SUPERB VALUE FREDERICK STEVENSON

Source note: This post is adapted from Parched's September 22, 2026 newsletter

Ciao!

Still in Italy. ICYMI the boss has bought a winery in the hills off the Adriatic. He’s pretty much done the whole vintage solo. Crazy work. Liv of Tempo fame currently holding it down. But I’ll save the full round up for when I’m back.

Anyway, in UK News we’ve just welcomed in another set of wines from growers we work with directly from down under. Today, I’ll be shouting about Frederick Stevenson, who returns with a fully stocked line-up. The project and the alias began whilst Steve was doing his day job for one of the big boys, and needed to go under the radar. Things flourished quickly, no surprises when you taste the wines, and now he's been churning out excellent vino from a whole host of regions and varieties for years. Not tied to land, he has the freedom to experiment and play around with varieties inspired by styles found in France and Italy. The house style is creative but clean, wines with dangerous levels of drinkability yet still with complexity if you’re into the more geeky side of wine.

Let's start with the reds! Firstly, Grenache from the Barossa shown in a more approachable style. Almost old world in appearance but the fruit is glorious and glossy as per the new world. It's still vibrant, and we see a bit of terroir shine through in a mineral finish. Very good, very versatile, very nice price. Works chilled or not.

Joining the range is a new Sangiovese. Picked from a cool site, things are again elegant and pretty. Textbook in its tomato-laden herbal tones and background notes of balsamic. It's got cut and thrust and really fine-grained tannin at the moment. Perfect to pair with a plate of pasta, an insta upgrade to your midweek meal.

For the whites, we see the return of the Bianco blend, Vermentino plus Inzolia. These southern Italian varieties do so well in Aus, where they retain plenty of acid in all that sunshine. This is crisp and mouthwatering, and whilst it would ideally be enjoyed on the more scenic beaches of Australia rather than our shores, you can just close your eyes and imagine. It does indeed taste like a holiday, cheaper than one too.

Clare Valley Riesling is a more textural expression, after being pressed off full solids and seeing a bit of barrel work. Yet this is still classically Clare, with lashings if lime-like citrus. It also clearly takes some inspiration from Rheinhessen royalty with it’s mineral charm, and slightly rounder frame.

Grillo is another southern Italian grape that I believe will have a strong future here. It's super salty and textural, golden fruited but still grounded by an island salinity that makes it unbelievably moreish. Makes so much sense, you’d be mad not to.

The Malvasia! Mainly Istriana too, prized in Italy for its heady aromatics and ability of retaining acidity in the heat. Seriously, I was in Friuli last week, tasting plenty of it. This rivals the big boys for sure. Half the price too. A slight skin soak further enhances the grape's florals but also adds a textural component that provides a wonderful counterpoint. It's balanced and very beautiful. 2021 too, so it's also starting to show some herbal, tertiary stuff. It’s skinsy but not amber, if you get my drift. Super tasty.

Marsanne & Roussanne! These Rhone besties have been given a glow up via Steve’s magical mind. Short time on skins, again building in more texture and spice than any colour or grip. It’s textural white or a light orange from the upper echelons. Bloody good wine, rich and autumnal but not a chore to drink thanks to a much needed splash of mouth watering Riesling. Low key kinda serious, high key highly drinkable.

As we work directly with Steve, things are priced very fairly. We do this with lots of our own imports, and essentially you're getting B2B or trade pricing, which is almost unheard of in the wine retail game. I actually think the price tags might undervalue the quality of wine in bottle. These wines taste like they should cost a lot more. They certainly did when they were previously imported by someone else. I'd buy them 5 years ago for a tenner more, and I'm buying even more now that they're priced this well. I want to drink these regularly, and we want people to be able to do the same. With everything getting stupidly expensive, this is just us doing our little bit to get better wines in your glass without breaking the bank. Trust me when I say these punch up and offer pound for pound enjoyment unlike much else.

Ok G2G, still living la dolce vita here in Italy! Hopefully you've got some sun back home too.

Ciao, Fionn xoxoxo