Queen Adelaide Brut NV – under $10 – **  – Pale gold, small bead. Nose of dried apples and pears. Soft and full in the mouth with a hint of lemon acidity. Will please people who don’t enjoy bone dry bubbly.

Yering Station Yarra Valley Fumé Blanc 2010 – $26 – ˜˜***  – Barrel fermented sauvignon blanc. In this wine, barrel-fermentation has softened much of the herbaceous pungency we expect in unwooded versions. Nevertheless there is still a hint of edgy tomato leaf over the faint woody overtones on the nose. The palate is full and rich and interwoven with sherbet-like acidity.

d’Arenberg McLaren Vale The Dry Dam Riesling 2010 – $15 – ˜˜˜*** Ripe lemon, new season pear and some floral notes on the nose. A generous mouth filling style permeated with lemon and lime intensity. There is a hint of apple pie at the finish. Good aperitif or entrée wine.

Barambah Classic 2010 – $19 – ** – S˜˜outh Burnett, Queensland. A blend of semillon, verdelho and sauvignon blanc. Pale straw hues. Attractive tropical fruit salad nose. Clean and dry in the mouth with a fine edge of citric tang at the finish.

Edenvale Shiraz – Alcohol removed – around $7 – ˜*  – Less than .5 % alcohol, If you’re off the booze this might serve as an alternative. Mid ruby in colour. Sweet plums on the nose. Slightly sweet in the mouth. Light tannic texture underlines Ribena-like aspects.

Invivo Central Otago Pinot Noir 2009 – $32 – ˜˜˜˜**** – The colour is light crimson with cherry skin hues. The nose shows strawberry conserve along with savoury smokiness and pencil shavings. Savoury character continues on the palate with aspects of maraschino cherry and strawberry tart. It finishes dry.

Kingston Estate Petit Verdot 2009 – $14 – ˜˜** – Dark red. Ripe plummy nose. A robust style with stacks of fruit over a sub-structure of integrated tannins. Just right for main course dishes. Unquestionable value for money.

Miles from Nowhere Best Blocks Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 – $27 – ˜˜˜˜**** – Margaret River, Western Australia. Cedar chest and blueberries on the nose. The soft yet lengthy palate is reminiscent of tobacco leaf and black currant liqueur. Tight, lip smacking, tannic astringency supports the whole.

Ratings

*****˜˜˜˜˜ – outstanding

****˜˜˜˜ – classy

***˜˜˜ – first-rate

**˜˜ – good stuff

*˜ – commercial

Prices in Australian dollars