits, I found notes of sour sweet cherries, rose flowers, old leather, dried herbs. They leave an interesting savoury, meaning a complex impression containing salty and umami flavours with a sweet touch.

The appropriately high acidity of Italian wines also makes them match perfectly with food. Since I began to perceive Italian wines this way, everything I knew about Italian culture and the lifestyle of southern Europeans started to fit together.

As a winemaker, have you had the opportunity to make wines from Italian varieties?

From the very beginning I was dealing with Old World varieties. I remember my first harvest in the warm Riverland region, where we harvested several tons of nebiolo and primitivo, from which we made outstanding wines.

Old grape varieties were very popular in Australia at that time, especially those used to make barolo, barbaresco and gattinara, which, despite their exorbitant prices, had a growing group of fans. I understood this phenomenon perfectly.

That's why, immediately after the harvest in Australia, I bought a ticket, booked a hotel and set off for northern Italy. The plan was to visit as many producers from Piedmont, where barolo originated, as possible and, at the same time to hit the top of the white truffle festival in Alba. It was a great trip, it awakened my European sentiments. And it sparked a new love - for truffles.

You owned vineyards in Australia, but you also made wine on other continents.

I got to know many interesting wine regions. In South Africa, California, Northern Italy I was a specialist in wine production and vineyard classification. As an oenologist and winemaker from Australia, I shared my knowledge of "new world" style production, but I worked with different varieties. For many years, I also consulted wines for several Italian producers from Valpolicella, Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia.

By the way, in California my favorite wine was Zinfandel, which is the same variety as primitivo, considered to be typically Italian, although historically it comes from Croatia.

I also established an extremely fruitful cooperation with AEB Group from Brescia, a world leader in biotechnology, where I was a consultant for laboratory processes in wine production. This contract allowed me to get in touch and exchange experiences with producers of Italian wines from Sicily to the Alps.

Some old varieties associated with Europe also do well in the New World, but not everywhere? What does it depend on?

Grapes, especially red ones like primitivo, sangiovese, and montepulciono, like warmth and lots of sunshine. Wherever they have the right climate, they can give excellent wines.

Each strain has its own optimal conditions for growth. For example, red varieties from northern Italy have not adapted anywhere in the world. They only do well at home in the specific climate of Piedmont, which is distinguished by the fact that there are relatively few sunny days, frequent fogs, and the climate is extremely continental. On cloudy days, the production of tannins in the grapes is limited, which is why, for example, the nebbiolo grape, which has a naturally high level of tannins, feels particularly good there and maintains its noble structure on the foggy slopes and valleys of northern Italy. A different climate does not serve it.

In contrast, varieties from central and southern Italy have a different type of tannins, which is why, without sunshine, they become "green", “stone-like" and generally appear unripe. Primitivo, sangiovese and montepulciano need sunshine and warmth to achieve full flavor and velvety structure. Maybe that's why they are so popular in Northern and Central Europe, because consumers of these "dark" and cold regions enjoy the aromas of summer, warm fruits and memories of sunny holidays that this wine evokes.

Does Australia, located at the "end of the world", have a good climate for red varieties from Europe?

Especially the Barossa Valley, known mainly for shiraz - a French variety that, although it does quite well in cooler climates, achieves its full flavor and tannin ripeness in a warm, dry place. Just like primitivo, sangiovese and montepulciano, for which Australia is a dream place to grow.

Why do Poles like primitivo so much?

Because it has everything that characterizes a good wine - rich color, ripe fruit aroma without being sickly sweet, with a noticeable savory element that maintains balance. A balanced, ripe sweetness with aromas of herbs, flowers, hay - everything that makes primitivo a perfect match with grilled meat stewed in a variety of sauces, intense cheeses, tomato-based dishes - such as ragu alla bolognese or parmigiana di melanzane. And in my opinion, primitivo is best suited to sipping while sharing memories of summer in good company.