d'Arenberg McLaren Vale The Footbolt Shiraz 2007

..... lots of oak and lots of ripe fruit and lots of alcohol and lots of ripe fruit and lots of South Australia. So, like my mum used to say, if you haven't got anything nice to say.....

Yet at this price, it serves a purpose.

Drink with a dirty great big piece of meat, with lots of blood!
Drink till 2011
80
Screwcap 14.5%v/v (!!!!) $14 Preston Dan Murphy's

Wine by Some Young Punks - Quickie! South Australia Shiraz Nebbiolo 2009

You could just stare at it for hours couldn't you!

Another mouth watering wine from the gang of punks from SA. The Quickie! South Australia Shiraz Nebbiolo 2009 is jam packed with ripe fruit courtesy of the Shiraz (58%) and balanced neatly by fine tannins and tort tartness from the Nebbiolo (42%). Put simply, a great wine that does not take itself too seriously!


Drink with beef sausages and potato salad
Drink till 2013
90
Screwcap 14%v/v $24 from Blackhearts and Sparrows, Lygon Street Brunswick

Yalumba Y Series South Australian Pinot Grigio 2008

I don’t k now why, but when I first had this wine I instantly thought of this song:

“Hey you, stare at the sun,
You’re not gunna see anyone
Lost my nerve I didn’t know what to say
The weakness may have gone away...

I might sit on a beach
Where the waves are out of reach
Watch the ocean as it rolls on the wave
My weakness may have gone away.”

Losin’ it – Underground Lovers

With the Celsius more than likely hovering around the low 30’s here in Melbourne today, the idea of twisting a few screwcaps around the BBQ and picnic rug is spot on. One such wine, the Yalumba 'Y Series' South Australian Pinot Grigio 2008, will I think lose many lids today.

There is nothing pretentious or humdrum about this wine. The colour is bone straw with an almost sparkle to it. The nose instantly has a freshness of white pear and the prelude of piercing acid.... and it was with more freshness coming in the way of clean acid and more white pear with a touch of Granny Smith apple to boot.

This is a short wine with not much complexity, but when you are sitting around with friends deciding when to pull out the back yard cricket set, this wine is the perfect companion.

Drink now
Drink with picnic basket contents
89
Screwcap 12.5%v/v $10ish at most Dan Murphy stores