This stunning wine is named after the landmark Split Apple Rock in Abel Tasman National Park, where Hermann Seifried built a winery in 1973 with the help of his local church. He'd only arrived in New Zealand three years earlier from Austria, via Germany (where he studied winemaking) and South Africa. He married Kiwi lass Agnes Wilkins, and two years later they realised their shared dream of growing grapes. 1976 was their maiden vintage and more than 30 years on the Seifrieds are still going strong and racking up a host of awards. Gooseberry fresh Split Rock slips down a treat on its own and partners dishes such as spicy prawns, grilled chicken or creamy pasta.

Pinot Grigio is one of the most popular whites in the western world, loved for its refreshing, delicate flavours. Inland from Venice, the high altitude Adige Valley is home to some of the best quality examples in Italy, if not the world. This wine was made by local expert Giuseppe Secchi. He named it after a famous local vineyard - on a cone shaped hill that was once home to a Roman temple, approached by a spiralling path lined with pine trees. Cool climate fresh and truly thirst quenching, this wine displays crisp, pure, lemon and grapefruit flavours, a touch of ripe, white stone fruit and a sophisticated, minerally edge. It's a 'drink anytime' wine but perhaps best enjoyed as an aperitivo, with seafood, grilled fish or summer salads.

We have offered this exemplary wine for over two decades and the multitude of awards over the years – and the 5-Star reviews – speak volumes. It is our bestselling sparkler by a mile. Roche Lacour winemaker Viviane Gianesini works her magic beneath the cool hills of Limoux. Here, the monks of Saint Hilaire are said to have mastered sparkling wine methods in 1531, centuries ahead of Dom Pérignon. Bottles back then were fragile and didn’t travel, so their success remained a secret. The cuvée is rich in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – like Champagne – and nearly half the wine is oak fermented – just like Krug! It’s an expensive technique (so rarely practised) yet important for depth and complexity. Enjoy on its own or with deserving canapés.

Take a trip to the Adelaide Hills and sip the newest vintage of Avera. This stunning, refreshing single vineyard Sauvignon simply leaps from the glass. Expect tropical tones of guava, pineapple and lime juice. The wine is ripe, yet maintains a tight structure that will leave your mouth watering. A dazzling match with fresh seafood and herbs.

Hungerford Hill is a premium Hunter Valley winery, but they have a long history of making prestige wines from NSW's cool Tumbarumba region. This one shows the region's cool, crisp, citrus and nectarine rich style off to perfection. So much so that it won Gold AND the Trophy at the Canberra Wine Show! Now that's impressive!

Zonte's call this a "sexy, sassy, somewhat racy Vermentino that exudes so much character it just keeps you coming back for more..." Expect lovely green apple, starfruit, fresh lime and zesty grapefruit all wrapped up in a crisp zingy finish. This is delicious!

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.