Take all the joy of a summer fruit salad, with the zip and zing of tropical fruit and a dash of sunshine, distil it into a wine and you will have the miracle that is Verdelho. A native of Portugal, this sumptuous grape has really made a home for itself here in Australia. It’s a wine you’ll be seeing a lot more of as it makes it way onto the wine lists of the country’s best restaurants. Love a fruit-forward Chardy without any of the oak? Partial to a tropical Sav Blanc that’s a little less grassy? This is your perfect middle-ground and will definitely hit the sweet spot.

Verdelho comes from Portugal originally, yet it was amongst the first varieties planted in Langhorne Creek and still thrives today. Conditions for grape growing in Langhorne Creek are ideal thanks to the natural fertility of the floodplain soils, the ability of those soils to retain moisture from natural winter floods, and the moderation of the local climate by cooling evening breezes off nearby Lake Alexandria and the Southern Ocean in summer. Look for fragrant honeydew melon, pineapple, passionfruit, lemon zest and citrus with balanced acidity and an almost steely, persistent finish.

The essence of summer: Take all the joy of a summer fruit salad, with the zip and zing of tropical fruit and a dash of sunshine, distil it into a wine and you will have the miracle that is Verdelho. A native of Portugal, this sumptuous grape has really made a home for itself here in Australia. It’s a wine you’ll be seeing a lot more of as it makes it way onto the wine lists of the country’s best restaurants. Love a fruit-forward Chardy without any of the oak? Partial to a tropical Sav Blanc that’s a little less grassy? This is your perfect middle-ground and will definitely hit the sweet spot.

Hungerford Hill Verdelho has proven itself to be best suited to warmer viticultural climates, such as the Hunter Valley, where a complex unwooded style flavour ripeness is achieved and expressed early in the growing season allowing a fuller flavoured aromatic white wine. Brilliant youthful green in colour. A pungent aroma of spicy citrus, musk stick and hints of lavender whilst the palate is constant and complemented with hints of lemon and passionfruit with a subtle linear acid structure.