Marsanne has been grown at Tahbilk in the goulburn valley for well over 100 years, having been taken there from Yeringberg in the yarra valley (in turn having come from Switzerland). Until relatively recently, Tahbilk’s was the largest single-vineyard planting in the world, but the Rhône’s sudden popularity in the US and elsewhere has seen it lose that title. Much smaller plantings of Roussanne are mainly used to blend with Marsanne. Viognier is exciting a great deal of interest, and in terms of area planted rivalled Verdelho by 2013. While most goes to make white wine, winemakers treasure it for the magic it works when co-fermented with Shiraz. Gewurztraminer has been around for a long time; blended with Riesling and made off-dry, it rightly inhabits Asian restaurant wine lists. Delicate—perhaps too delicate—dry, unblended versions are made on Tasmania and in the cooler parts of Victoria. Savagnin, Grüner Veltliner, Fiano, Vermentino, Arneis, Cortese, Garganega, Petit Manseng, Picolit, Schönburger, and Chenin Blanc are but some of the more obscure white wine varieties also in commercial production.
