2 days Ago By Katie Spain
The out-of-office is on, the beach towels are packed and relaxation mode is set to high. Summer holidays are a time to sit back, relax, and toast the good times. Spend your time and money wisely with this pick of top summer wines; from light-hearted bubbles to chillable reds, a great drop doesn’t have to break the bank.
Fun fizz Lloyd Brothers 2023 Picpoul Prosecco, Adelaide Hills, SA, $26 One worth highlighting due to the unique cool climate combo of picpoul and prosecco, both grown in the Adelaide Hills. Picpoul, common in the south of France, is a variety to watch (Lloyd Brothers also does a straight, still wine version). It’s so utterly refreshing and easy to drink.
Settle back in the sun lounge and let the bubbly times roll. lloydbrothers.com.
au Sofi The Amalfi Lemon Spritz, Mudgee, NSW, $9.99 As easy as it gets. Wine glass: check.
Ice: check. Zesty lemon spritz: check. A sprig of rosemary: check.
Inspired by Italy, made in Australia and the type of beverage that gives bang for buck. I drink it while gardening. Happy summer days.
aldi.com.au Dal Zotto Pucino Spritz, King Valley, Vic, $22 King Valley prosecco pioneers Dal Zotto have long put the fun in affordable Australian fizz.
This frisky number is a combination of Dal Zotto’s signature prosecco and their house-made limoncello. Bang it in a fancy glass (over ice, with a slice of lemon and/or mint) and you’ve got sessionable summer sorted. dalzotto.
com.au Croser Orange Spritz, Adelaide Hills, SA, $30 Some of the best fun you can have in a bottle, especially if you’re a fan of bitter orange flavours. This bright spritz is ready to rock’n’roll.
Just pop it in a glass over ice (vintage vessels will make it look fancy), add a slice of fresh orange and you’ve got brunch beverages worked out. croser.com.
au NV Billy Button Sparkling Red, Alpine Valleys, Vic, $30 Sparkling red doesn’t need to break the bank, but it is an essential summer vibe. Billy Button, located in the heart of the Alpine Valleys, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024 and there’s no better way to toast a decade than with this fizzy durif, saperavi and shiraz blend. It’s an utterly delicious flurry of fruit sweetness with a savoury kick.
Such balance, such joy. billybuttonwines.com.
au Pink stuff Crawford River 2023 “Vineyard Series” Rosé, Henty, Vic, $30 A rosé that moves through the world in the way I aspire to: delicate yet powerful. This is a classy drop – one to have in the fridge for unexpected guests you want to impress. It’s a textural love affair between two varieties: pinot gris from the Cobboboonee Vineyard in Heywood and semillon.
Expect wild strawberry and cherry flavours. Gorgeous. crawfordriverwines.
com Hither & Yon Mataro Rosé 2024, McLaren Vale, SA, $14.99 Brothers Richard and Malcolm Leask are well respected for their devotion to regenerative agriculture and make their range of Hither & Yon wines at South Australia’s first carbon-neutral certified winery. Quality is king.
This rosé is just how I like it; crisp, dry, a little hit of sea spray. Bang it in the esky and drink with a sea view. aldi.
com.au Quaffable whites Tahbilk Marsanne 2024, Nagambie Lakes, Vic, $21.95 Serving Asian flavours or hitting a BYO restaurant this summer? Look no further.
This variety from France’s northern Rhone is great with most grub thanks to lashings of citrus and tropical fruit flavours. Family-owned and run wine brand Tahbilk has a long history behind it and the devotion to growing and making marsanne is evident in the quality (at an affordable price that means we can all enjoy it). It also ages well, so grab a couple in the name of austerity and future planning.
tahbilk.com.au Freya & Jules Clare Valley Riesling 2024, Watervale, SA, $9.
99 There’s so much to love about Clare Valley riesling, especially when you can find it for less than a tenner. The head-snapping citrus (hello, lime) blows cobwebs away. It’s super-refreshing and ideal for seafood-packed long lunches in the Aussie sun.
Find it at Aldi. aldi.com.
au Gapstead Estate High Country 2024 Albariño, Alpine Valleys, Vic, $25 This scrumptious champ won top gold in class at the 2024 Victorian Wine Show and best white Iberian variety in the recent Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show. It’s a gutsy, aromatic white commonly grown in Galicia (north-west Spain) and Portugal. It bursts with more flavour than Carmen Miranda’s fruit-packed headpiece.
Pair it with grilled shellfish. gapstedestate.com.
au Tumblong Hills Chenin Blanc 2023, Gundagai, NSW, $27 Pear brings all the boys and girls to the yard and that’s exactly what hits on first encounter with this crisp white. There’s a hit of ginger, too. It’s a great accompaniment to a “bachelor’s handbag” – otherwise known as roast chicken in a bag.
Whip up a pear and rocket salad and you’ve got easy summer dining with maximum comfort factor. tumblonghills.com The Little Wine Co 2024 Pecorino, NSW, $28 As legend has it, Pecorino is named after the Italian word for “sheep” because grape vines grew along the route shepherds took as they led flocks down mountains in central Italy.
Cute. Ian and Suzanne Little are passionate about alternative varieties and treat them with utmost respect. This is a delightful summer white: head-snappingly crisp, with a halo of white florals.
Great with prawns or oysters. thelittlewinecompany.com.
au Patrick Sullivan Chardonnay 2024, Mount Gambier, SA, $29 My pick of affordable top-notch whites. I adore Gippsland, Victoria-based Patrick Sullivan’s wines for their nuanced and vibrant expressions of the land from which they come. In this case, the base of a volcano in South Australia’s Mount Gambier.
It’s a new release, so act fast before I buy it all. patricksullivan.com.
au Ripper reds Dhillon Glenhope Accidental Red 2024, Macedon Ranges, Vic, $25 A happy accident of a wine. Respected vigneron Michael Dhillon (the bloke behind Bindi Wines) came up with this varietal love story when he found himself with excess merlot juice and shiraz pressings. It’s as bright and playful as a puppy.
Cherries, a hint of spice, and a juicy midweight swagger that begs to be chilled. Such fun and a steal at this price. bindiwines.
com.au Chalmers Montevecchio Rosso 2021, Heathcote, Vic, $25 If you want to get technical, this red blend boasts a tongue-twisting mix of aglianico, pavana, lagrein, teroldego, piedirosso and lambrusco maestri. Put simply, it’s a juicy explosion of Italian red varieties.
A barbecue banger. Don’t be afraid of chilling it down a little. chalmers.
com.au Samantha May Rizzo Red Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah 2023, Orange, NSW, $30 There is a place for reds at the dining table during summer, especially when they clock in at 12.5 per cent alcohol.
This elegant blend of cabernet sauvignon and syrah was beautifully executed by winemaker Samantha May. It buzzes with blue fruit energy and rambunctious acidity. Exceptional value.
Bravo. samanthamaywines.com Raise a glass to the new feel-good cocktail of summer (starring the fastest-growing spirit in Australia).
