IT may not come as a surprise that Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are by some distance the most widely planted grape varieties in Australia, making up about 70 per cent of the total area under vine.

But it may be more surprising to hear there has been a steady growth down under of less well-known varieties in recent times, and several of these, it is fair to say, are worth seeking out.

The Australian Alternative Wine Show defines what wines or blends can be classed as "alternative", generally based on how little of each is made, with more than 100 currently getting such classification.

In total, these still account for only about four per cent of the country's vineyard area, but, thanks to a little push from the Wine Australia authority, exports of these products are on the rise.

We on this column have tasted a few, too, and were left wishing they were a little more accessible in our shops, although they can of course be found online.

Arguably our favourite among these samples was an interesting Roussanne wine named The Money Spider, from the well-regarded McLaren Vale in South Australia.

This white wine grape originates in France's famed Rhone region. It isn't always easy to grow and this one got its name after the producer, Chester d'Arenberg Osborn from the Osborn family who have tended vineyards since 1912, suffered a bit of extra trouble - the first vintage, in 2000, being covered by tiny money spiders.

Superstition says that kindness to these creatures brings good financial luck, so Chester refrained from killing the little blighters and the following year they duly moved on, meaning the first release of this wine came in 2001.

Small batches of the grapes are crushed and transferred to stainless steel basket presses. Fermentation is long and cool to retain the fresh fruit characteristics, and only free-run juice is used for the final wine with no malolactic fermentation.

This fresh yet feisty 2016 12.7 per cent tipple has an array of characters from stone fruits and tropical notes to nuttiness and a teeny tiny hint of spice. The palate is fresh yet strong, with citrus flavours giving way to honey blossom nuances and savoury pistachio notes. It costs around £12 from online merchants.

Staying with whites, we really liked the Hahndorf Hill Winery's 2016 GRU Gruner Veltliner, from the Adelaide Hills.

Gruner Veltliner is Austria's signature variety but this 12 per cent Aussie example is a classic with fresh aromas of citrus fruit, nectarine and pineapple and a spritz of white pepper.

The explosion of fruit on the palate, augmented by a little spice, helps to make it a great match for white meat, sea food and spicy Asian cuisine. Its RRP is £21.50, but that's not bad considering the 2013 version was voted by many the best Gruner Veltliner in the world outside of Austria.

Sagrantino, indigenous to Umbria in Italy, produces a high tannic wine inky purple in colour, with bouquets of dark red fruits with hints of plum, cinnamon and good old earth.

Winemaker Andrew Peace has the largest planting of this grape in Australia and he has blended it with that more popular fruit-driven Shiraz to make a real beauty, the two grapes working in harmony to create a mellow, warm, spicy yet fruity red.

This wine is called Australia Felix, named after the term (Felix means blessed in Latin) used by early explorers down under to describe the lush pastureland of South East Australia. Its RRP is a good £8.95.