First Ridge 2024 Fiano

With the weather starting to get warmer everyone needs a couple of bottles of a wine like this in the fridge. Fiano is a grape that originates from southern Italy and Sicily and it thrives in warmer regions of Australia. This one comes from Mudgee, a region with a long-established reputation for growing Italian varieties, but is grown at 600 metres, producing an amalgam of tropical fruit and toffee apple notes, along with some textural interest and brisk refreshment on the palate. A fun wine for serving well chilled. Pair with creamy pasta dishes, or perhaps moules marinieres. $30. www.firstridge.com.au.  

Stoneleigh 2023 Lighter Sauvignon Blanc

 

Let's be brutally honest. A lot of the no-alcohol and low-alcohol wines out there are absolutely awful, bearing only a passing resemblance to wine as we know it. But there is a new category of "mid-range" wines that are far more palatable - around 8-9% alcohol seems to be the sweet spot. This early-picked sauvignon blanc from one of Marlborough's leading producers certainly tastes like a real wine, and given a little time in bottle is lively and refreshing without the biting acidity that blights some of its
kin. Stoneleigh Lighter comes in at 9% alcohol and has fewer calories than full-strength wine. I certainly enjoyed a couple of glasses of this - and it paired well with salt and pepper squad. Worth trying for $17 at Vintage Cellars, First Choice and Liqourland stores.

Soumah 2023 Single Vineyard Upper Ngumby Pinot Noir

A very classy single-vineyard cool-climate pinot noir at a very fair price - which is par for the course for consistent Soumah Wines in the Yarra Valley.  From 25-year-old vines near Yarra Glen, this is a wine that offers immediate drinking pleasure. It is well balanced with classic pinot aromas and flavours (think dark cherries and herbal notes) and a lightness of touch that makes it approachable even in its youth. I'd pair this a Thai duck curry, or maybe some gourmet pork sausages. $48. https://soumah.com.au/

Delinquente Wine Co. 2024 Roko Il Vagabondo Montepulciano

 

So you like your wines young, fun and funky with a bit of attitude. This new-release hipster-design montepulciano just might fit the bill. Delinquente makes small-batch, minimal intervention wines from southern Italian grape varieties grown in the Riverland, where Med grapes thrive in the heat. You can tell from Delinquente's labels that have a good time making wines that are perfect for slurping. Organically grown, this could be enjoyed chilled on a warm day, or at room temperature with pizzas or pastas. Dark, fresh, flavoursome and easy to drink - with lashings of youthful acidity. $26. https://delinquentewineco.com/

De Bortoli Limoncello Spritz

 

Warmer days are just around the corner and this new release from De Bortoli is a lively and refreshing choice for enjoying well chilled on a hot day. Classicists may be appalled, but who cares? This is light, bubbly and fun, and much drier on the palate than you might expect. There is a whack of lemon zest refreshment in every glass and this would be super to enjoy on the back deck at dusk, on the beach with a picnic, or paired with some grilled seafood. And at 9% it is lower in alcohol than most sparkling wines. It's Vegan-friendly, too, if that is your thing. $24, but look for it on special. https://www.debortoli.com.au/ 

Zema Estate 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon

Mature Coonawarra cabernet sauvignon that is ready to drink for $30 a bottle? Yes, you read that right. This is a beauty for both quality and value from a family with Italian roots and winemaking heritage that has now been making excellent wines on the Terra Rossa strip for over 40 years. This is a delightfully everyday cabernet that's also good enough to grace the table for a dinner party. Think classic hedgerow berry flavours and a wine that's been given time to mature gracefully in French oak. Ready to enjoy right now (try pairing with a steak and kidney casserole) or for maturing for a decade or more. Lovely stuff. $30. https://www.zema.com.au/ 

Gibson 2024 Burkes Hill Eden Valley Riesling

Rob Gibson is much better known for his red wines than his whites, but this is an outstanding young riesling from a stellar vineyard made in conjunction with a talented friend. The Burkes Hill vineyard produces exceptional riesling grapes in tiny quantities and Gibson calls on the talents of legendary winemaker Andrew Wigan (ex Peter Lehmann) to help him craft the wine. Impressively floral, this is a very pure and intense riesling with terrific line and length and oodles of zesty citrus and minerality. Pair with just about any fish. $39. https://gibsonwines.com.au/