Portugal offers wine drinkers terrific value in the wine drinking stakes, as well as an awe inspiring range of native grapes. The country’s winemakers are also adept at producing some cracking wines with international stars. Take Aluado from one of Portugal’s top names. José Neiva Correia is a doyen of Portuguese wine with many awards to his name. Having consulted for many of the country’s top cellars, he now has his own estate, and combines generations of tradition with an inquisitive spirit undimmed by decades of experience. Using grapes from vineyards close to the coast, Aluado has lovely ripe peach fruit balanced by a zing of stony crispness. Just what you want, as a glass on its own, or served with seafood, salmon or chicken dishes.

Customers invariably ask: "What's Blanc de Blancs Champagne and what makes it so special?" The Champagne region grows three grapes, two red – Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – and one white ¬– Chardonnay. Blanc de Blancs is made only from Chardonnay and, as Hugh Johnson says, it therefore has "great grace and less weight than traditional Champagne". Laithwaite's is a tip-top example which for years has been expertly created for us by superb cellars in Avize, one of Champagne's finest villages. This particular cuvée is 100% Premier Cru vineyards and was matured for 30 months before release – double the required minimum – to ensure a really luxurious character. Showing complex white blossom, citrus and toasted brioche notes, it has great finesse, a very fine mousse, and the perfect amount of acidity to cut through a range of delicious canapés such as velvety chicken or duck liver parfait.

On an estate vineyard in Wrattonbully South Australia, two sisters are producing wines which are winning hearts, palates and awards around the world. Named after the morning ritual of assembling their eight children "at the gate" in time for the school bus.This lightly oaked white was 1/3 pressed directly into new French oak for a wild yeast and a malolactic fermentation, the remaining 2/3 given a cool slow ferment and no malolactic.The blending of the traditional barrel techniques and the varietal characters maintained have created a wine that is rich in balance and structure.

From the Lange family estate and vineyard situated in the picturesque Frankland River, tucked away in the far northwestern corner of the Great Southern. “This is a potent Chardonnnay of power and presence. Toasty whiffs with cedar and clove spice, some rich, hazelnut elements, ripe citrus, red apple and rockmelon in tow. The palate similar to the bouquet, bold and spicy, laden with woody seasoning and generous to a tee. In all that, the balance works well” (Halliday).

The Black Pig's 'The Prize' label is saved for extra special parcels of supreme quality fruit, and this beauty is from a very special property indeed in WA's Margaret River. The estate cannot be named but be assured that fruit quality there is paramount and this elegant, full-flavoured Chardonnay is a real bargain even at its full RRP.

The impressive West Cape Howe is owned by a partnership of four WA families, including those of Gavin Berry and Rob Quenby. Grapes are sourced from estate vineyards in Mount Barker and Frankland River. Styx Gully is 100% Mt Barker grown; all the fruit from our best two blocks of Chardonnay on our Langton vineyard. Block 3 had a tiny crop with rich fruit flavours, Block 25 has deeper soils, a better crop and ripened later; it provided the fruit with higher acidity and delicate, finer fruit flavours. Some of the parcels were handpicked and whole bunch pressed; the balance of the fruit picked at night with low overnight temperatures and processed promptly at the winery. Styx is all barrel fermented (approx 40% new) with no malolactic fermentation; the result being a complex, but still fruit driven, style of Chardonnay. “Its all about freshness and energy. Citrus and melon with a muted cashew character on the nose. The palate is finely balanced with penetrating finish promoted by a crisp chalky acidity. Has a little white flower and lime influence adding complexity. 92pts” (Ray Jordan)

"Our single vineyard range represents the pinnacle of what we do at Mountadam Vineyards. Each wine is made from fruit selected from a single Estate block". In the 1860s a South Australian landowner Sir Samuel Davenport was given a cutting of “chardonuet” by a French horticulturist. Somehow the cutting came to be grown in the South Australian Governor’s summer residence, a property known as Marble Hill in the Adelaide Hills. The vines eventually came to the attention of renowned wine industry pioneer David Wynn, who took a cutting and propagated further vines at a nursery in Adelaide. He planted them out on a beautiful elevated site on his Mountadam vineyard in 1972, making these the oldest cool climate chardonnay vines in Australia. The clone no longer exists anywhere else in the world.