House of Arras is regularly our finest sparkling
wine and certainly Australia’s most consistent
top-end performer, thanks to the availability of
fruit from exceptional Tasmanian vineyards and a
highly experienced and meticulous winemaker. Since 2011, this
winery has been back in Australian hands.

Anderson Wines in Rutherglen is a blend of two generations of winemakers. Howard, with 40 years’ experience in sparkling wine, and his daughter, Christobelle, produce disciplined durif showing great understanding of the variety. Remarkably, they release the Cellar Block Durif with 5-6 years’ maturation when it is, in their opinion, “ready to drink”. Very small production and very high quality, including their remarkable sparkling shiraz which is aged on lees until sale.

House of Arras is regularly our finest sparkling wine and certainly Australia’s most consistent top-end performer, thanks to the availability of fruit from exceptional Tasmanian vineyards and a highly experienced and meticulous winemaker. Since 2011, this winery has been back in Australian hands.

Baileys have deep red soils ideal for bold red wines, old vines and a history of making a rich style of red wines that has improved in recent years with vineyard expansion and new winery. Most is dry grown. Their Petite Syrah this is the variety durif, picked earlier and treated differently to be a medium-bodied wine with ripe, juicy fruit.

Established in 1972, Balgownie Estate has become one of Australia’s great small vineyards thanks to the firm style of its long-lived white label cabernet sauvignon and shiraz. Early releases of Yarra pinot are also exciting.

Bass Phillip are easily among our leading producers. Genial perfectionist owner Philip Jones resolutely pursues low cropping via biodynamic viticultural practices to produce individualistic wines including noteworthy rose, gamay, chardonnay and gewürztraminer. The pinot in particular is richly flavoured and textured on release and develops greater length and texture with aging.

Best’s Great Western in Victoria has a fascinating history and have recently enjoyed a run of very high quality releases. With vines planted from 1867 onwards, they reflect the best of Australian family owned wineries. There are many elegant, medium bodied supple red and white wines here. Their cellar door has a lovely atmosphere thanks to its history and sense of place.

By acclaim one of the greatest small producers in Australia. Bindi captures the flavours of their various individual vineyard sites through exacting grape growing, vine-by-vine decision making and winemaking that retains the essence of their sites. A very good vineyard with great winemaking.

An Adelaide Hills-based winery, Bird in Hand takes local and Clare fruit, aiming high and delivering.

An Adelaide Hills-based winery, Bird in Hand takes local and Clare fruit, aiming high and delivering

A superb old vineyard with a number of great value wines across the full spectrum of Australian wine including ripe fruited soft tannin shiraz and a local speciality, malbec, verdelho, as both a table wine and superb ten year old liqueur style with 18% alcohol. The National Trust listed cellar door is a gem with a superbly preserved sense of the past including a giant red gum grape press which will transport you back to the era of paddle steamers and full beards.

Brokenwood remains true to its origins while having a flexible philosophy on expanding the range based on the quality of differing regional varietals on the east coast. Graveyard remains a benchmark for their style.

Brown Brothers can entertain wine drinkers from novice to expert with ease thanks to family ownership leading them along the varietal path less trodden and through diverse vineyard holdings to the heights of wine quality.

By Farr is produced by former Bannockburn winemaker Gary Farr. These are distinctive, small quantity, handcrafted Geelong wines made along Burgundian lines from vines planted at higher than average density for Australia.

By Farr is produced by former Bannockburn winemaker Gary Farr. These are distinctive, small quantity, handcrafted Geelong wines made along Burgundian lines from vines planted at higher than average density for Australia.

Campbells are Rutherglen producers who have moved with the times and make some rich red and white wines as well as superb traditional North East Victorian fortifieds.

Cape Mentelle have mature low-cropping vines producing stylish Margaret River wines. The recent wines are more sophisticated, well-balanced, concentrated and supple when young. The chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon and shiraz have the structure to age well. They hold a ‘must attend’ cabernet benchmark tasting regularly.

For a glimpse inside the mind of Julian Castagna check his web site and taste his wines to confirm he is an Australian original. Located in Beechworth the local granite soils influence the style and the sunshine of different years affects the volume of flavour in his wines. Un Segreto sangiovese syrah may well be the red wine of the future with its blend of savoury and fruit sweetness. This is in contrast with the more tensely tactile nebbiolo driven Adams Rib and quite savoury sangiovese La Chiave with its

Castle Rock Estate in Western Australia’s cool Mount Barker region produces wines with characteristic delicacy, varietal character and freshness. The riesling is exceptional and older vintages can be purchased from the winery.

Centennial Vineyards at Bowral in the NSW Southern Highlands is the quality leader in winemaking with pinot noir, tempranillo, chardonnay and sparkling wines showing great promise.

McLaren Vale’s Chapel Hill’s recent direction offers a full-flavoured, full-blooded approach to their wines with plenty of structure. Promising sangiovese as well.

The Chateau Tanunda reinvigoration continues with powerful wines including their ‘Terroirs of the Barossa’ releases. This historic property is a ‘must see’ in the valley, complete with cricket pitch.

Young, widely experienced and talented Larry Cherubino is on top of his game for wine quality thanks to meticulously selecting the best regions in Western Australia. Hallmarks are balance, excellent judgement, fruit concentration and natural acidity.

Young, widely experienced and talented Larry Cherubino is on top of his game for wine quality thanks to meticulously selecting the best regions in Western Australia. Hallmarks are balance, excellent judgement, fruit concentration and natural acidity.

Clonakilla in the Canberra district produces small quantities of very highly regarded wines from mature vines. Their shiraz viognier is an Australian benchmark and the Ballinderry is also special. A diverse range of NSW shiraz is made.

Clover Hill is a significant 20-hectare vineyard located in northern Tasmania dedicated to chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier for their different methode champenoise cuvees. These wines show an impeccable balance

Curly Flat in the Macedon Ranges is an extreme quality producer of Burgundian varieties. They seek ‘to express the footprint of the vineyard rather than the thumbprint of the winemaker’. An admirable sentiment.

d’Arenberg are shiraz and grenache specialists who have moved with the times and their tannins and flavours have become more refined, brighter, fresher, finer and more harmonious in recent years. Whites are better than you would expect from this splendid red specialist and sweet whites can be exceptional at the top end. Gotta love a company like this – reliable, reasonable prices and widely available.

David Hook founded his winery in the Hunter in 1980s and draws on NSW regions and his flying winemaker experience in the 1990s in Iberia, the south of France and the USSR, to produce an intelligent new-generation style of Hunter wines from his eight hectares of old shiraz, semillon and chardonnay. Aged re-releases are available.

The De Bortoli Yarra Valley winery has become the flagship for the family. Their long-term commitment to deal with the agricultural cycles and the continual probing of new styles, varieties and especially approaches puts them among the new leaders of the table wine industry. Wine quality continues to improve across the board, especially in the Yarra Valley where world-class wines are being made under the Melba labels included here for the first time. The joint venture PHI wines are excellent and will feature in due course. Expect a bigger entry each year for this company as they spread their wings and fly.

The De Bortoli Yarra Valley winery has become the flagship for the family. Their long-term commitment to deal with the agricultural cycles and the continual probing of new styles, varieties and especially approaches puts them among the new leaders of the table wine industry. Wine quality continues to improve across the board, especially in the Yarra Valley where world-class wines are being made under the Melba labels included here for the first time. The joint venture PHI wines are excellent and will feature in due course. Expect a bigger entry each year for this company as they spread their wings and fly.

A much loved Hunter company, persoanble owner, old vines, delcious wines and top end age worthy quality. What else can be added, consistency and value across the board and a swag of awards. Notable semillon chardonnay and shiraz.

Delatite in Victoria’s Mansfield region has recently implemented biodynamic management while evolving their wines and styles mainly in delicate fragrant white wines. All wines since 2009 are made ‘wild’ without any addition of commercial yeast.

Domaine A in the Coal River Valley of Southern Tasmania is a precision-run vineyard that produces superb medium-bodied wines that are surprisingly long lived.

The winemaker Dominique Portet, previously at Taltarni, has a Bordeaux background. Inspired by the Yarra Valley where he has established his new base, the wines show a delicious, delicate approach.

Eldridge Estate of Red Hill, planted in 1984, is a small Mornington Peninsula vineyard with an outstanding range of wines including the clonal blend which captures the essence of Mornington’s very pretty pinot style with sweet fruit yet retaining elegance.

Eperosa reflects a love of wine from Epernay and Barossa which lead to the name. 5 ha in Eden Valley at the old Hamilton’s Springton site planted between 1890 and 1960 of shiraz mean these wines have depth and interest. Brett Grocke is a 5th generation Barossan and a viticultural consultant caring for many small parcels across the valley.

Fraser Gallop Estate in Margaret River seems to have a different vision for their wines than the rest of the region with interesting styles that enhance the region’s fruit purity with quality winemaking creating detailed energetic flavours. Affordable quality here.

Freycinet is a family-run nine-hectare vineyard an hour north of Hobart. Planted in 1980 on an amphitheatre-shaped north-facing aspect on Tasmania’s East Coast, overlooking Great Oyster Bay and the Freycinet Peninsula the site is exceptionally beautiful as are the wines.

Freycinet is a family-run nine-hectare vineyard an hour north of Hobart. Planted in 1980 on an amphitheatre-shaped north-facing aspect on Tasmania’s East Coast, overlooking Great Oyster Bay and the Freycinet Peninsula the site is exceptionally beautiful as are the wines.

Frogmore Creek is an innovative organic Tasmanian producer with mature vineyards and interesting styles worth watching. Frogmore Creek is also the site of an innovative restaurant under Rueben Koopman opened for lunches and closed Tues and Weds with dinners by appointment. Cellar door features the largest varietal selection in Tasmania.

Giaconda has carved an impressive niche in the Australian chardonnay firmament since planting in the 1980’s. An intelligent and articulate ethos surrounds the wines and they are proof, if any was needed, that fine wine is grown more than it is made. The vineyard climate delivers fruit with finesse and the chardonnay needs time to show its funky best. The best way to purchase is via the mailing list, released Nov 1 each year.

Giant Steps has to be the most cosmopolitan cellar door in the world, aided by a 34-hectare Yarra Valley vineyard and a stream of restrained, tightly structured wines with fine tuned vineyard differences. Just lovely.

Grosset Wines in the Clare Valley pays infinite attention to detail to produce wines from both Clare and the Adelaide Hills with remarkable finesse and elegance. Gaia is particularly magnificent.

Several ranges of wine available including The Several ranges of wine available from Gundog Estate. Matt Burton is an experienced winemaker and has distinct style aimed at freshness and medium bodied wines from the Hunter, Canberra and under the Burton McMahon label, a Yarra Valley chardonnay.

GRU, as in Gruner Veltliner leads the charge for Hahndorf Hill and it’s Austrian white wines. Larry has been in charge for 13 years and inherited an old planting of the Austrian reds blaufränkisch and zweigelt. Taking the lead from these he imported Gruner in 2006, quarantined till 2010 and planted that year. He has been generous with the cuttings and they are planted in 12 vineyards today.

Hardys offers cutting-edge quality from some of Australia’s top vineyards and winemakers.

Charles Hargrave, formerly Chief Sparkling Wine maker for Treasury Wines Estates lifted Heemskerk, producing premium wines, chiefly sparkling, based in Coal River show casing the islands best varieties with classic Tasmanian delicacy and cool climate freshness. The second label is Abel Tempest is sourced from the Tamar.

Charles Hargrave, formerly Chief Sparkling Wine maker for Treasury Wines Estates lifted Heemskerk, producing premium wines, chiefly sparkling, based in Coal River show casing the islands best varieties with classic Tasmanian delicacy and cool climate freshness. The second label is Abel Tempest is sourced from the Tamar.

Heggies is a good, mature vineyard at 480–520 metres up in the Eden Valley, owned by the Hill-Smith family of Yalumba fame.

Coonawarra-based Hollick is one of a core of producers who have built a reputation for reliable wines. Their style is on the move from more traditional to modern, becoming richer with rising oak levels.

Howard Park is an ultra-premium West Australian producer with quality vineyards in Margaret River and the Great Southern regions. The wines are meticulously made expressions of the best varieties within these regions.

A former Taylor’s senior winemaker with a host of national and international awards, Neil Jericho’s foray into his own family winery met with immediate success. He focuses on detailed medium bodied wines and they are a winery to watch.

Jim Barry Wines are Clare Valley winemakers with a sizeable range of reliable wines including exceptional shiraz and riesling. In recent years the wines have gained considerable freshness and intensity.

Based in the Barossa Valley, John Duval is one of our most talented and experienced red winemakers producing balanced, deeply flavoured wines with luxurious tannin richness and the highest level of quality.

One of the 6 original wineries in Margaret River (known then as Wrights) planted in 1973. Located within the Wilyabrup sub region this is a large estate, producing wines with diversity and detail across the key regional wine styles. The vineyards ranges are united by depth of flavour and elegance.

The Kalleske family have been growing grapes at Greenock in the Barossa for six generations but they only began winemaking this century. Pioneers of organic long before it was popular, they are a family with an innate knowledge of their site. With a talented winemaker they are taking huge strides to become one of the new stars of the Barossa. All their wines are certified organic by ACO.

Lake’s Folly only produces three wines – two Chardonnays and a Cabernet blend from 50 year old vines similar to prestige Bordeaux. Visitors are welcome by appointment outside opening hours. The Hillside Chardonnay is the only new wine since Peter Fogarty purchased the winery and the experienced Rod Kempe took over winemaking .

Leconfield, founded in 1974, is a 43-hectare Coonawarra vineyard, proudly family owned and operated by Dr Richard and Jette Hamilton. The signature wine is cabernet sauvignon, supported by merlot, shiraz, riesling, chardonnay and SYN cuvée blanc. Quality overall has quietly and consistently increased in recent years.

Lillypilly has an enviable reputation as one of the leading exponents of botrytis wines in the world. His unique style and particular talent for blending different varieties in his Noble Blend creates wines of unparalleled complexity without the oily heaviness that can over take these super sweet wines. They age extremely well. Noble Blend gets the accolade of “Family Reserve’ when he re-releases them as older wines. Cellar door features some very original wines

Lindemans, at the top end, release only 1,000 cases of each of these individual vineyard fine wines. Recent vintages are much better, having a medium-bodied structure with real elegance and finesse. 2007 was not up to the winemaker’s standards and will not be released and 2010s are the best yet due to more fleshy middle palate structure.

Main Ridge Estate, planted 1975, was the first of the Mornington Peninsula winemakers to achieve commercial production. Since then the wines, through their beauty and reliability, have established an enviable reputation.

Mitchell Wines are a well-established Clare Valley maker with high quality vineyards and extensive experience in the area.

Moorilla Estate is a small Hobart-based maker which painstakingly produces tiny quantities of very fine wines. Recent developments have seen stability in the winemaking and the extraordinary development of the site. Excellent accommodation and restaurant as well as MONA, a world-class gallery that has catapulted this property to fore in Australian wine.

Mount Horrocks Wines are Clare Valley producers of some remarkably good wines. There seems to be a real synergy with the vineyards, as the wines keep getting better each year.

Mount Mary is an excellent quality small vineyard in the Yarra Valley. Their wines are among Australia’s best, demonstrating that a good vineyard and consistent management can deliver the goods each year. These are medium bodied wines, refined and with moderate alcohol and low oak, reflecting the vineyard and its seasons.

Mountadam Vineyard represents one of the finest examples of individual winemaker vision in Australia. Planted by David Wynn in 1972 at 570 metres’ elevation in High Eden, the highest ridge in the Eden Valley, it is one of the oldest planted cool-climate chardonnay sites in Australia. Its ancient soils and sloping rocky ridges create micro-climates that are now being thoughtfully explored through the rare old vine chardonnay within it. Since 2006 quality has been on the rise.

Nepenthe Wines is an innovative Adelaide Hills producers with a range of wines with personality including interesting vineyards and blends.

Passing Clouds is a Bendigo district maker with very individual wines of grace and power and the region’s blackcurrant berry and mint flavours.

Peccavi Estate is a small family vineyard located in Yallingup, one of the “sweet spot” sub-regions in the north of Margaret River. He has a very experienced team including Bruce Dukes (Domain naturalist) and regional hero Brian Fletcher helping drive a vision for great wines.

Penfolds is a great example of ingenuity and dedication to quality within the Australian wine industry. Its distinctive red wines show continual refinement yet are true to their style of intense fruit with considerable texture from concentrated yet supple tannins that can grow in the bottle. Their whites are also very interesting. To offset the recent run of warm vintages and maintain their standards, they have diversified their vineyard resources to include Robe, Wrattonbully and Coonawarra.

Penfolds is a great example of ingenuity and dedication to quality within the Australian wine industry. Its distinctive red wines show continual refinement yet are true to their style of intense fruit with considerable texture from concentrated yet supple tannins that can grow in the bottle. Their whites are also very interesting. To offset the recent run of warm vintages and maintain their standards, they have diversified their vineyard resources to include Robe, Wrattonbully and Coonawarra.

A consistent quiet achiever where the term value for money means exceptional quality. Their cellar door in the Hunter Valley offers wines from choice vineyards in Orange, Wrattonbully Coonawarra and the Hunter Valley. Recent quality has been exceptional across all regions. Their Cellar Door precinct is also home to a coffee roaster.

Peter Lehmann Wines is a greatly respected Barossa winemaker with a reliable range of pleasantly underpriced fine wines.

Philip Shaw, formerly chief winemaker for Rosemount, has vast experience and a mature vineyard in the high altitude Orange region. He waited 18 years for the vineyard to reach its full potential before releasing his first wines. Current releases are exciting.

Pikes Wines is in Polish Hill River, Clare’s coolest sub-region which is adding an increasing array of interesting wines to its already reliable offering of very fine wines, including sangiovese and pinot grigio.

Primo Estate is a family-owned producer with flair and some brilliant and different styles. Its landmark cellar door in McLaren Vale is home to stylish and original wines from a former dux of the Roseworthy winemaking course showing that good taste and talent do run together.

Quealy and Balnarring Vineyard is Kathleen Quealy, an original thinker who, with husband Kevin, drive T’Gallant. This reincarnation offers a delightfully different take on the future of our white wines.

Richard Hamilton draws on some extremely old vines within their 50 hectares of mature McLaren Vale vineyard. Shared winemaking with Leconfield brings the talented Paul Gordon into play. An old name playing a new game and focusing on keeping alcohol down.

Riversdale Estate is an exciting vineyard with accommodation in the Coal River Valley on the shores of the Pittwater waterfront with 23 hectares of vines and one of the most successful Chardonnays in Australia.

With a team of experienced winemakers and drawing on McLaren Vale vineyards, Rosemount has revived its reputation with a string of excellent wines in recent years. The wines have become more refined. Many vinetages from the 1990s are still drinking well, particularly Balmoral, Mountain Blue and Show Reserve Shiraz.

Saltram Estate wines are showing ripe rich flavours  with freshness in several different varietal styles and price points that offer interest and personality. The key is shiraz, grenache and cabernet with newer varieties such fiano and tempranillo creating a worthwhile distraction. The cellar door is well worth a visit with a very professional team to show their wines.

Seppelt is the Victorian arm of Treasury Wine Estates with the mature Drumborg vineyard in Henty. Add in a tapestry of old shiraz vineyards around Great Western and talented winemakers for 15 years and you have an essential cellar dweller in shiraz, riesling, chardonnay and sparkling shiraz.

Seppelt is the Victorian arm of Treasury Wine Estates with the mature Drumborg vineyard in Henty. Add in a tapestry of old shiraz vineyards around Great Western and talented winemakers for 15 years and you have an essential cellar dweller in shiraz, riesling, chardonnay and sparkling shiraz.

A fast rising Yarra Valley star with a Trattoria on site and a swag of great wines themed on Eastern France and Northern Italy. Good prices and quality across the range. This is one to watch closely as their values align with best thinking on many areas of wine.

St Hallett is a well-established Barossa Valley maker sourcing grapes from both valleys to produce stylish wines with more elegance and freshness than many in region.

Symphony Hill are an important part of the exciting new wines being made in the Granite Belt region.

TarraWarra Estate is adjacent to the superb TarraWarra Museum of Art, combining a Yarra Valley art gallery, winery and restaurant. The estate’s reserve style combines ripeness and fragrance with finesse giving an individual style to their pinot noir and chardonnay.

Tidswell Wines are located near Naracoorte in the Limestone coast region of South Australia. Established in 1994, they are a major regional vineyard with 115 hectares planted on limestone covered terra rossa soils.

Tim Adams in Clare has established and held a reputation for making quality wines that have the power of Clare fruit and the presence of mind not to be excessive in any way. An excellent range of wines, all under pinned by Tim’s careful winemaking, make the cellar door a must visit.

One of the most informed vineyard plantings  near Hobart. The climate is the most wine friendly for table wines, the vineyard layout immaculate and the precision of the management team world class. Tolpuddle is set to become one of the stars of the next generation of pinot noir and chardonnay in Australia.

Topper’s Mountain in the New England tableland region of northern NSW near Armidale is planted on a cap of red basalt soil at an elevation of 870 metres. The cool elevated site and the mix of varieties make the wines well worth seeking out. Tiny amounts of high quality shiraz, tannat, viognier and tempranillo are offered with gewürztraminer the star.

Vasse Felix is a very fine Margaret River maker located within the Wilyabrup sub-region with a range of elegant wines including a sumptuous chardonnay, delicious cabernet merlot and shiraz. All the wines exhibit great style and finesse. The Vasse Felix restauramt is modern Australia, seasonal produce and open for lunch seven days. The Holmes a Court family art colleection is on display with 4 revolving exhibitions a year.

Of the thousands of wineries in Australia, there are only a few vineyards as great as Wendouree. The wines are only available from the mailing list which has been closed since 1995. The blends are more approachable than the single varietals when young, all possess elegance, supple fruit and extraordinarily fine tannin.

Dr Carrodus planted 12 hectares in 1969 and re-established wine growing in the Yarra Valley. Since he passed away in September 2008 there has been a smooth transition with the new, although not new to the Yarra, owners. Both are loyal to the Yarra Yering traditions and medium-bodied red style.

A husband and wife team with no training and less than ten years in the wine industry and making a splash  with small parcels of excellent quality Grenache, and Rousanne under their “Devote” or “Devine” ranges. Their style is fresh, balanced, flavoursome and food-friendly.

Yeringberg has some of the oldest vines in the Yarra Valley. The family-owned, two-hectare hillside vineyard annually produces 1,200 cases of graceful handmade wines, characterised by understated elegant fruit with minimum winemaker input creating fresh stylish wines.

Zonte’s Footstep draw on grapes grown in Langhorne Creek and McLaren Vale/ Fleurieu regions of South Australia. The wines have personality derived from very ripe fruit and some have a touch of residual sugar to increase their appeal. The reds are in the big ripe soft tannin South Australian mould. The Langhorne Creek malbec, McLaren Vale shiraz, petite syrah and Langhorne Creek sangiovese barbera make interesting drinking. All are reliable, affordable easy drinking.