Terre a Terre 2023 Crayeres Vineyard Cabernet Franc

 

It is a mystery why cabernet franc is not more popular in Australia given the grape variety is a perfect fit for our climate, lifestyle and food choices. The Crayères Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2023 is the ninth vintage of a cabernet franc-based release from Xiavier Bizot and Lucy Croser's Wrattonbully (Limestone Coast) vineyard. From a cool and wet vintage, this a very chic, food-friendly release that has seen 8% shiraz added to the final blend to lift the middle palate. A Bordeaux/Rhone marriage of convenience. The end result is bright, medium bodied and enticingly gluggable. Pair with old school roast chicken, or other poultry dishes. $35. https://terreaterre.com.au/

Vasse Felix 2025 Classic Dry White

Vasse Felix is a pioneering winery in Margaret River that produces some of our finest wines - but it also makes this budget "Classic" range that offers excellent value for summer quaffing. This is a classic regional blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc. It's dry, fruit-driven and very crisp - perfect for enjoying with a seafood platter or fish and chips. Vasse Felix has been making this blend for close to 30 years and this vintage is 2/3rds semillon and 1/3rd savvy, made from sustainably grown fruit. Think pithy lemon and Asian spice notes leading on to a palate that is crunchy, lively, super-refreshing and dangerously moreish. $20. https://www.vassefelix.com.au/

Coldstream Hills 2018 Pinot Chardonnay Sparkling

Coldstream Hills, founded 40 years ago by wine guru James Halliday, is renowned for its outstanding chardonnays and pinot noirs from the Yarra Valley. This aged sparkling was a surprise star of a recent Treasury portfolio tasting, with an impressive combination of lemony tang and lively mousse alongside brioche/crumble/toasty notes. It is a very stylish and sophisticated bubbly from winemaker Andrew Fleming and his team, fresh enough with its bright acid to be enjoyable as an aperitif, but complex enough to match with Christmas turkey, having spent six years on yeast lees prior to disgorging. Outstanding value for $35. https://www.coldstreamhills.com.au/     

 

Clonakilla 2024 Hilltops Shiraz

 
Classy, medium-bodied red wine that is ready to enjoy in its youth and is lip-smackingly food friendly? That's a big tick. When the wine comes from one of the country's best family producers and costs well under $40 then you are onto a good thing. While Clonakilla is based at Murrumbateman, outside Canberra, Tim Kirk and his team also source some excellent fruit from several vineyards in the Hilltops district around Young. Open fermented with regular pump overs, this spent 12 months in mainly older oak to add texture and palate structure. It has aromatics and impressively ripe - but not too ripe - dark fruit flavours and savoury notes. Drink now, or cellar. Your choice. Excellent buying for Christmas enjoyment. $35. https://clonakilla.com.au/

Marnong Estate 2025 Rosé

 

Marnong Estate, whose winemaking team is headed by former Briar Ridge winemaker Alex Beckett, is very much a name to watch after recent major investments made in both the vineyards and a slick new high-tech winery. Marnong is based at Sunbury, on the fringe of the Macedon Ranges and just a short drive from Melbourne Airport. This new release is a delightfully fresh summer quaffer made from shiraz grapes but light and vibrant with tropical fruit aromas and strawberries and cream vivacity on the palate. Serve will chilled with canapés, or with a picnic. $25. https://marnongestate.com.au/ 

Feudo Arancio 2024 Grillo

 

Feudo Arancio is an Italian producer - based in Sicily - that delivers a wide range of Italian wine tastes at very fair prices. The name means "orange farm" and this an impressively floral, dry, tropical and textural white wine that offers outstanding value. It is a white that combines palate richness with crisp acid on the finish, making it a very versatile choice for summer quaffing. Grillo is a popular grape in Sicily, where it matches with the local seafood. The tropical fruit salad notes here also make it a great choice for pairing with roasted or grilled chicken dishes. It is also well suited to sipping well chilled in the backyard on a summer afternoon. It is imported by Sydney-based Single Vineyard Sellers, who bring in a range of excellent Italian wines. $20. https://www.singlevineyards.com/

Williams Crossing 2024 Pinot Noir

Williams Crossing is the entry level label for stellar Macedon Ranges wine producer Curly Flat and this one offers some exceptional value for pinot lovers who enjoy their red wines young, fresh and immediately approachable. Red berry fruits are to the fore here with whole-bunch elements adding earthy/herbal characters that lift it from simple to slurpable. This is a bright, high-acid pinot made using declassified Curly Flat Estate pinot noir barrels that finishes with crisp but well balanced acidity. The Curly Flat team says it is "made for easy sipping" and it paired brilliantly with some runny Brie cheese and crackers. Lovely stuff. $34. https://curlyflat.com/wines/2024-williams-crossing-pinot-noir/