While Rob and Anne were away, Adam made a decision.
He grafted Fiano onto the Merlot vines here at Cellar Door.
He didn’t ask first. His approach was simple: seek forgiveness, not permission.
It was a gamble, but not a reckless one. Adam had been working Fiano for 8 years already and knew the varietals adaptability in warm climates. He could foresee the increasing popularity of Fiano.
Why graft onto existing vines
Grafting joins two plants so they grow as one. The fruiting variety, called the scion, sits on a root system that’s already established. In a vineyard, that means a grower can change the variety on an existing vine without pulling it out and replanting.
For us, that meant working with vines already in the ground at Cellar Door. By grafting onto existing rootstock, we get to use the established trunks and their deep root system, which speeds up how soon we can pick the first fruit.
How grafting works
At its simplest, grafting is a matching game. A bud or cutting of the new variety is placed against the established vine so that the cambium, the thin living layer just under the bark, lines up. If the two sides join, the new variety keeps growing on the old roots.
Timing matters too. Grafting is usually done in late winter, just before spring growth.
Where it’s taken us
Fiano wasn’t new to us. We first made it in 2015, using fruit from the Riverland, intrigued by how bright and balanced it stayed in warm conditions.
Then came 2023, the first fruit from Adam’s grafted vines, and our first Barossa-grown Fiano. The wine was bright, fresh and beautifully aromatic, with melon, grapefruit and pineapple, crisp acidity and a subtle mineral finish.
What it means in the glass
Fiano loves the heat, which is part of why it suits the Barossa. It has been gaining a reputation here for holding its acidity in warm conditions.
Our latest, the 2026 Discovery Road by Gibson Fiano, bursts out of the glass. It’s unapologetically aromatic and fresh, with white florals, custard apple, Golden Delicious apple and poached pear. The palate is fleshy and rounded, with baked apple, white peach and a touch of almond kernel, and bright grapefruit acidity keeps it lively.
Try it with grilled swordfish and lemon dill aioli, or a plate of oysters.
Try it yourself
The 2026 Discovery Road by Gibson Fiano is available now.
Here’s to curiosity, and to asking forgiveness later.