Galodoro Tinto is a beautifully smooth, structured red wine made from a blend of three indigenous Portuguese grapes - Castelao, Tinta Roriz (also known as Tempranillo), Touriga Nacional with the addition of the French grape, Cabernet Sauvignon. If you're looking for a full bodied, dark red with rich black fruit flavours and spice, here's your wine. 

It comes from Lisboa in northern Portugal and ticks all the boxes from great value for money to succulently deliciously flavoursome. 

This wine takes it name from an old way Hungarian reference to the vineyard from where it comes. Mandolás is one of the Oremus vineyards and it is only planted with Furmint, the most respected grape variety of the region. During the weeks leading up to the harvest, the state of ripening of the grape is systematically checked and the golden yellow, health and ripe bunches are picked. A must with great density is obtained using a delicate and gentle pressing. Fermentation is in new wood barrels, which are carefully prepared, and takes between eight and 12 days. The wine is aged in 136-litre small barrels, which are typical of the region.

Here's a great little red blend from Antinori, which is a gorgeous expression of the insanely beautiful Tuscany region, but which is made from an interesting mix of Italian and French grapes. Sangiovese leads the way here with small quantities of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, all grown in Tuscany. 

Antinori's winemakers describe this wine as firm bodied on the palate, supple with  velvety tannins and a long, savoury aftertaste.

This lovely smooth Chardonnay is made with grapes grown on the Castello della Sala Estate, which surrounds the medieval castle at Castello della Sala in the region of Umbria, which borders Tuscany. 

The vineyards here are planted in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which both grow well in the clay soils here. 

The 2019 Bramìto Chardonnay is characterized by delicate white flower notes followed by light sensations of citrus fruit. The palate is crisp, fresh and full bodied with lovely mineral notes which provide a long finish with flavours of ripe peach and notes of soft creaminess. 

This wine is sealed with a screwcap; a modern touch used on many wines from Marchese Antinori. 

ZENKURO - This is New Zealand's first ever sake, handcrafted since 2015, in Queenstown.  Our fresh, Premium grade junmai style of sake is pure, nothing added, but give a unique twist with the use of Manuka timber, NZ's own miracle tree.

Our brand is Zenkura - while 'zen' means all, 'kuro' means black - a simple but powerful combination born in NZ.  We start with water from the snow-capped Southern Alps and special sake rice that has been milled to remove the outer30- 40%, leaving only the best part of each grain for the fermentation to begin.

Spanish inspired, Australian made Tempranillo from the adventurous Chaffey Bros brand. This dry Aussie red is smooth, soft textured and tastes of ripe fruit flavours of red and dark plums, stewed and dried. It's made from two vineyards in the Barossa Valley, South Australia, one of them with 70+ years of vine age, which comes through in this wine's superb concentration of flavour - older vines are thought to deliver richer flavours. 

The inspiration for La Conquista comes from Spain's most famous red wine, Rioja, which is usually a blend. This is also a blend and uses the same grapes as found in Rioja - namely, Tempranillo with Grenache and Graciano (from the cooler Eden Valley) for support. 

The wine is named after the 1811 Battle of the Barrosa in Cadíz.

A great Italian red from one of the oldest family owned wineries in the world, which has produced wine since the 1200s. This expressive Chianti Classico is dense and complex with piquant spicy aromas, firm impressive tannins and the energy of a great red from one of the world's classic wine regions.

"Impenetrable dark ruby. Deep, concentrated marasca cherry and cherry liqueur with a minty, oaky note and a hint of cinnamon. A concentrated cherry-fruit palate layered with minty oak notes and lots of sandy tannins building up on the tangy finish. Will disappoint no one."

16.5/20 – Jancis Robinson Purple Pages

A classic southern Rhone white blend made up of 50% Roussanne, 30%
Grenache Blanc, 10% Viognier and 10% Marsanne from Costieres de Nimes AOC. 

After a short skin maceration, fermentation is conducted at 18°C in stainless tanks
with no malolactic fermentation to retain as much freshness as possible.
The Grenache Blanc brings minerality, the Viognier brings aromas of apricot and peach and the Marsanne and Roussanne add citrus and floral complexity.

Grape varieties: Gamay

Winemaking: Hand harvesting on very demanding terroirs offering highest potential regarding the preservation of fresh fruit aromas, Beaujolais features. Our winemakers aim the perfect balance between jammy fruit and tannic structure. Semi-carbonic maceration – alcoholic fermentation with daily rack and return – malolactic fermentation – blending and fining.

Soil: Granite, sand and silica.
Climate: Continental climate with cold and dry winters and hot and sunny summers.
Aging: Ageing in vats.

Tasting notes:
Beautiful ruby red colour of good intensity. Elegant, with fresh fig and ripe red berry aromas (black cherry, wild strawberry), as well as delicate spicy notes. Nice structure on the palate with a long liquorice finish.

Food matches: Cold meats, grilled poultry and cheese.
Best served between 14°C and 16°C / 57+F and 60°F.

Priorat is one of Spain's most esteemed regions for red wine, alongside Rioja & Ribera del Duero, and the most famous region for Grenache in Spain. The Llicorella slate and huge diurnal shifts contribute to powerful and ageable wines!

Made from Carinena & Garnacha fermented on skins for 11-12 days in stainless steel tanks at 24 degrees celcius. 70% was aged in French oak Barriques (20% new), & 30% in 30 hectolitre French oak foudres. 

Salmos is the spanish name for Psalms & is a tribute to the Carthusian Monks who first planted vines in Priorat.

Château Rieussec’s Carmes de Rieussec is a Semillon dominant sweet wine from the Sauternais region of Graves, Bordeaux. The nose is jammy and complex with charming  marmalade notes. The palate is powerful and balanced, with great acidity complimenting notes of pineapple, honey and delicate spice. An excellent desert wine.

Full bodied French Viognier from the south, which is affordable and beautifully well balanced, thanks to its peachy aromas and zingy dry palate structure. This wine highlights Viognier at its best; dry and rich but also with complex nutty notes, wich is no mean feat at this price. This wine is made with grapes grown in three French wine regions; on the Massif Central, the Mediterranean and the French Alps. This combination provides balance to the fleshy, full bodied appeal of peachy Viognier. This wine was aged for six months on lees in concrete tanks. 

It is also refreshingly varietally labelled.

A lovely addition to Viognier lover's wine glasses in New Zealand.

The Bogle family are said to believe there is a phantom in the winery, hence the name of this big, buttery, full throttle Chardonnay from California. This wine is aged entirely in French oak barrels (no cutting corners here). It's an in your face style that works well with its caramel, popcorn and creamy notes. 

Bogle produces over 1 million cases of wine every year, all of it Chardonnay and all aiming to please those who like their Chardonnays big, buttery and rich in taste. 

If you're a fan of creamy Chardonnay, come and get it.