Fiano in the Clare Valley: An Ancient Variety with a Bright Future

Fiano is a variety with an ancient past and, we think, a particularly exciting future in Australia.

Originally from southern Italy, this ancient white grape has found a natural home in a number of Australian wine regions – and increasingly, we believe, here in the Clare Valley.

Just as importantly, wine drinkers seem to have taken to it remarkably quickly.

We sometimes describe Fiano as a bit of a “Goldilocks” white wine. It has the freshness and aromatic lift that appeals to Sauvignon Blanc drinkers, some of the generosity and texture Pinot Gris drinkers enjoy, and enough weight and complexity to interest Chardonnay lovers.

Only a few years ago, seeing Fiano on an Australian wine list was relatively unusual. Today, particularly in our capital cities, it has become a regular fixture.

For us, that growing interest has coincided with increasing confidence in the variety in the vineyard – and some strong validation on the wine-show circuit.

In recent years, our ‘Luccio’ Fiano has won the trophy for Best Dry White Other Than Riesling at the Clare Valley Wine Show four times – in 2020, 2022, 2023 and 2025. It has also twice won Best Other Varietal White at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show, with the 2021 and 2025 vintages taking the trophy.

Those results have reinforced something we have increasingly seen ourselves: Fiano seems particularly well suited to Clare.

Our 2026 Luccio Fiano is our largest bottling to date, bringing together fruit from our own Polish Hill River Estate and other Clare Valley vineyards. It reflects not only the character of Fiano, but what we are beginning to understand about its potential in our region.

An ancient variety with plenty of versatility

Fiano has been cultivated in southern Italy for centuries, with its history stretching back to ancient times.

Today it is most closely associated with Campania, and particularly Fiano di Avellino DOCG, in the inland hills around Avellino.

One of Fiano’s great attributes is its ability to develop flavour while retaining acidity. As it ripens it can produce generous citrus, stone fruit, pear and more tropical characters, yet well-grown Fiano can maintain remarkable freshness and structure.

That combination makes it particularly interesting in Australia.

Fiano is also relatively thick-skinned and has naturally loose bunches. It performs well in warm conditions and can retain good acidity and low pH even as flavour develops.

Stylistically, it is also wonderfully versatile. Fiano can produce everything from taut, citrus-driven and mineral wines through to richer, more textural expressions.

Our preference sits toward the fresher end of that spectrum: pure fruit, brightness and definition, with enough texture to make the wine interesting without losing its line.

Why Fiano in the Clare Valley?

The more we work with Fiano, the more we see some interesting parallels between its traditional home around Avellino and parts of the Clare Valley.

Fiano di Avellino is grown in an elevated inland landscape, with many vineyards sitting between roughly 300 and 600 metres above sea level. Our Polish Hill River vineyards sit within a remarkably similar elevation range.

Perhaps more importantly, both environments combine warm summer days with significant overnight cooling.

That diurnal temperature range is an important part of how we think about Fiano at Pikes.

The fruit can achieve plenty of flavour and physiological ripeness during the day, while the cooler nights help preserve acidity. In our wines, that shows up as a particularly clear acid line – freshness and tension running through otherwise generous fruit and texture.

There are differences too. Avellino is considerably wetter overall than Clare, although both experience strongly seasonal rainfall and comparatively dry conditions through the main ripening period.

And then there is Fiano’s resilience.

Clare can produce extraordinary white wines with naturally high acidity, but it is also a region capable of throwing some fairly extreme conditions at us. Fiano's ability to cope with warmth, retain acidity and produce flavour without quickly becoming heavy makes it an increasingly interesting proposition as our climate changes.

A distinctly Clare expression

One of the things that has stood out to us when tasting Fiano from around Australia is the character we seem to be getting from Clare.

There is a purity and freshness to the fruit that we find particularly exciting.

Some of that is undoubtedly vineyard – our elevation and diurnal temperature range contribute to the natural acidity and precision of the wine.

Some of it is also deliberate winemaking.

At Pikes we tend toward clean, restrained white-wine making. With Fiano, our aim isn't to overlay the variety with excessive winemaking artefact. We want to preserve the fruit, freshness and varietal character that arrive from the vineyard.

The result is a style we think is distinctly Clare: generous enough to be immediately appealing, but with freshness, tension and definition underneath.

The consistency of the results across several vintages has given us confidence that this is more than simply a good run of seasons. From the 2020 Clare Valley Wine Show trophy through to the double-trophy success of the 2025 vintage at both the Clare Valley and Royal Adelaide Wine Shows, Fiano has continued to demonstrate just how naturally it can fit within Clare's white-wine landscape.

The 2026 'Luccio' Fiano

Our 2026 Fiano draws on fruit from our Polish Hill River Estate, Southern Watervale and an increasing number of Clare Valley growers.

In the glass, it is pale straw with brilliant green hues.

The aromatics are vibrant and lifted, showing fresh melon, green apple, lime and tropical fruit, alongside delicate white florals and citrus blossom.

On the palate, yellow nectarine and green pear meet mandarin and preserved citrus. There is a soft, creamy texture and gentle pithy grip, balanced by that bright line of acidity that brings freshness, length and definition.

It is generous and rounded without feeling heavy – a combination that, for us, is one of Fiano's great strengths.

At just 12% alcohol, there is plenty of flavour and texture while the wine remains fresh, vibrant and very easy to put on the table.

What to eat with Fiano

Fiano's combination of acidity, fruit and texture makes it an extraordinarily useful food wine.

The freshness makes it a natural partner for seafood – fresh prawns, grilled fish, ceviche and shellfish all work beautifully.

It is equally comfortable alongside dishes with some spice or fragrance, particularly Southeast Asian-inspired food, where the fruit and texture complement the dish while the acidity refreshes the palate.

But Fiano has more substance than many aromatic whites.

Roast chicken, pork, creamy pasta and richer seafood dishes are equally at home beside it. There is enough weight and texture to stand up to the food, while the acidity keeps everything moving.

A variety with a future

Our 2026 release represents another important step for Fiano at Pikes.

It is our largest release to date, and the fact that we're now working with an increasing number of Clare Valley growers reflects growing confidence in the variety beyond our own vineyard.

Fiano offers something different from the varieties traditionally associated with Clare, while sharing many of the characteristics we value most highly in the region's best white wines: purity, natural acidity, freshness, texture and the ability to develop flavour without sacrificing balance.

We're still relatively early in our journey with the variety. There is plenty more to learn about sites, vineyard management and how Fiano responds to different Clare Valley seasons.

But the vineyard performance, the response from wine drinkers and the consistency of the wines themselves are all pointing in the same direction.

For a grape with such an ancient history, we think Fiano's story in the Clare Valley is only just beginning.

Shop 2026 'Luccio' Fiano.