Nero di Troia is named after the city of Troia in northern Puglia, which Greek hero Diomedes is said to have founded after helping to defeat the city of Troy with the famed Trojan Horse. There, outside the city walls, he planted vine cuttings, which flourished and were named Nero after their dark skin grapes and the deep coloured wine they produced. Rich, warming, full-bodied Corsiero is rich and velvety with intense black fruit and spice flavours … just perfect served with full-flavoured pasta and rich meat dishes.

Jean-Marc Sauboua was born and raised in the heart of Grand Cru Bordeaux and has a book filled with useful contacts. He’s a winemaker too (trained at Château Haut Brion) as well as a top Bordeaux Buyer, hence both the great quality and value of this juicy claret. Not only that, 2017 was a year where yields were down 40%. Jean-Marc tasted his way through a few dozen vats of wine to pick out the best. He then helped the winemaker put a blend together that had just the right balance of forward ripe fruit and silky tannins to make this a great value early drinker. Decant

An excellent food wine, it matches well with just about any foods you might match a dry white wine to, but fresh white seafood dishes (white fish, squid, prawns & crabs) are perhaps the best accompaniment to this wine.

A superb WA classic from Five Red Star Howard Park, originally set up by John Wade and named in honour of his father, now part of Burch Family Wines, a founding member of Australia’s First Families of Wines. “No barrel fermentation or lees working, the two varieties having a close natural affinity with each other. Citrus and green pea marry with passionfruit and gooseberry, citrus the lead player. One of those wines made for consumption, not nerdy wine conversation... 91 points” (Halliday).

Rich and ripe, blueberry and chocolate flavours, tempered by savoury tannins and well balanced acidity. Pikes Wines is a beautiful location at Polish Hill River, near Sevenhill in the wonderful Clare Valley. With a history dating back to 1878, the Pike family has a past rooted in winemaking. Current custodians, Neil & Andrew form a formidable partnership creating wines that express terroir magnificently. Neil Pike grew up amongst his father, Edgars vineyards in Langhorne Creek and Padthaway . After doing a vintage in 1978 at Wynns Coonawarra he decided to study wine production and marketing at Roseworthy College. After he graduated in 1981, Neil worked as a winemaker making wine for several Clare Valley wineries before starting Pikes with brother Andrew in 1984. He has now completed 38 vintages in the Clare Valley. Andrew was introduced to the wine industry through his father Edgars vineyards in Langhorne Creek and Padthaway. Andrew attended Roseworthy Agricultural College, graduating in 1976 with a Diploma in Agriculture, and immediately joined Wynns Coonawarra Estate. After almost 4 years at Coonawarra, he joined Penfolds Wines in 1979 where he established a new vineyard project in the Clare Valley. The seeds for Pikes Wines were immediately sown, as he quickly realised Clares potential. Andrew become General Manger Vineyard Operations for the Southcorp Wine Group where he was responsible for over 6000 ha of corporate vineyard and all grape supply on a global basis. During this time he was also involved in the establishment of Pikes Wines in the Polish Hill River Valley sub region of Clare. In 1998 Andrew resigned his position at Southcorp to assist his brother Neil in the running of the Pikes family business.