Barrel Monkeys Shiraz sums up the very essence of RedHeads – an innovative winery in the heart of wine country, inspiring the brightest young talents to craft mind-expanding wines that really set a pace. Smooth, luscious rich and velvety, this McLAren Vale beauty is lush with spicy blackcurrant fruit and smoky liquorice notes.

There’s bundles of flavour in this classy Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvédre. A special blend that offers soft layers of fruit, and rich and velvety charm – The Black Pig delivers again!

Back in 2017 I was intrigued to see if my theory about certain varieties from warm-climate dry-grown vineyards are ideal for light-bodied red wines, even to be enjoyed with a bit of a chill on it! That ended up being one of my most successful wines, so in 2022 I made my fourth wine from Nero d’Avola grown by the Chalmers family at their Merbein vineyard. Fruit was hand-picked then transported in a refrigerated truck and delivered to the winery the next day. It was de-stemmed and sat on skins for only five days which accounted for the majority of fermentation. Once pressed it completed its fermentation in a stainless-steel tank, then was transferred to mature French oak puncheons (500L). After spending six months in barrel the wine was racked and blended, then bottled in November 2022.

Sourced from well-established Barossa vineyards, Pepperjack Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon is a rich, bold, full-fruited style blend with soft tannins, lots of personality and flavour, the perfect match for a rare aged steak.

McLaren Vale and Shiraz - the perfect match. Steve Maglieri is the icon behind the Serafino name and his Shiraz is a typically wonderful full-flavoured and full-bodied red with the black and red fruits you can handle. A rich and voluptuous palate with a silken, textured finish that is a perfect match to big, rich beef dishes or a robust lamb ragu.

The Wolf Blass Grey Label Shiraz is an opulent concentrated and complex style with plenty of spicy fruit and a dash of chocolate. True to the style that Wolf himself made from the very beginning of this now iconic brand, this is very tasty and enjoyable now yet it has the weight and complexity to improve with cellaring.

Tucked away nicely in the Adelaide Hills, Sidewood Estate have made an art form out of crafting some of the very best single vineyard cool-climate wines available in Australia. Owen and Cassandra Inglis purchased the boutique property in 2004 and immediately set about making their vision become a reality. Their Sidewood Shiraz displays that vision to perfection. Attention to detail is the key here which enables flavours of red cherry, currants and dark plum to shine through along with hints of cinnamon and spice. The texture is beguiling and gives promise to a wine that will age for up to a decade.

Another great success story of grape grower turned grower/winemaker. Troy Kalleske is the latest custodian of a family heritage that dates back to 1853 when the Kalleske family first planted vineyards in the Moppa sub-discrict of Greenock, in the north-west of the Barossa Valley. This Shiraz (with a touch of Viognier and Petit Verdot) is 100% biodynamic and has concentrated aromas of blueberry, cloves, violets and dried fig. The silken palate that follows has dark fruit and lifted notes of floral with a sublime length of flavour.

St Hugo has been a long established name in Australian wine, namely due to the iconic Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra. Made from premium Barossa Valley fruit that provides dark berry fruits with opulent herb and spice characters. With a cellaring potential of over 10 years, this Shiraz can proudly wear the St Hugo name.

Battle of Bosworth are a terrific, family owned winery producing some of the best organic wines available in Australia today. Their Shiraz is typical McLaren Vale with dark fruit, fresh meat and milk chocolate that can be found on the nose as well as hints of marshmallow weed and spice if you look carefully. The nose segues subtly into the long, balanced, persistent palate. A super McLaren Vale Shiraz.