some confusion as to which variety is which with producers in the Elqui Province making dry, fruity and unfortified varietal wines labeled as true Pedro Ximénez that may in all actuality still be the Argentine Pedro Giménez. In Australia, Pedro Ximénez is known under the synonym of Pedro and has been historically used in producing unfortified, sweet sticky wines infected with noble rot and labeled as "Pedro Sauterne" (in reference to the French dessert wine Sauternes). While the grape was once widely planted in the irrigated vineyards of New South Wales near the town of Griffith, in recent years plantings have declined. Some limited plantings of the grape can still be found in Western Australia in the Margaret River region, in the Barossa Valley of South Australia and the Rutherglen region of Victoria where—despite Rutherglen's reputation for dessert wines—Pedro Ximénez is often used to produce dry, unfortified wines. Other uses When the casks used to age Pedro Ximénez Sherry are retired, they are often sent to Scotland and Ireland, where they are used to age fine whisky. Single malt whisky aged in sherry casks is regarded by some as a special category with its own aficionados. The sweet Pedro Ximénez wine infused in the wood of the casks imparts some of the flavor and aroma of the wine to the whisky during the ageing process. In the whisky industry the taste of the Pedro Ximénez is very sweet. Most of the whiskies that get this treatment are only finished in Pedro Ximénez casks for a relatively short time, after spending the bulk of their maturation time in other casks. The Pedro Ximénez sweetness is often combined with a smoky peat flavor. Synonyms Over the years, Pedro Ximénez has been known under several synonyms including: Alamais, Chirones, Corinto bianco, Don Bueno, Jimenez, Pedro, Himenez, Ximénez, Ximénès, Pedro Jimenez (in Andalusia), Pedro Khimenes, Pedro Ximénès, Pedro Ximenes (in Andalusia), Pedro Ximenez, Pedro Ximenez Bijeli, Pedro Ximenes De Jerez, Pedro Ximenez De Montilla, Pedro Ximinez, Pero Ximen, Perrum (in the Alentejo region of Portugal), Peter Siemens, Pasa Rosada De Malaga, Pierre Ximenes, Uva Pero Ximenez, Uva Pero Ximen, Uva Pero Ximenes, Pero Ximenez, Ximen, Ximenes (in Andalusia), Ximenez, Alamis De Totana, Alamis, Myuskadel, Verdello (in the Canary Islands), Ximenecia, Zalema Colchicina and the abbreviation PX (in Andalucía). References White wine grape varieties Dessert wine Spanish wine Grape varieties of Spain