You'll get no apologies from me for recommending yet another sensational 2008 Clare riesling. This is fresh, lively and zesty with wonderful lemon and lime flavours, crisp acid and only 11.5% alcohol. Ridiculously easy to drink! $16.
Searching for a classy red for the holidays that's not mainstream? This is a searingly good Margaret River cabernet, made in small quantities, with wonderful varietal character, ripe fruit, a hint of earthiness and great balance. Superb! $89.
A recent visit to Langhorne Creek confirmed the region offers great bang for your buck. A blend of cabernet, shiraz, malbec and merlot, this is a big, bold and juicy red - quintessentially Australian - with dark berry flavours and soft tannins. $18.
On a warm day you don't want to think too much about what you are drinking; this is delightfully undemanding with peach and pear characters on the palate, hints of minerality and real freshness. More grigio than gris in my book. Really nice! $23.
This is an affordable gem being brought into Australia by new importer Eurocentric. A funky little Burgundy with typical earthy/savoury characters alongside dark berry flavours. Soft and clean, it's a pleasure to drink. $45.
Looking for a terrific wine to enjoy with a steak or hamburger, or for a barbecue? Look no further. This is a deliciously slurpable red with plenty of flavour. It is rich and powerful without being over the top. Great value for under $20.
Cornelius is a new label from the Scotchman's Hill winery outside Geelong and this is an outstanding Rhone-style shiraz which has been hand-picked, open fermented and given top-class oak treatment. Well balanced with real personality. $45.
A lovely pinot from a family operation at Pakenham, between Melbourne and West Gippsland. This fragrant number has lovely sweet berries on the nose and fresh dark cherry flavours on the palate with hints of toasty oak and lovely structure. $26.
This is absolutely gorgeous and a perfect present for lovers of Champagne. A lovely strawberry/bronze colour with a fresh zingy nose and wonderfully expressive palate. Fun, fabulous and well worth splashing out on. $110.
Queensland's Granite Belt region is producing an increasing number of very good wines and this is at the top of the tree. Crystal clear with appealing freshness and mouthfeel, it is a searingly good example of why pinot gris is so popular. $30.
Clare Valley 2008 rieslings offer Australia's best value for money right now, so I make no apology for recommending another stunner. Crisp, zingy, intense and lively, perfect with seafood or Thai dishes, this is a benchmark dry riesling. $23.
Clare Valley 2008 rieslings offer Australia's best value for money right now, so I make no apology for recommending another stunner. Crisp, zingy, intense and lively, perfect with seafood or Thai dishes, this is a benchmark dry riesling. $23.
One of an outstanding range of shiraz releases from an iconic winery in the Grampians of Victoria, this is a delicious (and affordable) cool-climate red with complexity, intense fruit flavours, savoury nuances and lovely texture. $25.
One of an outstanding range of shiraz releases from an iconic winery in the Grampians of Victoria, this is a delicious cool-climate red with complexity, intense fruit flavours, savoury nuances and lovely texture. $25.
Wow! This is an absolutely delicious – and bone dry - Clare Valley riesling with lashings of lemon and lime on the palate and all the crispness of a fresh green apple. A great summer wine and the perfect partner for Asian dishes. $19.
Coriole were sangiovese pioneers. Amazingly, this is their 21st release - and it's a ripper, with cherry aromas and nice balance on a finely textured palate which offers dark cherry/savoury pepper characters and fine dry tannins. Perfect with pasta. $20.
There are some very good 2008 rieslings but you won't do much better than this crisp and refreshing wine from high-altitude, cool-climate vineyards. Nicely structured with oodles of flavour, citrusy minerality and finishing acid. $20.
There are some very good 2008 rieslings but you won't do much better than this crisp and refreshing wine from high-altitude, cool-climate vineyards. A nicely structured wine with oodles of flavour, citrusy minerality and lovely finishing acid. $20.
The perfect choice for meat eaters. A bargain from one of the Barossa's most reliable producers. Juicy fruit flavours, hints of chocolate, a soft, mellow finish. A wonderful match for home-made hamburgers. $20
This rich, full-bodied red has been a star of the show circuit. It's chock-a-block full of ripe berry, plum and chocolate flavours and has the tannins, structure and pedigree to still be drinking well in decade. Partner with rare roast beef. $22.
A terrific shiraz from one of the best Gippsland wineries. It is bright, has lovely rounded fruit flavours, balance and delicious cool-climate spice. Full-flavoured and mouthfilling despite coming from young vines. $28.
How do they do it for the price? Balnaves make several more expensive reds than this, but it's hard to beat when it comes to price/quality ratio. Evocative aromas and lashings of berry/chocolate and oak on the palate. Flavoursome and delicious. $19.
Yarrabank is a joint venture between Champagne house Devaux and Yering Station. As you'd expect, the end result is top notch. There's a complex nose, followed by tight, focused fruit on a delicately structured palate. Delicious! $35.
An outstanding cabernet merlot blend from the ever-reliable Petaluma winery - with just a dash of petit verdot and malbec added. Better than a lot of Bordeauxs with its ripe fruit flavours combined with elegance and structure. Beautiful! $65.
This is Coonawarra winery Hollick's excellent take on SuperTuscans. A blend of sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon, it has lovely sweet/savoury aromas and is beautifully structured with attractive fruit and soft tannins. A terrific food wine. $24.
The Orange region is well suited to producing beautifully balanced sauvignons blanc. This is neither too herbaceous, or overloaded with tropical fruit. There are some nice crisp apple flavours, citrus, gooseberry and zingy acid. $22.
De Bortoli have have inspired a legion of imitators but this remains the standout stickie in Australia; a stylish botrytis semillon with intense aromas and a rich, luscious palate oozing with stone fruit and citrus flavours. Great with blue cheese. $30.
This New Zealand winery makes oustanding chardonnays at a range of price points, but this indivdual vineyard wine is absolutely brilliant with lovely balance and great acidity. Powerful but elegant, this would be superb with a roast leg of pork. $58.
Most low-alcohol beers are crap, as have been most low-alcohol, lower-calorie wines - until now. With just 8.5% alcohol, this is crisp, refreshing and quaffable. The 07s were questionable; this is a real improvement. Prepare to be surprised. $14.
In a sea of lightweight pinot gris, this is a welcome exception; a wine of style and substance. Lovely stone/tropical fruit flavours, plenty of lemony zest and just a hint of fruit sweetness with a zingy dry finish. Fabulous with spicy foods. $24.
Wow! This is sensational value for money given the prices several less worthy pinots are fetching. You'll find dark cherry and plum aromas with some eathiness on the nose and a soft, silky palate with hints of mushrooms and spice. Gorgeous. $25.
We opened 24 different rosés (as you do) and this was a runaway winner. You'll find lovely sweet berry aromas and delicious fruit and spice, with hints of barrel-ferment character, on the bone-dry palate. Perfect with Lebanese dishes. $20.
This Margaret River winery is making some excellent wines; and this is one of the best, with appealing gooseberry, lemon/lime and herbaceous characters. Fresh and lively with nice balance, this would be gorgeous with some grilled shellfish. $24.
It's rare to stumble across an Australian merlot that is exciting, but this is such a beast. From a reliably good McLaren Vale winery, it offers nice rich berry flavours, softness and persistence with plenty happening on the palate. A real find! $19.95.
Andrew Thomas is one of the most talented winemakers in the Hunter and this new release is stellar, so you'll need to be quick. There's great depth of flavour, lovely savoury characters, elegance and potential for ageing. Absolutely stunning. $50.
Sergio Carlei is an innovative winemaker, using biodynamic techniques to produce wines of real quality. This has undergone barrel fermentation to add complexity but is largely fruit driven with gorgeous melon and citrus flavours. Stunning. $29.
A classic Australian red blend made by the most famous winery in the country from a very good vintage. What's not to like? Sometimes referred to as 'Baby Grange' this is a stylish, complex and potentially long-lived wine. One for the connoisseurs. $58.
This is a perfect wine to have in the fridge for when friends drop by. There is some nice crispness to to this bright, zingy offering that has seen just a touch of oak. Fresh and clean with rich, tropical fruit flavours on the palate. A bargain. $8.
This could be a template for warmer-climate shiraz in Australia. It's rich and powerful but all the elements are in balance and there is only 14.5% alcohol. A multi-regional blend, it is plush but beautifully structured, approachable but complex. $32.
You can't go wrong with a Wolf Blass shiraz and this McLaren Vale offering is a beauty. There's lashings of French and American oak in what is unreservedly a big, opulent wine, but there's also some peppery spice and fine tannins. $40.
This boutique winery in Tasmania's Tamar Valley is one to watch. This pinot, made by Rebecca Wilson, has some lovely varietal characters, raspberries and savoury notes, and is a wine of considerable elegance and finesse without being wimpy. $27.
I'm not always a huge fan of Hunter chardonnay but I really enjoyed this. Balance is the keyword here, with fruit and oak operating in perfect harmony. Open a bottle, serve with a leg of roast pork and you have a feast on your hands. $28.
Murray Street is an exciting new Barossa winery, with Andrew Seppelt heading up the winemaking team. This blend of shiraz and mataro is a very special wine; big, rich, quite oaky, but wonderfully balanced. One for the cellar - if you can resist. $75.
A terrific classic white blend from a small, family-run Margaret River winery that always produces quality wines. This is very dry, very chic and very appealing - one of those wines where the bottle is empty and it seems you've barely had a glass. $22.
Absolutely outstanding - one of the best chardonnays I've tasted recently. Biodynamics advocate Sergio Carlei is making superb wines and this barrel-fermented Yarra Valley beauty has great fruit, elegance and drinkability. $45.
A very classy Margaret River chardonnay with flavour, texture and complexity but also great drinkability. There are stone fruit and almonds on the nose, while the palate is delicate with grapefruit and cashew characters. Wonderfully balanced. $45.
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