Chalmers Pecorino 2020

Wait, isn’t pecorino a delicious sheep’s milk cheese?

Well yes, but it’s also a grape variety; a particularly charming one from central and southern Italy. In fact, it was named for the shepherds who ate the grapes while tending their flocks. 

This time it is grown in Heathcote by Chalmers – a remarkable family ensuring the future of viticulture in Australia by planting varieties more resilient in the face of climate change. 

This wine reminds me of a homemade lemonade stand by the Northern Rivers beach of my childhood – aromas of freshly squeezed lemons and the occasional spritz of zesty oil into the sea-salted air. There’s ripe yellow peaches and crunchy just-ripe rockmelon with a hint of beeswax adding savoury complexity. 

Don’t let those notes fool you though – there’s no sweetness here. There’s also more body than you might expect and a bracing acidity that reminds me of kiwi fruit.

Drink it with its cheesy namesake showcased in a bowl of Cacio e Pepe pasta (preferably scooped straight from a wheel of Pecorino cheese).