Party time! Stumpy is one of the most multitalented wines to pull at a BBQ or lob into your tent or kayak because GSM goes with virtually everything, anywhere! It tastes like Redskins and redcurrants, with just the right level of mixed spice and fine-ground structure to keep the party under control. $9.50 @ Dan’s.

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Y? There’s no question. At this price, it should be ‘Y Not?’ The perfect partner to Stumpy, sauvignon is the most versatile food white. This pair will handle everything on your celebration table (except choc – you’re not still on about that?). This is serious sauv, romping over many NZs at double its price. $9 […]

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Viura is the most famous white grape in Rioja (Spain), but few achieve the aromatic freshness of Valdemar. Estate vines, low yields and cold ferments coax out lemon rind, apple and melon flavours. Zesty, crunchy, with the textural depth to handle diverse cuisines. Due to hit our shores any second.

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And the Spanish hits just keep on rolling! How do they do it?! 30 yo vines high in Rioja Alavesa, new American and French oak; my goodness, what wonders can be had under $20! Elegant, subtle, food-friendly, layered with red cherries, cherry kernel, vanilla, textural tannins and lovely sour acidity.

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For the most exquisite of celebrations, Pol vintage is your number. I splashed a magnum after the baptism of our Huon Timothy on Sunday and the room of sixty family and friends was spellbound! This is no wild party fizz, rather a tightly honed champagne of exacting precision and fine-strung tension.

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Every monarch needs a French chateau and 2000 year old vineyard site! There’s a nod to Burgundy in the violet and exotic spice overlay of this northern Rhone grenache, but its incredible concentration, layers of white pepper and textural tannins speak definitively of grenache. $80 at Vintage Cellars.

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Pop a bottle of Pol and drink like royalty while you’re reclining in splendour to take in the grand spectacle tonight! Brut Réserve is quintessential Pol, pristine, clean, balanced, tight, laced with fresh lemon and almond notes and refreshingly restrained sweetness. $55 at Kemeny’s and Dan Murphy’s.

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Alexander the Great is heir to the throne of Hunter shiraz, with no fear of the grave(yard). A wine of beautifully fine, chalky tannins, immaculately honed texture, refreshingly low alcohol and vibrant acid profile, it lingers with blueberries, olives, sarsaparilla, nutmeg, pitch and graphite. Long live the king!

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He’s no saint but King George has certainly arrived in a cavalcade of royal splendour! Set for a very long reign indeed, a looming wall of firm, fine tannins will take a trebuchet to penetrate, revealing a kingdom of deep blackcurrant fruit, coffee and tobacco. $40 at WineStar, Kemeny’s and Dan Murphy’s.

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In the world of Aussie merlot, you have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince. With Wine Taste, I deal with the frogs and leave you with Big Willy! Vibrant blackberries and mulberries meet nuances of tobacco, lingering with finely supple tannins and tangy red cherry acidity.

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