White wines
Banrock Station White****
Banrock Station White is, ironically, a rosé rather than white Shiraz (but don't let that put you off!), with a wonderful balance of fruit and dryness. Tastes oh-so good, oh-so fruity, with a touch of sherbet about the taste. So easy to drink, watch you don't fall over!!!
Chill and enjoy with pasta, chicken, salads, or just on its own. One bottle is not enough!
Buy Banrock wines online.
De Bortoli Dry Botrytis 1998 *****
De Bortoli Dry Botrytis is an extraordinary Semillon wine. Normally the botrytis rot is used to concentrate the juices to make sweet desert wine, but this Gewurstraminer is the first dry botrytis wine I've ever tasted. De Bortoli produce it at their winery in the Yarra Valley in Australia.
Just as with a sweet botrytis all the juice has been concentrated by removal of water by the botrytis, the result is a thick juicy flavoured wine which really stands out from the crowd! Buy De Bortoli wines at online prices.
Delicato Family Clay Station****
A Californian Voignier white packed with fruit - honey, peach, apricot and mango flavours.
La Garrigue Chardonnay Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes****
Tasted at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness, this is a crisp, clean and refreshing white with a nice balance of acid and fruit. Great served chilled on a warm summer evening.
McGuigan Gold ***
McGuigan Gold Chardonnay from the McGuigans of Hunter Valley Australia. Same family as second generation Lisa with her Tempus Two wines. Nice fruity Chardonnay. Buy McGuigan Gold at online prices.
Domaine du Mas Neuf Muscat de Mireval ***
A dessert Muscat which is not overly sweet and has a wonderful fragrance and taste.
Peter Lehman Weighbridge Chardonnay*****
2006. Unoaked, wonderfully fruity with just the right amount of acid. Buy Peter Lehmann wines at online prices.
Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde****
Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde has a clean taste with a refreshing greenness. Luscious melon and lemon sorbet fruit flavours. Slightly aromatic. Buy Quinta de Azevedo Vinho Verde at online prices.
Robert Mondavi Moscato d'Oro 2008****
We tasted this at the cellar door in Napa Valley. Has a wonderful fragrance, with floral and citrus notes and the distinctive aromatic flavour of muscatel grapes. Not overly sweet for a dessert wine. Have not seen it on sale at all in the UK unfortunately.
Robert Mondavi Napa Valley Fumé Blanc 2008*****
Ripe citrus flavours, fragrance of peach. Very slight green-ness. Clean and refreshing. Buy Robert Mondavi wines online.
Rosemount Chardonnay
Rosemount Chardonnay is rich white with buttery flavours. Buy Rosemount Chardonnay online.
Rosemount Semillon Chardonnay
Rosemount Semillon Chardonnay is an Australian classic with the greeness and the acidity of semillon playing with the chardonnay flavours. Buy Rosemount online.
Wickham Special Release Fumé ***
Wickham Special Release Fumé proves that England can produce first class wines. We bought from the vineyard itself. Wickham Special Release Fumé combines dryness, and a refreshing green-ness, with strong fruit flavours with elderflower flavours.
Wickham Special Release Fumé proves that England can produce first class wines. We bought from the vineyard itself. Wickham Special Release Fumé combines dryness, and a refreshing green-ness, with strong fruit flavours with elderflower flavours.
Red wines
Barramundi ***
Really good Australian red wine with a spicy tingle along with plum and bramble (blackberry) flavours. Buy Barramundi online.
Banrock Station Shiraz Mataro***
Banrock Station Shiraz Mataro is fruity with cherry flavours and a hint of oak. Buy Banrock Station wines online.
Barrossa Yalumba****
Barrossa Yalumba is a great Australian Shiraz packed with plum and cherry flavours balanced with oak and nannin. There's even a hint of liquorice in the aftertaste. Buy Yalumba wines online.
Boschendal Lanoy****
Boschendal Lanoy is a South African Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot blend, with rich fruit and some tannin. Buy Boschendal wines online.
Brown Brothers Everton***
Brown Brothers Everton is an Australian Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec blend which offers subtle fruit flavours. Buy Brown Brothers wines online.
Brown Brothers Shiraz***
Brown Brothers Shiraz is a very good Australian Shiraz. Quite dry and oaky with some fruit acid and tannin. Buy Brown Brothers wines online.
Brown Brothers Tarrango****
Hold your horses for a rather different red wine experience. First of the Australians serve Brown Brothers Tarrango from the fridge. The Ozzies drink it chilled with a barbie. It is light and refreshing and very different. Buy Brown Brothers wines online.
Concha y Toro Carmenere Maipo Valley****
I bought this Concha y Toro Carmenere Maipo Valley Winemaker's Lot wine from the Los Morros Vineyard in Chile for the wrong reasons! I liked the label, which was a luggage tag stuck to the bottle. But the reality is that it is good, very good. A high altitude carmenere wine from 550 metres, it is strong bramble and casis flavours with a little spice on the tannin. Buy Concha Y Toro wine online.
Eagle Crest Cabernet Sauvignon****
Eagle Crest is A South African Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot packed with fruit flavours. Buy Eagle Crest wines online.
Evans Family Howard****
A Shiraz from Australia's Hunter Valley. Velvety with fruity plum flavours and the right amount of tannin.
Glenguin****
An Australian Syrah. Dark red in colour and fruity it goes brilliantly with red meat.
Graham Beck Pinotage****
Graham Beck Pinotage with lots of fruit, a little tannin and some spice. Buy Graham Beck online.
Graham Beck Railroad Red****
Graham Beck Railroad Red is a South African Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz. Fruity with just the right amount of tannin. An enduring favourite. Buy Graham Beck wine online.
Grant Burge Barossa Filsell****
Grant Burge Barossa Filsell is an old vine Shiraz from Australia, with rich flavours and nice tannin. Great with steak.Buy Grant Burge wines online.
Hardy's Crest Cabernet Sauvignon***
Hardy's Crest make this really nice Australian Cabernet Sauvignon with clean flavours of cherry and a slightly peppery finish. Buy Hardy's wines online.
Hardy's Stamps of Australia***
Hardy's Stamps of Australia is an Oz favourite. Great with Red meat. Buy Hardy's wines online.
Isla Negra Cabernet Sauvignon***
Isla Negra produce this stonking Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, packed with fruit flavours like damson and nicely balanced tannins. Buy Isla Negra wines online.
Jindalee Cabernet Sauvignon***
Jindalee Cabernet Sauvignon with fruity flavours and a hint of mint aftertaste. Honest!
La Tour de By***
A Bordeaux, dry but juicy.
McWilliam****
An Australian Cabernet Sauvignon with clean, subtle tannin and strong fruit on the finish.
Manzanita Canyon Zinfandel****
If you think Californian wine is all Earnest & Julio Gallo, then think again. This is a superb Zinfandel with loads of fruit flavours and very subtle tannin.
Monterra Merlot****
Monterra Merlot from California offers velvety flavours of plum and cinnamon, with subtle tannins.
Negroamoro***
Wonderful subtle fruit and soft tannin in this Italian wine.
Peter Lehmann Grenache***
Peter Lehmann Grenache is a fruity South African grenache. Buy Peter Lehmann wines online.
Radford Dale Merlot***
Radford Dale Merlot from South Africa Merlot with soft tannins.
Reynolds Little Boomey***
Fruity Oz wine with just the right amount of acidity.
Robert Mondavi Heritage Collection Zinfandel***
Robert Mondavi Heritage Collection Zinfandel has plum flavours, balanced tanin. Pleasant but not as distinctive or exciting as the Robert Mondavi name, the Heritage Collection label or the luschious Zinfandel variety might suggest.
Rosemount Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz****
Rosemount Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz is an excellent Australian Blend. Buy Rosemount wines online.
Tatachilla****
Tatachilla Foundation Shiraz creamy Australian shiraz.
Tempus Two Shiraz****
Lisa, the second generation of the McGuigan family winemakers in Australia's Hunter Valley, has created her own Tempus Two brand. This one is great packed with blackcurrant and bramble (blackberry) flavours. Rating 4 out of 5.
Wolf Blass Red Label****
Wolf Blass Red Label is a Full bodied fruit with a hint of pepperiness. Buy Wolf Blass wines online.
Wolf Blass Shiraz Grenache***
Wolf Blass Shiraz Grenache has fruity plum and cherry flavours with a spicey tanning from the Shiraz. Buy Wolf Blass wines online.
Wolf Blass Yellow Label****
Wolf Blass Yellow Label is another enduring Australian favourite with stonking berry flavours. Buy Wolf Blass wines online.