Corrina Wright of Oliver’s Taranga wasn’t born in Campania, nor did she grow up drinking Fiano with her whiting. Yet she got tired of drinking McLaren Vale Shiraz with fish, and today she goes by the nickname “Fiano Queen”. So how did that happen?

“(Our neighbour) Mark Lloyd from Coriole had been over to Italy and seen some really fabulous Fianos and thought it would be a really interesting variety for us in Australia,” Corrina tells me. “He’d already planted a little bit, and at the time we were growers – we still grow for other people – and he asked us to plant some. We tasted some of the Fianos available on the market, which wasn’t very many at the time, and thought, ‘Yeah, we’ll give this a go.’”

The folks at Oliver’s Taranga have now been growing Fiano for over 20 years, a smart move well ahead of a time when climate change can no longer be denied, even by the most die-hard sceptics. Thanks to its heat and drought tolerance and its affinity with coastal areas like McLaren Vale, Fiano is the hero local vignerons didn’t know they needed. “It has lovely natural acidity and texture, and it doesn’t fight with food; it sits in with food. So, lifestyle-wise, it became a real winner.”

But there’s more to the story. While Fiano is no longer a novelty for Corrina and her crew, it’s still new to many Australians, particularly on the east coast and in WA. “So, we thought, why not talk about Fiano and the category as a whole, not just what we’re doing? Encourage people to have a taste and see whether it suits their lifestyle.”

And so, in the third Friday of October 2025, the annual International Fiano Day was born, though it remains exclusively Australian. “I always say ‘International Fiano Day’, like I’m being American a bit – you know how they have the World Series for baseball and no one else is involved? We researched it and found there wasn’t a Fiano Day yet, so we thought we’d put it on the calendar.”

Who knows whether other countries will soon add it to their calendars too, as Fiano has made giant strides in barely two decades. The Campanian grape now has its own class and trophy at the McLaren Vale Wine Show and is one of the biggest classes at the annual Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show. Like Prosecco and Pinot Grigio before it, Fiano may soon graduate from the show altogether.

“I think it probably won’t be too far away before it graduates, though maybe Tempranillo will go first. Graduating a variety is about how much is planted, how much access there is, how confident people are with the winemaking. We’re starting to tick some of those boxes.”

The numbers back her up. According to Wine Australia and Vine Health Australia Vineyard Registration, Fiano’s total crush value rose 56% between the 2024 and 2025 vintages to $3.72 million, plantings increased by 318% over the period of 10 years, and more than 80 Australian wineries now bottle it. I suspect our mate Fiano will be attending its own graduation party sooner than expected.

2023 Oliver’s Taranga the Hunt for Mrs. Oliver Methode Traditionnelle Fiano
95 points | $70

A persistent bead of fine bubbles and a lovely core of aromatics: pineapple and Golden Delicious apple, fleshy nectarine and lemon meringue pie, with honeyed toast from 30 months on lees. The mousse is silky, and the palate generous and fleshy, playful on the surface but with real depth and serious intent. Lively acidity brings brightness and a refreshing crunch, and the long finish carries the flavours well past the horizon. Seriously made- the perfect companion for your seafood bonanza. It’s worth including winemaker Corrina Wright comments here: “When I was first making it, I was over in Italy keeping it secret. Then in Campania, I found they were all making some sort of bottle-fermented Fiano, but it’s all drunk over there, made and sold locally. So, then I didn’t feel like such an idiot after all.”

“If you’d told me 20 years ago that I’d be able to make a traditional method sparkling from a McLaren Vale white, I would have fallen over. Sparkling winemakers are a bit like the surgeons of the winemaking world, and still winemakers are just the GPs. There’s a lot more to learn, but luckily, I’ve been working with Kate Laurie at Deviation Road, who’s pretty much the guru. It’s been a great adventure.”

2026 Oliver’s Taranga Vermentino
95 points | $29.50

Bursting with Mediterranean aromas: ripe lemon and tangerine, magnolia and fresh mint, grapefruit and nectarine, while a tonic whiff of sea spray brings a saline tension that cuts through the fruit. The palate is vivid and luminous, fleshy and mouth-watering like citrus ripened under the Sicilian sun. It’s generously aromatic yet never over-extracted, avoiding the phenolic bitterness often found in the Sardinia’s richer styles. A great example of Vermentino, punching well above its price. Bravo!

2026 Oliver’s Taranga Grenache Blanc
93 points | $36

Waxy and tangy, with tantalising, Sundowner apple, greengage, lemon verbena tea, green olives and freshly squeezed lime. Silky, round and soft, yet bouncing around with the fresh energy of a toddler. There are enough texture and dry extract towards the back of the palate to make it a structurally sound wine that can stand up to a range of dishes, from luxuriously creamy risotto to finger-licking rotisserie chicken. 

2026 Oliver’s Taranga Chica Mencia Rosé
92 points | $29.50

A lovely, eye-catching salmon-pink, this is summer in the glass. Watermelon, cantaloupe and cured prosciutto (one of my favourite summer lunches with my grandpa), plus fresh cherries, strawberry granita and crushed mint. The palate is generous and playful, with great concentration of flavour, delicious on its own or with the fresh, uncomplicated food we all crave when it’s sunny and over 40 C.

2026 Oliver’s Taranga Fiano
95 points | $29.50

The pendulum here swings between lemon balm and millefiori (wildflower) honey, pickled ginger, prickly pear and yuzu. Nose and palate are fleshy and concentrated, yet bouncy and lifted. Beautifully crafted and with that X factor, it will delight the taste buds to the very last drop. The future is bright for Fiano in Australia, in the right hands!

2025 Oliver’s Taranga Anfore Fiano
95 points | $56

A brilliant lemon hue with a mesmerising golden tinge. It’s a medley of prickly pear, lemon balm, acacia honey, candied ginger, orange peel, apricot delight and macadamia, dialled up to full volume. The palate is a captivating contrast between phenolic bitterness and fleshy fruit, plus an airy texture almost like a pavlova or a gnocco fritto. Sweet or savoury, whichever way you go, it’s going to be memorably delicious.