Bleasdale is “one of the most historic wineries in Australia... in 2015 celebrating 165 years of continuous winemaking by the direct descendants of the founding Potts family.” (Halliday). Among many major awards, they’ve won the Jimmy Watson Trophy and they recently made the 2023 Shortlist for the Halliday Wine Companion's Best Value Winery. Winemaker Paul Hotker, a “master blender”, was named Halliday’s Winemaker of the Year 2018. This fine red is another example of why Langhorne Creek Shiraz is regarded by many as delivering Australia’s best-value reds, vintage after vintage. Intense aromas of blackberries, plums and Asian spice. Juicy dark fruits define the medium-to-full palate, with clove and liquorice notes dancing up back. Soft tannins.

Beaujolais is on the comeback thanks to great family domaines like this one. Maison Dominique Piron was founded during the reign of Louis XIII and today has 95 hectares of vines throughout Beaujolais’ finest villages, a third of them in Morgon. Dominique Piron is the 14th generation of the family to be in charge and he has joined forces with a long-standing friend, Julien Revillon. Together they have a vision to produce Beaujolais as fine and luscious as any Grand Cru Burgundy. They go to great lengths to achieve this, in the vineyard and in the cellar. Taste this silky, ripe, fruit laden Beaujolais Villages. Packed with juicy flavour and a suppleness rarely found in other reds, it’s a sublime picnic wine, perfect with pâtés and chicken.

Not many wines can boast 23 top Gold medals in six years, but that’s the triumphant haul for this claret, 2015 to 2020. It’s from a small estate in Saint-Germain du Puch, between Bordeaux and Saint-Emilion. The estate grows Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet on clay and limestone soils typical of the greater Saint-Emilion region. Owners Agnès and Alexandre Sueur and winemaker Gregory Dalla Longa make wines that reflect this special terroir and the unique character of each vintage. And Bordeaux 2020, with its long, warm summer, was certainly high quality. "Bordeaux has another terrific vintage on its hands with 2020" wrote Jeb Dunnock, "outstanding quality level" put Suckling. Decant at least an hour prior to serving it with roast lamb or duck.

In 1912, horse fanatic Joseph Osborn sold his stables and horses and bought the family the d'Arenberg estate in premium McLaren Vale. Joseph chose McLaren Vale as it has some of Australia's oldest vineyards, and with an array of soils and the cooling affect of the nearby ocean, it's ideal for vines. Winemaker today is sixth generation Chester Osborn. He continues the family tradition of treading the grapes by foot part way through fermentation. It certainly ensures plenty of dark colour, character and richness in the wines. You'll always spot a d'Arenberg wine with its bold red stripe on the label.

This beautifully mature 2017, has a Top Gold, 7 Golds and 96pts from Halliday. "Peter Lehmann's Margaret Semillon provides complex drinking and a length of flavour that many producers aspire to. It's a regional classic, and rightly so", as Dave Brooks writes in The Halliday Wine Companion, "All lemon butter spread on freshly toasted brioche with hints of soft spice, marzipan, wildflowers, crushed stone and drying fields. Dry, savoury, long and compelling. Some crustaceans and some of this and you are in a very good place. 96pts. Great Value.”

One of the greats, Mumm Champagne is the perfect choice when celebrating. Combining Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay together has created a delicious Champagne with rich bubbles and scents of fresh fruit and caramel.

A fluffy mousse quickly evaporates leaving behind a very pale straw coloured base that has a fine bead flowing through it with plenty of persistence. Pear and red apple scents drift out of the glass followed by hints of quince and subtle lees like notes. Crisp and highly refreshing the palate features pear and ripe apple fruits over a citrus and lees back drop. Racy in its feel its finishes dry and slightly chalky. Alc. 12%

The making of Dragonfly Sauvignon Blanc Semillon centres on capturing the fresh and alluring tropical and seasonal fruit flavours from the region. A minute portion is fermented in French oak barriques to add a layer of intrigue to the wine. Enticing aromatics of passionfruit, tropical notes, kiwi fruit and lime zest. The palate is crisp and refreshing, having a depth of flavour, tropical spectrum, and a long fine finish.

Classic Rioja fans will love this red, with all its moreish, silky, ripe berry fruit tempered by toasty spice. No wonder the late Spanish expert John Radford listed Primicia among his top 20 Rioja bodegas. It’s a family estate, founded by three brothers, and has over the years won many awards. This 2019 is made from 100% strawberry scented Tempranillo, from mature, low yielding vineyards. Winemaker Fernando Domingo matured the wine in American oak barrels for four months – just enough to flatter the fruit with gentle toasty spice and hints of vanilla, while letting plenty of exuberant, youthful, fruit character shine through. A delight on its own, this wine is spot on with garlic chicken, lamb chops with rosemary or a selection of tapas.