One Italian grape. Seven winemakers. Thirteen unique expressions. Discover the diversity of fiano in Pokolbin.
Fiano is an Italian white grape varietal putting down strong roots here in Australia. Flourishing in our climate and across diverse wine regions, it is producing an exciting range of styles, each shaped by its place and the producers behind it. On Friday 16 October 2026, we’re bringing together seven producers from four Australian wine regions in our Wine Garden for an evening of tasting, discovery and comparison. Explore the diversity of fiano, meet the winemakers and producers and discover just how differently this versatile Italian varietal can express itself in Australia. Pair your wines with Italian fare from our Mangia Airstream Kitchen, while live music sets the mood throughout the night.
📅 Friday 16th October 2026, 5:00pm to 8:30pm
📍 Wine Garden, Saddler's Creek Wines, 15 Marrowbone Road, Pokolbin
🍷 A one night tasting event, seven producers pouring their fiano, seven tasting tokens per guest
A highlight on our calendar
Saddler's is a multi-regional winery and renowned for our Friday nights in Pokolbin and we love having other wineries and winemakers visit. It is rare though that we get a chance for them to pour their wines, and showcase the divesity of one varietal, from multiple wine regions.
As a relatively new producer of fiano on our second vintage, we are extremely excited to have the pioneers of fiano in Australia, Oliver's Taragna join us and pour alongside us. You will have seven tokens to explore the diversity of the varietal across regions and winemaker's style.
We are a Hunter Valley destination built for bringing people together over good food and wine, and this is that idea with six other wineries invited in. One grape, shown many ways, by the people who love it and crafted it.
Seven fiano producers
Every guest gets seven tasting tokens to spend however they like. Work your way around all seven barrels, or find the wine you love and go back for more of it. Each producer brings their own wines, and their own stories to share.
What is fiano?
Fiano is a white grape from the hills around Avellino in Campania, southern Italy, where it has been grown since Roman times. The name traces back to vitis apiana, the vine loved by bees. In the glass it runs from lemon, pear and stone fruit through to a richer, almost waxy texture, and it holds a line of fresh acidity right through the middle.
Why fiano grows so well in Australia
Fiano is drought and heat tolerant, needs far less water than most white varieties, and holds its acidity in the heat where Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc lose theirs. That combination is why it has travelled so well here. Australia now has more fiano planted than anywhere outside Italy, with more than 80 producers making it, and the crush value climbed 56% in 2025.
It is the sustainability story as much as the flavour one, and it is a large part of why fiano sits in our Single Suitcase range: Italian varieties, grown and made in Australia, chosen because they suit the ground they are planted in.
The producers pouring on the night
Your hosts. Family owned by the Laureti family, whose own story starts with Alessandro Laureti arriving in Australia with a single suitcase from Italy in 1955. Our 2026 Single Suitcase Fiano was grown in the Hunter Valley.
Established in 1972 and now the largest holder of family owned vineyards in the Mount View region, with a Halliday Red 5-Star rating. Andrew Duff will be showcasing his 2025 Limited Release Fiano which was awarded 95 points from Halliday.
The newest name of the seven, established in 2022 at Lovedale, working to the idea that a wine should carry both force and finesse. Harrison Medley is bringing a sparkling and a still fiano.
Sixth generation family growers, and the pioneer of fiano in Australia. Fiano is Corrina Wright's signature wine. She will be pouring three, including a méthode traditionelle and an amphora ferment.
Cupitt's Estate is a family-run winery, restaurant, wedding venue and luxury accommodation destination on the NSW South Coast, with handcrafted wines, farm-to-table dining and views over Burrill Lake.
A family-owned vineyard in the picturesque Southern Highlands NSW, making wine that makes a difference. Premium cool-climate wines, a cellar door experience and boutique accommodation on the vineyard.
Aaron and Alison Mercer started in 2019, working with certified sustainable growers across Mediterranean varieties. Aaron was a Young Gun of Wine finalist in 2023.
The wines pouring
| Producer | Wine | Fruit |
|---|---|---|
| Saddler's Creek | 2026 Single Suitcase Fiano | Hunter Valley |
| Saddler's Creek | 2025 Single Suitcase Fiano | Hunter Valley |
| Briar Ridge | 2026 Fiano | Hunter Valley |
| Briar Ridge | 2019 Fiano | Hunter Valley |
| Gunpowder Wines | 2026 Fiano | Hunter Valley |
| Gunpowder Wines | 2026 Sparkling Fiano, The Spark | Hunter Valley |
| Mercer Wines | 2025 Fiano | Hunter Valley |
| Oliver's Taranga | 2026 Fiano | McLaren Vale |
| Oliver's Taranga | 2023 Hunt for Mrs Oliver Méthode Traditionelle Fiano | McLaren Vale |
| Oliver's Taranga | 2025 Anfore Fiano | McLaren Vale |
| Cupitt's Estate | 2025 Fiano | Hilltops |
| Dawning Day | 2025 Fiano | Gundagai |
| Dawning Day | 2025 Skin Shady | Gundagai |
Two vintages of the same wine side by side, a sparkling, a méthode traditionelle, an amphora ferment and a skin contact. For one grape, that is a lot of ground. Wines may change subject to availability.
What to eat with fiano
Fiano was made for the table. It goes with seafood, with vegetarian pasta, with anything carrying chilli or a cream sauce, and with soft cheeses, which is roughly the whole of what Chef Chiero cooks.
The Mangia kitchen runs the new spring menu on the night, ordered separately as you would on any Friday. Chef Chiero is Venetian born, and this is the food he grew up eating.
Plus gnocchi bolognese, sides, and pannacotta with rhubarb and strawberries to finish. A kids menu runs as it does every Friday. The menu may shift with what is good that week.
What's on in the Hunter Valley in October 2026
We are celebrating Fiano Day with Fiano Festa Friday on Friday 16th October, from 5:00pm to 8:30pm, at Saddler's Creek Wines in Pokolbin.
If you are planning a Hunter Valley weekend in October, this is the Friday night to build it around. Arrive at five, work your way around the barrels, eat, stay for the music, and you have the whole of Saturday and Sunday still in front of you.
Getting to Saddler's Creek Wines in Pokolbin
We are at 15 Marrowbone Road, Pokolbin, in the heart of the Hunter Valley. About two hours' drive from Sydney and forty minutes from Newcastle Airport, with parking on site. Taxis and rideshare run locally, and if you are tasting across seven producers, that is the sensible way home.
The night runs outdoors across the Wine Garden and the car park, a barrel per winemaker, so dress for an October evening and bring a layer for when the sun goes. If the weather turns we move under cover.
Fiano Festa Friday FAQs
What is Fiano Day?
Fiano Day is Australia's annual celebration of fiano. It was started by Corrina Wright of Oliver's Taranga in McLaren Vale, and wineries across the country take part. In 2026 Saddler's Creek is celebrating it with Fiano Festa Friday, seven producers pouring side by side in Pokolbin.
How far is Saddler's Creek from Sydney?
About two hours' drive north of Sydney, and roughly forty minutes from Newcastle Airport. We are at 15 Marrowbone Road, Pokolbin, with free parking on site. Taxis and rideshare operate locally, and plenty of guests book accommodation in Pokolbin and walk or cab in.
What does Fiano taste like?
Fiano is a dry white with citrus, pear and stone fruit, a nutty or savoury edge, and a richer, waxy texture that sets it apart from lighter whites. It holds fresh acidity even in warm climates, which is why it works so well in Australia. Styles range from light and crisp through to full and textural.
What is included in a Fiano Festa Friday ticket?
Entry from 5:00pm and seven tasting tokens, to spend however you like across the seven producer barrels. Glassware is provided. Food from the Mangia kitchen is ordered separately on the night, as it is at any Friday at the cellar door.
Do I need to book Fiano Festa Friday in advance?
Yes. Capacity is 160 and bookings close the day before the event. Walk-ins are not available on this night, so a ticket is the only way in. Cancel more than 48 hours out and you get a full refund.
Is Fiano Festa Friday family friendly?
Children are welcome with an adult and the Mangia kids menu runs as usual. Tasting tokens are for guests aged 18 and over. The event is outdoors across the Wine Garden and car park with plenty of room to move, so it suits families comfortably on the earlier side of the night.
Is there food at Fiano Festa Friday?
Yes. The Mangia at Saddler's kitchen runs the new spring menu through the night, ordered and paid for separately. Chef Chiero is Venetian born and the menu is handmade pasta, seafood, burrata and fried zucchini flowers, which is very good company for seven fianos.
What should I wear to Fiano Festa Friday?
Dress for an outdoor October evening in the Hunter Valley. Warm in the sun, cooler once it drops, so a layer is worth having. Comfortable shoes, as the event runs across the Wine Garden and the car park on grass and gravel. We move under cover if the weather turns.
The Laureti Way
Saddler's is more than just a winery, it's a Hunter Valley destination we created for bringing people together over good food and wine, family hospitality the Laureti way. The live music, the food from Mangia at Saddler's, the picnic grounds where families gather, they all exist because the point was never just the wine, it was the connection around it. This is a place for making memorable occasions over a glass, the kind you remember long after the glass is empty.
Wine crafted with heart and soul, made for sharing.
Wendy Laureti
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