The high altitude Orange region is producing some outstanding Merlot and this release, made by Debbie Lauritz, is a great example. Aromas of dried herb and currant are supported with sweet fruit flavours.

A delicious mouthful of McLaren Vale Shiraz. Paxton has generous ripe black fruits, sweet spice, liquorice and rich chocolate flavours on the palate. Framed by savoury oak and silky fine tannins with a lengthy finish.

High up in the Adelaide Hills, Paracombe is owned and operated by the Drogemuller family, which it has passionately done since 1983. Sourced from both estate and selected grower fruit, Paracombe Shiraz shows wonderful ripe fruit aromas with a delicate cool-climate aspect. Notes of cherries, plums, pepper and spice are notable along with a palate of layered spicy fruit and a fine tannin structure.

The pride of Michelini stable, this Merlot was sourced from the mature Buckland vineyard. On the nose it offers violet fruit characters supported by vanilla oak and a solid mid palate weight and flavour with soft fruit tannins and firm oak finish.

The trailblazers of the Adelaide Hills have created another outstanding wine. A superb expression of modern cool-climate Shiraz; Shaw & Smith is elegantly spicy and brimming with supple red-fruit flavours matched by fine tannins. An absolute ripper.

The gravelly soils and sunny climate of Hawkes Bay are producing some of New Zealand's most exciting reds. This classy Merlot from Oyster Bay shows soft spicy varietal flavours such as, juicy plums and ripe dark fruits. Accompanied by well intergraded oak and subtle tannins, making this wine one of the easier matching to food.

The nose shows complex savoury, earthy, bramble aromas with lifted American oak. The palate is medium bodied with bright red currant and hints of spice and blackberry.

An aromatic wine loaded with spices such as cloves and cinnamon. Simply heat in a saucepan to warm and serve. The spices blend in perfectly with flavours of orange and lemon. Perfect on that winter night in.

The Zema family has a proud history of producing great Coonawarra wines with plenty of regional character. This rich inky offering is redolent of ripe berries with a long satisfying finish.

According to the vibrant crew at Murphy-Goode, they make their wine the way they live their lives. Full of optimism, excitement and a love for life that is unsurpassed. Marry that with the knowledge garnered by co-founder Tim Murphy over 20 years specifically surrounding the Zinfandel grape and you have a blueprint for red wines of the utmost concentration and beauty. The Liar's Dice Zinfandel imparts rich flavours of black cherry and blackberry jam alongside characters of raspberry and redcurrants. Rounded out with super soft tannins and a luscious, fruit-sweet finish.