Delinquente Wine Co. Screaming Betty Vermentino

A thirst quenching, acid-driven, and textural Vermentino – perfect for summer drinking.

More and more Australian producers are learning that their Mediterranean climate suits Mediterranean grapes. Here is Vermentino, a mainstay of southern French and Italian whites (and occasionally blended into French rosé too), often sprightly with good acidity, with warmth with good heft and texture. Getting these two elements in balance leads to great wine, and the soft touch of winemaker Con-Greg Grigoriu at the winery in his native Riverland, South Australia ensures that is exactly what we have here.

Con-Greg Grigoriou grew up on a vineyard in the Riverland, South Australia, where his father managed wineries for over 35 years. A few years ago, while working for an advertising agency in Melbourne, he tasted his first truly interesting Riverland wine, and something clicked - why weren't people producing high-quality wines in his home region? Con-Greg’s idea for Delinquente Wine Co was to take advantage of the Riverland’s small vineyards planted with Southern Italian varieties, which are suited to the region’s dry Mediterranean climate.

He buys in grapes from trusted growers who work organically and is pretty much hands-off in the winery. All his wines are small-batch and single-vineyard, fermented in stainless steel with wild yeast. His aim is to make wine that is pure, drinkable and delicious - or as he would put it, “smashable”. To complete his vision, he recruited local Adelaide Street artist Ankles to design the edgy, eye-catching labels. Amid a sea of Big Wine, Delinquente has managed to convey a unique aesthetic and clear point of view: fun, uncomplicated and terroir-driven wines that will challenge people’s perception of the Riverland.