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.

With his wines acclaimed by critics worldwide, Diffonty is a household name in the southern Rhône. Fine wine expert and Rhône fan Robert Parker described the Diffonty Cuvée du Vatican Châteauneuf wines as “full-bodied, powerful, rich and oozing unmistakable Provençal character”. Comprising mostly Grenache supported by a little Syrah, the Réserve de l’Abbé is made by Jean-Marc with as much care and attention as he affords his top reds. Using grapes from just outside the Châteauneuf boundary, the wine was fermented in traditional wooden and also stainless steel vats before blending and bottling. It’s sumptuous and velvety, with warming red berry and wild herb complexity. Best decanted early, the wine’s ideal served with a hearty casserole.

Ludovic Roussillon is one of the top viticulteurs in Bordeaux’s Entre-Deux-Mers. He knows how to coax the very best out of his soils to get the most flavour in his grapes. Work hard in the vineyard and the wine almost makes itself, he says. We’ve worked with Ludovic for a number of years, enjoying both his red and his white from Château Le Coin. This is another wine from his vineyards – mostly Merlot, with a little Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon – all vinified to bring out the fruit's richness, supported by sleek tannins. Rethink Bordeaux with this supple, generous, rounded red. It’s already drinking really well, with or without food. Roast beef, full flavoured pasta dishes, charcuterie, cheese – this wine is very versatile.

This thoroughly appealing GSM is made exclusively for you by the Corryton Burge team under Trent Burge. The Burge family planted their roots in the Barossa Valley in the 1800s inspiring generations of devoted vignerons. Siblings Trent and Amelia Burge are sixth-generation Barossans. This rising star estate marries the family name with that of the family’s grand 1845 Corryton Park Homestead in Eden Valley. Their father, who mentors the enterprise, is none other than Barossa winemaking legend, Grant Burge. The Grenache revival is in full swing especially in the Barossa Valley where Cabernet Sauvignon and other varieties are being pulled out in favour of this slightly lighter bodied grape. Grenache was once prevalent here, providing fruit for the region's extensive production of fortified wines, and hence the existence of some of the oldest Grenache vines in the world! However, with an increasing market for slightly lighter, more accessible styles of red, Grenache is a 'new' rising star both in pure form and as here in fabulous GSMblends. As in France, especially in the Rhône Valley, Grenache is often blended with Shiraz to add a little weight in the mouth, and with Mataro to give the wine structure.

The Noble One by De Bortoli is considered Australia's premier dessert wine, and for obvious reasons. The wine has won countless awards at the leading wine shows around the country and has a wonderful propensity to develop even further in the bottle. The 2002 Noble One is a classic expression of the style with rich apricot treacle characters with fig and orange blossom still active on the nose and palate. Hints of vanilla bean and a refreshing acidity on the finish mean this decade old wine will continue to live in the cellar for many years more.

In a region famous for both its azure-lined Adriatic coast and snow-capped mountains, Abruzzo, you'll find the inspiring young winemaker, Ludo to her friends. You'll usually see her on her bike, pedalling the hills between vineyards, waving 'cia' - hello and goodbye – to those she passes. This is her homeland, so she knows it well, loves it, too. Trebbiano is her (and Abruzzo's) white grape of choice, making vibrant, lemon and lime-fresh white. For reds, her passion is the Abruzzo hero Montepulciano – that bright, plum-filled, all velvety-supple character, the reds of which are deliciously moreish, especially in the able hands of Ludo. A great all-round red. In summer, try it lightly chilled. Raise a glass, remember her name. Cia' Ludo!