Mount Horrocks 2026 Watervale Riesling

 

Mount Horrocks is a seriously boutique producer in the Clare Valley. Vigneron Stephanie Toole makes only 3,000 cases a year, and just 500 cases of this stunning riesling. All her wines are organic and biodynamic and this new release is gloriously vibrant - a classic example of dry Watervale riesling. Crisp, crunchy and extremely food friendly, it is described by Toole as "a wine of immense purity and finesse".  Think floral aromas, lifted citrus notes, river pebble minerality and brisk acid on the finish. Pair this taut number with salt and pepper squid, or pan-fried sardines. Lovely, and great value. $45. https://www.mounthorrocks.com/ 

Jacob's Creek 2026 Le Petit Rosé

I don't pay a lot of attention to wine show results but when a new-release sub-$20 wine that is widely available cracks a trophy at a major shows then my attention is piqued. This snagged the Leslie Kemeny Memorial Perpetual Trophy for Best Rosé at the recent Royal Sydney Wine Show (and later won best rosé in Perth), so I asked for a sample. It's a good 'un: fun, dry and food friendly. It is a fresh and lively blend of pinot noir, grenache and mourvedre with bright acid and some chalky texture. Ideal for enjoying chilled with a picnic, charcuterie plate, Middle Eastern dishes, or a creamy pasta dish. The RRP is $20 but you'll find it cheaper if you search. https://jacobscreek.com/ 

Unico Zelo 2025 Pastafarian

Fresh and vibrant, this Clare Valley sangiovese from innovator Brendan Carter and the team at Unico Zelo in the Adelaide Hills is disarmingly drinkable. I had had a couple of sips with my spaghetti bolognaise and the bottle was mysteriously half empty. That might be because this is the unofficial wine of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, or be simply because it is a damn good drink. Distributed by Franc About Wine, the most recent vintages have been sangiovese based after the wine started out as a nebbiolo. Looking for a wine to take to your local pizza or pasta joint? You've come to the right place. $36. https://www.unicozelo.com.au/

Longview 2023 Macclesfield Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Here's an impressive winter red from a star producer in the Adelaide Hills; a wine that ticks a lot of boxes. The estate vineyard produces wines of style and substance at very fair prices and this one showed a disturbing evaporation problem as the bottle level dipped at an alarming rate. It offers classic cooler-climate cabernet character with blackcurrant and French herb notes on a dry palate. This is dark, cedary and gently spicy. Made in small quantities, so cellar door is probably the best place to access. This would pair brilliantly with roast lamb en croute or calves' liver with onions. $48. https://www.longviewvineyard.com.au/ 

Shaw + Smith 2023 Shiraz

 

Love red wines with flavour and personality but a little over, big, clumsy, over-oaked shirazes? This excellent wine from the Adelaide Hills exemplifies modern, cooler-climate shiraz. It's stylish with a bit of swagger and very food friendly. Shaw + Smith is now in its fifth decade and delivers top-notch wines across the board. This one has bright berry/dark cherry energy, deftly judged oak in the background, and impressive medium-bodied balance with subtle savoury and spice notes. I'd pair this with lamb chops and roasted Mediterranean vegetables. $59. www.shawandsmith.com.  

Oakridge 2025 Meunier

 

This is a fun, affordable, dangerously drinkable light red with a serious point of difference. It is made from 100% Yarra Valley pinot meunier, a grape that is a mutant of its cousin pinot noir and is often used as a minimal component of sparkling wines. Three weeks on skins and time in French oak add substance to what is a very food-friendly style. We paired ours with Middle Eastern pita pockets (one lamb, one falafel) and they matched a treat. Aromatic with bright fruit here, along with hints of spice and instant palate appeal. Lovely stuff. $35.  https://oakridgewines.com.au/       

Angullong 2023 Fossil Hill Montepulciano

 

Montepulciano is an indigenous Italian red grape planted throughout central and southern Italy. This well-priced new release is one of a trio of Italian varietals made by Jeff Byrne for Orange-based Angullong. The others are an equally impressive barbera, and a sangiovese. Montepulciano produces fruity, immediately enjoyable reds that are food friendly - and this one certainly ticks that box. It would pair well with anything from simples pizzas to pastas with a rich ragu. Think generous cherry/plum flavours and just a hint of mixed dried herbs adding a savoury note. Nice balance; soft tannins. Ready to enjoy right now. $30. https://www.angullong.com.au/    

Pizzini 2024 Verduzzo

 

Verduzzo eh? I can honestly say that I haven't drunk a lot of wine made from this white grape variety. This one comes from the Pizzini family in the King Valley, masters of many Italian varieties, and it turns out it is a very sharp wine - texturally interesting and very food friendly. Verduzzo can be traced back to the 1400s in north-east Italy, but is has always been a fringe grape despite its appealing chalkiness. With 50% fermented in stainless steel and 50% in oak, this has an impressive minerality/acidity balance and is drinking well at one year of age. The bad news: I got to this one late. THis vntage is sold out at the Pizzini cellars, but you might get lucky and find some in retail land. Pair with food as as you would a Chablis. $35. https://www.pizzini.com.au/         

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/

De Bortoli 2024 Cool-Climate Pinot Noir

It is becoming increasingly hard to find affordable cool-climate Australian pinot noir - but this one is an exception to that rule. Made by Kate Webber and Jai Harrop - young winemakers from wine dynasties - this offers a lot of fresh, vibrant pinosity, along with excellent value. It is a fresh and appealing "drink now" style of pinot with varietal appeal and crispness on the finish. This sits on the lighter-side of the spectrum, making it extremely - and immediately - food friendly. It is a blend of fruit from several different Yarra Valley vineyards that is bright and fun with some whole bunch and older oak very much in the background. Splash out on a some duck pancakes from a local Chinese restaurant. $25. www.debortoli.com.au

Soumah 2024 Single Vineyard Hexham Marzemino

 

Yarra Valley producer Soumah is becoming a reliable source of multiple interesting wines made from Italian varietals. Marzemino is a native of Trentino in northern Italy and is genetically a cousin of shiraz, although it has a reputation for being disease prone and being difficult to manage. While sometimes used in red blends, in Trentino it is made as a varietal wine. This Australian take has vibrant acid and a medium/light body, alongside impressive length and structure, making it very food friendly. In Mozart's opera Don Giovanni, the lead character calls out for a glass of marzemino. I'm with him. Delightfully different. $40. https://soumah.com.au/