Kevin McCarthy of MDI Wine makes textural Ansonica. Imbibo
Ansonica is a grape that will be entirely unknown to the vast majority of wine drinkers.
Yet I’ve tasted ansonica from four Australian producers in recent months, and all have impressed. In Sicily it’s known as inzolia (Feudo Arancio has a good one, imported to Australia by Single Vineyard Sellers).
Ansonica/inzolia is a grape that tolerates heat and drought well; no surprise that it’s a native of Sicily.
The wine is usually made as a light-bodied, fruit-driven dry white and usually made ‘straight’, without too much winemaking input, so the grape can express itself to the full.
Ansonica/inzolia is a grape that tolerates heat and drought well; no surprise that it’s a native of Sicily. Three of the four wines below are from grapes grown in the Murray Darling region, which is hot and dry. Kevin McCarthy, of MDI Wine, describes MDI as his “passion project, with a mission to change perceptions about how good wines from Mildura can really be”.
Lowe Family is based in Mudgee but proprietor David Lowe is a keen advocate of grape varieties that have potential to cope with increasing heat and dry conditions, and ansonica is one such grape.
Mount Majura’s first vintage of ansonica is only 16 dozen! Not surprisingly, it’s only available to their club members. The vines were planted in 2019: a bigger output is anticipated in future. They suggest it should be regarded as an early-drinking wine until time proves otherwise.
This Article was originally published on The Real Review
