£20 to 30

A wonderfully complex and textured barrel fermented white Douro with a long, fresh and minerally finish. Made from four different indigenous grape varieties from very high altitude vineyards.

Country: Portugal

Region: Douro Valley

Grapes: 46% Rabigato, 29% Viosinho, 24% Gouveio,1% Fernão Pires

ABV: 12.5%

Food Matches: Great with seafood or fleshy pan fried white fish dishes.

Jamie Goode in Wine Anorak: 12.5% alcohol. A blend of local white varieties from Pedra Alta’s highest plots. Complex and nicely restrained with taut lemony fruit and some notes of pear and white peach. Lively and precise with good acidity and nice purity, this has the potential to develop with time, and it’s almost Burgundian in style. 94/100 

Concentrated cassis with a hint of liquorice. Bright and elegant Bordeaux red.

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux, Haut Medoc

Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot

ABV: 12.5%

Superb concentration, complexity, amplified aromatics, and depth of flavour going on in this Georgian qvevri wine. Dried apricots and ripe peaches. Well rounded, with a sophisticated tannic structure, vibrant acidity with a long honeyed finish.

Country: Georgia

Region: Kakheti

Grapes: Kisi

ABV: 13%

Food Match: Spicy dishes, seafood such as shellfish and salmon, aged hard cheeses.

"Amber in colour with kumquat, sun-dried apricot and marzipan on the nose, candied orange peel, dried peach and tangerine zest on the palate, supported by muscular but polished tannins, thanks to controlled extraction. Fantastic depth, the lovely dried apricot notes follow to the long finish." 92 points, Sylvia Wu, Decanter (September 2022)

Read all about Penny's recent trip to the cradle of wine, Georgia in her blog here.

A delicious, bone dry, traditional method sparkling from  from André at Quinta do Montalto.

Country: Portugal

Region: Lisbon

Grape Varieties: Organically farmed Arinto and Fernao Pires

Bright, light straw colour. Fragrant, fresh spring flowers on the nose and fresh fruit-driven palate of green apple, pear, white peach and grapefruit. Dry, crisp, and mineral, with a slight saline, bitterness to the finish which is typical of Vernaccia di San Gimignano. The fruit/mineral balance is so delicious! Very long, clean and precise.

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany, San Gimignano

Grapes:  Vernaccia di San Gimignano 95% Incrocio Manzoni 5%

ABV: 13.5% 

Food Match: soups, aperatif, soft fresh cheese.

Certified Organic vineyards

Pale lemon colour with exceptionally fine mousse. It exudes freshness and pure fruit on the nose by showcasing vibrant notes of Granny Smith apple, white blossom, candied lemon rind and white peach. Creamy, biscuit notes give texture to the lively citrus and green apple. An elegant and refined MCC with a yeasty undercurrent on the palate.

Country: South Africa

Region:  Durbanville Hills, Tygerberg

ABV: 12.5%

Grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

Food Match:

This Méthode Cap Classique is the quintessential drink for all occasions and is the most versatile wine for food pairings. Enjoy it as an aperitif before dinner or with eggs Benedict and warm croissants for breakfast. It also marries well with scallop carpaccio, choux pastries, rich chicken liver pâté and fresh pan-seared fish with a beurre blanc sauce.

As a naturally petillant/sparkling wine, this has been bottled before the primary fermentation is complete, so the fermentation process continues in the bottle to produce a natural spritz.

Francesco Anne Santi's family has been farming for generations, but she decided to turn her stables into a wine cellar and a new business was started. 

Country: Italy

Region: Umbria

Grapes: Sangiovese, Aleatico

ABV: 11.5%

This artisanal wine is made from Sangiovese and Aleatico grapes sourced from Francesco’s land in the Valnerina Valley in Umbria, refermented in the bottle in a semi-sparkling rose style. Uses the award winning Mekano closure using reclaimed plastic, for this colourful and innovative packaging.
Slightly cloudy with an orangey-pink hue. A delicate spritz with fine well-lasting bubbles for a Pet Nat. Flavours of green apple, white peach, unripe melon give the mouth a blast of freshness whilst a touch of biscuit character adds complexity. Much cleaner and less funky than you would expect from a Pet Nat.

This wine has an attractive shiny light ruby colour. It is both refined and very frank on the nose and palate. It opens to aromas of red fruits. Its silky tannins support the balance of a wine, such that it can be kept for some time (5 to 7 years) while remaining pleasant in its youth.

Country: France

Region: Burgundy

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Food Match:  Serves well as an aperitif for fresh and savoury tapas, soft-boiled eggs or roasted fish.

Maison Chanzy is a highly respected Burgundian producer, their wines are a classical demonstration of premium vineyard sites in Côte Chalonnaise, Côte de Beaune and Côte de Nuits.

Their range has been carefully engineered by winemaker Max Blondelle, whose primary task is to create wines that eloquently communicate their respective terroir, whilst remaining hands-off in his approach. As such, Chanzy are one of the few Burgundy producers to achieve Haute Valeur Environnementale level 3; the most highly regarded certification for agriculture in France.

Pinot noir is the heritage of Red Burgundy. The pinot noir grape was born in Burgundy and has carried the name since 1375. Pinot noir is the hereditary source to all of the great red wines from Burgundy vineyards. Pinot noir is jealously desired, but it is fragile and it requires very careful care during its vegetative period.

Aromas and flavours of cherries, plums, spices, tobacco and liquorice - everything a Chianti should be.

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany

ABV: 13.5%

Grapes: Sangiovese, Merlot

Delicious sweet nectar! With spice, apricot and plum on the nose this wine is filled out by the vanilla and honey on the tongue. The high acidity of this wine keeps it fresh and bright despite the sweetness. 

Country: Hungary

Region: Tokaji

Grapes: Furmint, Hárslevelu, Yellow Muscat.

Abv: 11.5

Food Match: Goes beautifully with apple and blackberry crumble with creamy vanilla ice cream.

Gorgeous, ripe white peach and lime with subtle toasted hazelnut characters. The palate is rich, textural and layered with a long, mineral finish. 

Country: Australia

Region: Tasmania

Grapes: Chardonnay

ABV: 13.5%

Wonderfully fragrant with notes of pithy stone fruits, bight jasmine and honeysuckle. The palate follows through with a richness of fruit including ripe peach and apricot. The finish is given finesse by the refreshing acidity.

Country: USA

Region: Lodi

ABV: 14.5%

Grapes: Viognier

Vibrant aromatic of blueberries and black plums with a hint of toasty oak. The generous, rich palate is packed full of juicy red and black fruits and underpinned by a fine tannin profile. A balanced wine with a persistent fruit finish.

Country: Georgia

Region: Kakheti

Grapes: Saperavi

ABV: 13%

Food Match: Red meat dishes, Stews and casseroles or mature cheese.

Georgia is considered to be the ‘cradle of wine', as 8,000 year-old indigenous Rkatsiteli grape seeds have been found in clay vessels.

From the Elgin region, South Africa's coolest and best areas for white wine making. 

Stylish and Burgundian with lime and lemon undertones. Bright citrus, oyster shell minerality, and a hint of almonds and biscuit brioche on the finish. Beautiful floral notes and bright fresh acidity persist. 

Country: South Africa

Region: Elgin

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Chardonnay

In early 1997, Andrew Gunn, an engineer by training was contemplating his next career move. Having always loved the outdoors, the prospect of farming appealed to him and feeling young and energetic enough to start a new career, left the hustle and bustle of Johannesburg to begin the search for the ‘perfect’ farm.

After months of searching and 40 farm visits later, Andrew and a very tired estate agent stumbled upon a solitary run down apple farm on a mountain top overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The prospect of a suitable farm in Elgin intrigued Andrew and on driving through the valley, he became excited by the beauty of the area. Surrounded by the Kogelberg Biosphere and Forestry the property had no agricultural neighbours. The rolling hills and the drive up the mountain to where the farm was situated, 420 meters above sea level, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was love at first sight.

As he drove in and stopped in front of a rather run down Herbert Baker homestead, he felt, “this is where I would like to live”, and the view from the front of the house overlooking the Elgin Valley below, made up his mind.

A Rhône Valley style shows wonderful black fruit perfumes of super-ripe black-cherry with background hints of pretty white-flower jasmine. Fine French oak contributes with gentle vanilla and cinnamon spice. The palate is plush and velvety – the shiraz 95% shows as blackcurrant with dark berry richness and cassis adding a dense yet satiny gloss. Viognier 5% is about opulence with luxuriant polished softness with extra elements of flower and spice. Co-fermenting has gifted an extra degree of lift and length to the palate, combining the flavours for a great young drinking style.

Country: Australia

Region: Hunter Valley, NSW

Grapes: 95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier

ABV: 14.5%

Food Match: Chinese spare ribs, beef stir fry or barbecued fish.

These thoughtful, hand-crafted wines hail from the Hunter Valley with a nod in part to the great Rhône Valley wines of Hermitage and Cote Rôtie. For those who may have tasted any legendary Hunter Shiraz wines of the 40s, 50s and 60s, tasting many of the modern Hunter wines can be a depressing experience but Keith Tulloch is very different, adding to that great legacy with a series of wines that uniquely capture the exotic spice and hedonistic pleasure of dense and rich Shiraz fruit. These are sensuous, subtle wines with the velvety texture of fine burgundy.

A great freshness and a perfect balance between degree and acidity. Straw yellow with green hues, clean and bright. Powerful, fruity nose, with notes of green apple, citrus and tropical fruit, white flowers, herbs and fennel. Very fresh in the mouth with good acidity, intense flavour, fruity, balanced, complex, with a long finish.

Country: Spain

Region: Ribera del Duero

Grapes: Albillo

ABV: 13%

Food: Great with seafood, oriental dishes and salads.

Cillar De Silos Wine

Scrumptious, complex white wine. Distinct aromas of ripe pineapple, passionfruit and a hint of toasted sesame. In the mouth, it is full-bodied, yet fresh and zesty.  This wine will evolve nicely over a few years, although it's so delicious now, it will be hard to resist drinking immediately.

Country: France

Region: Bordeaux

Grapes: Sauvignon, Semillon

ABV: 13.5%

From the Euganei hills in Veneto, Pinot Nero vines were planted by the Biscardo family over 20 years ago in volcanic soils, rich in minerals and clay. These characters are found in their Rosapasso: a smooth, fresh and structured rosé, light salmon-pink in colour.

Country: Italy

Region: Veneto

Grapes: Pinot Noir

ABV: 12.5%

A beautifully made medium bodied red from Greece from indigenous varietal Koiniariko. Aromas of sweet spice, black pepper and crushed strawberries. Black cherry and supple tannins on the palate with a long, soft finish.

Country: Greece

Region:  Macedonia, Thrace near Drama

ABV: 13%

Grapes: Koiniariko 

pronounced keen-ee-YAR-iko

Food match: This versatile, medium bodied red will go well with soft cheese and cured meats, salads and grilled meat or roast chicken.

We love these organic, low intervention wines from ancient terroir with a touch of New Zealand magic. Expressive and unique you've got to try them!

Warm and spicy on the nose, aromas of fresh crushed raspberries and black cherry mingle with black pepper, allspice and woodsmoke. The palate has breadth and natural juiciness combining fresh cranberry and red berry fruit with spicy, peppercorn flavours. Best served at cool room temperature.

Country: South Africa

Region: Franschhoek

Grapes: Syrah 90%, Cabernet Franc 10%

ABV: 13%

Wildeberg’s rationale is to source the finest vineyards available to us across Franschhoek and the Coastal Region, from which cuvées the eyes are plucked to make Wildeberg and the Terroir Series releases. In doing so there remains a small yet definitive expression of all the vineyards we worked with, and its these cuvees that are again selected to go into Coterie by Wildeberg. Barrel fermented for 20 months

Le Colombier is the flagship red blend from Massaya made from Grenache Noir, Cinsault and Tempranillo sourced from around 40 year old hillside vineyards in the Bekaa Valley. The grapes are hand picked, fermented in stainless steel and then aged for a year in large vats. A bright, juicy red with hints of spice and pepper.

Country: Lebanon

Region: Bekaa Valley

Grapes: Grenache Noir, Cinsault and Tempranillo

ABV: 14.5%

Food match: Roast lamb or lamb tagine with Mediterranean grilled vegetables

Inky, dark purple in colour. The nose is pure and concentrated with aromas ripe dark fruit, violets and blackberry. Very well balanced palate with fresh acidity, ripe and supple tannin,  dark stone fruits, juicy yet concentrated with a very long finish. This wine will age well for 5-10 years if you can keep it that long!

Country: Argentina

Region: Luján de Cuyo, Mendoza 

Vegan/Vegetarian

Grapes:   Malbec

ABV: 13.5% 

Patricio Pereyra Pato is the owner and visionary of Bodegas Don Rosendo, Lujan de Cuyo A small estate with organic vineyards in some of the best sub-regions of Mendoza (including La Consulta and Agrelo) and with the superb Gabriela Zavala leading the winemaking, the quality is astonishingly high.

Very fresh, precise and tidy this is a great example of a wine on the natural spectrum. Fruit, minerality and subtle oak all in perfect harmony.

Country: France

Region: Arbois, Jura

Grapes: Chardonnay

ABV: 12.5%

Concentrated black and red berry fruit on the nose with a hint of herbs and fynbos. Other aromas and flavours include tomato leaf, black currant, cocoa powder, milk chocolate and sweet spice. The tannins are ripe and balanced.

Country: South Africa

Region: Stellenbosch

Grapes: Cabernet Franc

ABV: 13.5%

Refreshing and zesty fizz from Germany, with a delicate creamy note and elegant long finish.

Country: Germany

Region: Rheingau

Grapes: Riesling

ABV:12%

Food Match: Perfect as an aperitif or with the fish/salad course.

The Allendorf family has lived and worked in the Rheingau for 700 years. Based in Oestrich Winkel in the heart of the Rheingau, the estate has grown dramatically over the last 60 years from 1.5 ha to 70 ha, making it one of the biggest family-owned wineries in the Rheingau.

Read all about Victoria's recent trip to Germany in her blog here.