A fun, party-ready, off-dry riesling with a light fizz. Hailing from Victoria’s cool Alpine Valleys, it tastes of baked apple, lime zest and honey. Clean, fruity and appealing, it’s well made and priced right. Give it a very stern chill and drink it like moscato. Best price direct.

For the price, there’s an awful lot packed into this wine. Bucket loads of lees age (based on the 2010 vintage) and 5% oak maturation make for silkiness and complexity, but the focus remains resolutely on primary citrus, apple and pear fruit. The result equates to heights of character, texture and appeal rarely found at […]

There’s flesh here, both in succulent white nectarine fruit and in suggestions of the honeyed complexity of a couple of years of maturity, contrasting neatly with the crunch and zest of fresh citrus fruit. It’s a primary, young and fruity style that finishes more sophisticated than one might expect for this price, with lingering acid […]

I defy you to find a finer rosé under $19. Its full, bright salmon hue does little to betray its maturity. Nor, for that matter, does its pretty expression of musk, wild strawberry, guava and watermelon. Only its silky complexity and creamy bead point to its considerable age (2010 base vintage). Acid line is lively […]

One of Australia’s most consistent and complete chardonnays under $20, Hoddles Creek is a celebration of the lemon juice tension and focus and the white peach body of the Upper Yarra, impeccably framed in all the texture and complexity of barrel fermentation. $20 at WineStar, My Cellars, United Cellars and others.

A February harvest in the wake of a heatwave makes for a more generous and early drinking style. A pretty nose spans fragrant lemon blossom, zesty lime zest, orange pulp and the generous, exotic allure of guava. The palate is succulent and approachable, with generous fruit presence evenly balanced by soft acidity, making for an […]

Purposely an approachable style for early drinking, this is a spicy and exotic riesling of guava, pink lady apple and pink grapefruit character. It unites the exoticism of a warm January with the cool, focused acid line of a mild end to summer. $23 at United Cellars.

Sidewood sells half its gris and keeps the best for this label. It’s a true gris, spicy, succulent and slippery, with ripe pear fruit, balanced with tight, fine Adelaide Hills acidity and softly integrated phenolic structure. An impressive style in its varietal integrity and food-matching dexterity. $19 at The Liquor Shack.

Yarra Burn has lined up the hits in the sub-$20 fizz department this year, and this just might be the bargain sparkling of the year. Eight year old Yarra Valley rosé should not sell for such a measly price, particularly when it presents such graceful, creamy, silky structure, subtle mature complexity and secondary red fruit […]

This pure, lively, well crafted, off-dry cellar door only riesling leads out with a beautifully fragrant lime blossom and granny smith apple bouquet. The palate contrasts zesty lemon vivacity with nicely balanced and integrated residual sweetness, creating a seamless and enticing effect. Best price direct.