New grape the pick of the crop as winery experiments with varieties

ALTHOUGH some vineyards are still picking some red wine varieties, out on the foothills of Mount Canobolas, at the Word of Mouth vineyard, Peter Gibson and his winemaker Will Rickard-Bell, are tasting and testing what could be the last white wine grapes to be harvested in Australia this season. Petit Manseng is a variety of grapes that is popular in the south of France, particularly around the foothills of the Pyrenees. Unlike most varieties the berries are very small and loosely bunched, something that has distinct advantages when it comes to maintenance.