Kerner: The intriguing white grape variety that might convert committed red wine fans

February 14, 2022

Barossa-based Michael and Graeme Fechner have the only kerner vineyard in Australia.Supplied

Every now and then you encounter a wine that blows your mind. Kerner is one of them. Haven't heard of it? You're not alone.

Europeans are well-acquainted with it but the white variety is largely unknown in Australia.

Kerner (also known Weißer Herold) is a 1929 cross-breed of riesling and trollinger (vernatsch) and in the late '90s peaked as the third most planted variety in Germany. It's also made itself at home in Italy's Alto Adige region, Austria, Switzerland, New Zealand, England, Japan and Canada.

When Barossa-based grape-growers Graeme and Michael Fechner encountered kerner during a trip to Germany in the early 2000s, it was a lightbulb moment.

The sixth-generation farmers were confident it would grow well in their corner of the world and planted cuttings sourced from Robinvale, Victoria, in 2005. Currently the Fechner Vineyard has the only planting of kerner in Australia.

Their fruit makes its way into the Chaffey Bros. Kontrapunkt, the only 100 per cent varietal kerner made in Australia – and indeed, the southern hemisphere.

"It is a really intriguing variety," says winemaker Huon Fechner. "It responds well to wild fermentation and is delicate like riesling, but has a textural roundness like gruner veltliner.

"We find it has pretty floral and green apple aromatics and fresh lemon citrus on the palate but a lovely texture, making it a great food wine. It's thirst-slaking and calls for something salty like anchovies."

Wine importer David Ridge loves the stuff, especially the Kofererhof Kerner from Italy's Isarco Valley.

"Kerner is almost a white for red drinkers," says Ridge. "It can have the floral, tropicals, citrus, melon and herb notes of colder clime riesling, but also has grip and structure of a red."

Done right, it's Ridge's ideal white. "It is serious and fascinating, but also superbly adaptive, similar to good pinot grigio/bianco or whites like soave or verdicchio, which can traverse a lot of food styles. In a big glass they can be genuinely fascinating and almost rival pinot bianco, or dare I say it, riesling and chardonnay."

Pro tip The Chaffey Bros. Dufte Punkt (a single-vineyard field blend of gewurztraminer, riesling and kerner) holds its own with fresh, spicy Asian dishes. Bang it on the lazy Susan and let the good times roll.