The late, great Peter Lehmann was indeed a Pastor’s Son, a fifth generation Barossa winemaker and a legend in his own lifetime. The son of a Lutheran preacher, he became a champion of small independent grape growers in the region, buying their grapes through the tough days of the 1970s when the big wineries reneged on their contracts. This earned Peter the title ‘Baron of the Barossa’. Those growers never forgot his generosity and always stayed loyal. With a fabulous wine range including the world class Stonewell, no one did more to elevate the Barossa to cult status than Peter. His generous spirit lives on in this hearty, big spice Shiraz. With a l-o-n-g list of Gold-medal vintages, there’s great hope for this just-released 2022 vintage. Rich, chocolatey, with a peppery vanilla edge, it’s supreme with rare beef, roast lamb or veggie casserole with dumplings.

Andrew grew up in the world of wine and went on to work for some top names in Australia before settling down to craft really characterful, great value wines like this one, under his own name. A small amount of fermentation in oak has lent The Full Fifteen Chardonnay lovely toasty nuances, a nutty complexity and a soft creamy character.

John Quarisa, aka Johnny Q, is a terrific winemaker, creating wines that, like him, can be lively and highly charged. In his Caravan wine series, he likes to think of a grape that changes in style as it travels. So that here, Sauvignon Blanc grown in his Riverina vineyards produces a wine still with loads of grassy fresh zip, but along the way, has developed more tropical fruit flavours too. That is peach, pineapple and passionfruit! He insists on night harvested grapes to ensure lots of bright fresh flavours and cool ferments them for the same reason. This wine previously won a Gold medal and we think the 2021 vintage is tasting just as good – it's a fridge-door-must! Chill down and enjoy as a glass on its own or with spicy Thai dishes.

Shiraz and Grenache blend beautifully in many of the warmer parts of South Australia. This AAA is Paxton's 9th release, crafted similar to a Rhone-style wine yet it is packed with Au's Terroir. Bright with juicy red berry fruits and spices on the palate with well integrated oak and tannins, giving this wine a remarkable lengthy finish.

We managed to secure the last stocks of this Trophy and double Gold-medal winning vintage. In the winery: Selected bunches were hand picked in the third week of March and gently crushed into open top fermenters.In the glass: Vibrant, dense red black.On the nose: Appealing mix of super-ripe black fruit with classic mint herbaceousness. On the palate: Excellent balance with a powerful black fruit core cloaked with bright spice and herb and underlying cedary oak.

Sun, clear air, cool elevated vineyards and great winemaking skills give Argentina all the ingredients for world class wines. Joanna Simon says: "As a wine country, Argentina has everything going for it" (The Sunday Times). The Waxed Bat is a triumphant creation from our good friend Opi Sadler, winner of two international Trophies to date, and winemaker at Andean Vineyards. The wine's name was inspired by memories of his grandfather's cellar - wine bottles sealed with heavy red wax and an occasional bat fluttering in the lamp light. Spicy, liquorice scented Shiraz, cassis laden Cabernet and dense Malbec create power and complexity. Smooth enough to drink on its own and terrific with spare ribs, steak or kebabs. Decant an hour in advance.

Everyone loves good Rioja. Now take a step up to Reserva level. This is from the 2012 vintage, officially classified as ‘very good’. It was aged for at least a year in barrel and two in bottle to produce a Rioja of perfect balance and depth. Pagos de Tahola comes from the Chavarri family – Francisco and daughter Ruth form a winning partnership with winemaker Miguel Lopez Nuñez. Their exemplary wines are based on exuberant fruit harvested from mature vines in some of Rioja’s highest vineyards then infused with the signature fragrance of quality French and US oak. Rich aromas of dried berries and vanilla, hallmark red berry and sweet spice flavours and silky texture – impressively smooth. Serve with Spanish style rice dishes or grilled meats.