Bleasdale is “one of the most historic wineries in Australia ... in 2015 celebrating 165 years of continuous winemaking by the direct descendants of the founding Potts family.” (James Halliday). Last year, winemaker Paul Hotker, a “master blender” , was named Halliday’s Winemaker of the Year. This “clever” 96pt blend shows his skill and style. “Clever cabernet-dominant blend incorporating malbec, franc, merlot and petit verdot to great effect. Red and black fruited, leafy cabernet, fine savoury tannins, line and length to burn. Gold at the National Wine Show ‘17 speaks volumes ... 96pts” (Halliday).

The Schilds are the oldest family- owned grape growers in the Barossa Valley, and they are custodians of vineyards home to some of the oldest vines in the world – up to 170 years old. Made with fruit from the Angus Brae vineyard near Lyndoch, this one has won Gold at the International Wine Challenge Awards 2018, and Best Australian Red in Show at Mundus Vini 2019!

Medium to full bodied with a well-defined tannin structure. Plush fruits of cassis and dark berries, combined with a slight savoury layer of dried herbs. Well balanced acidity and careful oak integration creating a seamless wine with a lingering finish.

Bleasdale is “one of the most historic wineries in Australia... in 2015 celebrating 165 years of continuous winemaking by the direct descendants of the founding Potts family.” (Halliday). Among many major awards, they’ve won the Jimmy Watson Trophy and they recently made the 2023 Shortlist for the Halliday Wine Companion's Best Value Winery. Winemaker Paul Hotker, a “master blender”, was named Halliday’s Winemaker of the Year 2018. This fine red is another example of why Langhorne Creek Shiraz is regarded by many as delivering Australia’s best-value reds, vintage after vintage. Intense aromas of blackberries, plums and Asian spice. Juicy dark fruits define the medium-to-full palate, with clove and liquorice notes dancing up back. Soft tannins.

Beaujolais is on the comeback thanks to great family domaines like this one. Maison Dominique Piron was founded during the reign of Louis XIII and today has 95 hectares of vines throughout Beaujolais’ finest villages, a third of them in Morgon. Dominique Piron is the 14th generation of the family to be in charge and he has joined forces with a long-standing friend, Julien Revillon. Together they have a vision to produce Beaujolais as fine and luscious as any Grand Cru Burgundy. They go to great lengths to achieve this, in the vineyard and in the cellar. Taste this silky, ripe, fruit laden Beaujolais Villages. Packed with juicy flavour and a suppleness rarely found in other reds, it’s a sublime picnic wine, perfect with pâtés and chicken.

Not many wines can boast 23 top Gold medals in six years, but that’s the triumphant haul for this claret, 2015 to 2020. It’s from a small estate in Saint-Germain du Puch, between Bordeaux and Saint-Emilion. The estate grows Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet on clay and limestone soils typical of the greater Saint-Emilion region. Owners Agnès and Alexandre Sueur and winemaker Gregory Dalla Longa make wines that reflect this special terroir and the unique character of each vintage. And Bordeaux 2020, with its long, warm summer, was certainly high quality. "Bordeaux has another terrific vintage on its hands with 2020" wrote Jeb Dunnock, "outstanding quality level" put Suckling. Decant at least an hour prior to serving it with roast lamb or duck.

In 1912, horse fanatic Joseph Osborn sold his stables and horses and bought the family the d'Arenberg estate in premium McLaren Vale. Joseph chose McLaren Vale as it has some of Australia's oldest vineyards, and with an array of soils and the cooling affect of the nearby ocean, it's ideal for vines. Winemaker today is sixth generation Chester Osborn. He continues the family tradition of treading the grapes by foot part way through fermentation. It certainly ensures plenty of dark colour, character and richness in the wines. You'll always spot a d'Arenberg wine with its bold red stripe on the label.

This beautifully mature 2017, has a Top Gold, 7 Golds and 96pts from Halliday. "Peter Lehmann's Margaret Semillon provides complex drinking and a length of flavour that many producers aspire to. It's a regional classic, and rightly so", as Dave Brooks writes in The Halliday Wine Companion, "All lemon butter spread on freshly toasted brioche with hints of soft spice, marzipan, wildflowers, crushed stone and drying fields. Dry, savoury, long and compelling. Some crustaceans and some of this and you are in a very good place. 96pts. Great Value.”

One of the greats, Mumm Champagne is the perfect choice when celebrating. Combining Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay together has created a delicious Champagne with rich bubbles and scents of fresh fruit and caramel.