In the piazza the other day, an elderly woman was selling dried flowers and black fruits. When she came near us, she smelt faintly of sweet earth and you could see the fruits had stained her fingertips. We were eating saffron risotto and drinking Valpolicella. Everything was perfect.

Roccolo Grassi Valpolicella Superiore 2017

Dusty cherries and an earthy, savoury finish that are good and robust thanks to some big tannin. The palate is all liquored and glacé cherries that wash deliciousness straight over your soul.

Valpantena Torre del Falasco Corvina 2022

Generous purple black mulberry and plum fruits for every member of your extended family who’s over 18. This vintage offers a slightly sturdier webbing of tannin and just a little more cedar spice than most. Brilliant.

Bellevue Estate Shiraz 2023

Ripe with dark cherry and foraged fruits that are held together with ripe tannins and pour full of joy and a value. There’s also a big environmental focus at des Treille where their farming practices reduce waste and boost soil rejuvenation.

Champs des Treille CDT Rouge Cabernet Merlot Blend 2022

Classic Barossa Shiraz, right down to the salt, sage and poached plums. This feels like finally whipping off your shoes and putting your feet up after a big day on the tools. A great wine to buy in bulk and have on hand, and solid gift when you don’t know what they love.

Lights Valley Shiraz 2021

A serious wine made from the younger plantings that Yeringberg have in their vineyards. Expect almond blossom, honeysuckle, a little flint, and a savoury edge that makes it perfect with 99% of the food pyramid, which includes cheeses, crisps and sushi.

Yeringberg Babyberg White Blend Marsanne Roussanne 2023

Vivid and flush with lush fruits, earthy edges, and some savoury spice. Saltfleet is absolutely delicious and a great rendition of a local Rhône blend. Take it to a BBQ and show it off, and don’t be surprised if people ask for wine recommendations.

Saltfleet GSM 2023

Aged for two years in large oak to develop smooth elegance and the big, intense fruitiness we’re all longing for. Palate is all full and luscious with black fruit. You’re going to really love this.

Taylors Fine Ruby Port 750ml

All melody, no naïvety. This is the latest in our series on place and focuses on a darling region, Heathcote. This has everything we love because home is where we want to be, so there’s mulberry, peonies, compote spice and liqueured forest berries delivered glass after glass. There’s no need to speak in tongues, this is approachable and for everyone at the table.

This Must Be The Place Heathcote Shiraz 2023

Well-balanced sweetness. Dark berries and plums that sparkle, or bubble even. Notes are worth journaling because they’re mulberry and a stingy piece of dark chocolate – apparently, I break off too much and need to be ‘monitored’ at family functions when the block comes out. Don’t worry, it’s on my list of things to work through with my therapist.

Gudilly Sparkling Shiraz NV

Offer up glasses of flowing, liquored berries, sweet cherries and some blackcurrant essence tonight to yourself or those lucky enough to be in your (and this bottle’s) company. Soft n plush with enough tannin to keep you engaged, even after the conversation has lulled and everyone’s on Insta.

Gudilly Shiraz 2022

Philosophers say that even in dreams, we create problems because we want something to overcome. I have this recurring dream where, despite pouring from a full 750ml bottle, I can’t fill up my glass with the 150mls I want which means I only ever get to enjoy just a sip of all the black currant cassis and tobacco a wine like this offers.

Gudilly Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

There’s also a solider of perfectly toasted raisin bread, and hints of pepper. As you’ve already inferred, it’s a wine that offers up a new note/layer with every sip, on top of what you’ve already identified and loved.

Michael Hall Sang de Pigeon Shiraz 2022

It’s important to stay grounded. Feeling dirt, floorboards, concrete or carpet through your feet can be powerful. When we found a wine full of earthy spices that struck a chord before petering into morello cherries and bitey tannin, we had to have it. This is too comforting and delicious to ignore.

Viña Ijalba Tempranillo 2021

Semprevino translates to ‘Always Wine’ and these are made with that effortless approach we love European bistros, tavernas and bars for. When we’re lucky enough to be on the continent, we mostly get what we’re given, and everything just fits perfectly into the meal, the mood, the second-hand smoke and the street noise to be a beautiful part of the experience.

Semprevino Shiraz 2021

This is a wine you won't soon forget. Deep saturating plum, liquorice strap and some earthy spice play beautifully alongside vanillin oak and just a flash of bitumen-like reduction, with a concentration of fruit flavour that will linger on your mind long after the bottle empties.

Lloyd Brothers Hills + Coast Shiraz 2021

Baddaginnie Run is true to style with rich plum, liquored cherry, a lick of black pepper, and a smidge of vanilla bean on the palate. Perfect with your best beef stew, or your favourite lentil soup.

Baddaginnie Run Shiraz 2019

Sweet notes of blueberry, generous plum and dark liquorice are all wrapped up with some nice, rich tannin for a crowd-pleaser of the highest order.

The Winner's Tank Shiraz 2021

Summer was pretty mild in Perth over 2022-23, so these grapes got a long ripening meaning plenty of depth and balance. There is a small portion of new oak to deepen the palate and bring cacao nib, liquorice root and blue fruits. It is svelte and supple and perfect for the Syrah drinkers in your life.