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Sauvignon blanc is no longer as on-trend as it once was, but that has two benefits for wine lovers. 1. It is easier to source good examples and 2. It tends to be very affordable. This is a lovely, lively cool-climate savvy from the Adelaide Hills that offers lip-smacking late summer drinking enjoyment with a real freshness and vibrancy. There is a fruit salad vibe here with aromas and flavours from grapefruit to passionfruit and a youthful zest that would make this a perfect partner for fresh oysters or old school fish and chips. Chill. Drink. Open another bottle. $25. https://lloydbrothers.com.au/
Not all Australian shirazes are big, bold and in your face. This one from the Saturno family's Macclesfield vineyards in the Adelaide Hills is labelled as Syrah to indicate that it is a little more European in style; an Australian red with a Rhone accent. The cooler climate results in a subtle palette of blue and red berry flavours and hints of white pepper. It weighs in at a restrained 13.5% alcohol. Very stylish; very composed, very quaffable. $45. www.longviewvineyard.com.au/
Joe Holyman is probably best known for his high-calibre Tamar Valley pinots noir and chardonnays, but he also makes a splash with less well-known varieties like trousseau and the Austrian white variety gruner veltliner - crafting the only example in Tasmania. The 2021 vintage has green apple and white pear flavours, hints of crushed almonds and a crisp, lively palate that makes it ideal for pairing with fresh local seafood. Textural, unfined, unfiltered and very appealing, Holyman says it is a perfect match for Patagonian toothfish. He loves a joke. Made in tiny quantities. $32. www.stoneyrise.com/
There are very few "cheap" Australian pinot noirs that deliver. Some can be weak and insipid, others totally lacking in varietal character - soft dry reds with zero personality. Thanks heavens, then, for producers like Oakridge, De Bortoli and Hoddles Creek, who all deliver reliably good drink now pinots for under $25. This entry level Over The Shoulder wine is produced using fruit from several vineyards dotted across the Yarra and has charming intensity and purity. Given its raspberry and cranberry notes, this is particularly enjoyable paired with some Chinese roast duck. To be released any day now, so put yourself on the waiting list. $25. www.oakridgewines.com.au/
