Propping all that fruit up is some nice cashew, pulled warm bread and lemon rind. There’s a lot of drive and power here, but it’s never overwhelming.

Deep Woods Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2023

Grown in one of our favourite Yarra Valley subregions, Dixons Creek, this is a cool climate-styled Shiraz that’s full of true-to-style dark fruits like violets and dark plums, whilst still being easy-drinking in the Bistro way – just like that inspiring Syrah we loved in the Rhône Valley too long ago.

BISTRO Shiraz 2022

The tannins are dusty, earthy spices, and high-toned acidity. This is old school, but it’s still holding onto a little, effortless, cool vibe. Great at dinner parties. Drink it while the sunsets, and in between pieces of cheese you cut that’s too big for the cracker.

Carlos Sanchez Bienlarme Lágrimas Bellas Rioja 2022

We’ve been waiting for this and you’re going to love all the bright red fruits that come helixed in herbs, a dab of sap and some delicious bitter, amaro spice. Cheers.

Little Saint Pinot Noir 2022

There’s texture here and plenty of grip that adds charming length. Don’t worry though, it’s soft enough and full of stone fruits and some honey. It’s wine for LoFi lovers, and devotees to the radikal skin contact wines of Friuli.

Bikicki SO Orange SB Sauvignon Blanc

Rich, ripe blackberry and a lovely structure that’s wrapped in leather and feels like it's been soaking in mulberry and cassis. Some people will get a little tobacco and others won’t because it’s so subtle.

Chateau Instant Becot Bordeaux Rouge 2018

Parlante is speaking in Italian, but they could’ve gone with canto (singing), because that is what it can do if you line up everything – a cooler, ice, glasses, a friend or two, and a rug for the park.

Fondo Antico Grillo Parlante 2022

Palate bounces with nectarine and blond cashew that are all pulled along, playing with a little leesy texture after the curtain is drawn. Pour for intrigue, sip for love.

Crittendon Estate Gepetto Chardonnay 2023

One of our most inviting wines for Bordeaux and Syrah/Cabernet lovers. This is heaven at a BBQ, and has that moreish, sleek oak polish 99% of wine drinkers absolutely crave. Pure silk; but with tobacco and some plummy richness (thanks Malbec), which bulks up all the bright blueberries.

Eck Wines Pohlman's Creek Rouge Cuvée 2022

Semi carbonic and fermented half whole bunch. There's nothing country club about this Pinot and in the glass you get that personality through light raspberry leaf, herbs and a fleshy, vermouth vibe that makes for just a little, bitter snap.

Triffids Pinot Noir 2023

Need a sure thing that lets you know you're making all the right choices? Here it is with an unbelievable profile. Pours deep purple and has a weave of dark spices and star anise, plus some cassis and currants. Very French for Geelong, from those fruits to the acidity and unfolding effect you get as you drink. Absolutely cellarable.

Provenance Geelong SV Pinot Noir 2022

Hello from the Eden Valley, your slightly cooler, more elevated region bordering the Barossa for those playing along at home. Drinks like a summer evening, complete with cooling, minty tannin (breeze) and a velvety fruit warmth that's rich and inviting. Feels like a red to sit with at the park over a couple of chapters, or some nice conversation.

Barr Eden Dreams of Gold Shiraz 2023

Any Pinot with orange amaro bitter snap and blood orange flavours is fine by us. Grown at 450 metres, there’s a lot of elegance and prettiness here and with time in the bottles, it’ll brood.

Eastern Peake Griffins Rd Pinot Noir 2022

Pours with just a hint of liquorice for a point of difference and a heaps of that plummy, dark mulberry fruit which'll have you returning for more and more and more bottles. Comfortable like thick socks on a cold night in and a little streaming. Buy 6 for 10% off and keep on hand for the odd, chilly summer nights that are coming.

Kurtz Family Seven Sleepers Shiraz 2022

Value! All the flavours are ripe and luxuriously dark here but they haven’t overdone the tannin, so you can expect more plush velvet, rather than anything prickly. It’s Italiano so it’s… accessible and perfect with salty, tangy cheeses and dreamy, passata-soaked forkfuls.

Sensi 1890 Collezione Chianti 2022

It's user-friendly Sangiovese so there's only a light coating of the dusty tannin the grape is known for. Expect plenty of earthy depth and an acidity that is pretty like a string of pearls. Fruits are all glossy and juicy raspberry, red apple and plush cherry.

Gudilly Sangiovese 2023

2023’s vintage comes with a little more plush n pithy lemon fruit and a subtle oxidative edge which gives it some more savoury grip. Will make a trip to Jinda Thai, HuTong or your local BYO haunt even better.

Frankland Estate Alter Weg Riesling 2023

There are plenty of skin-contact tannins that are wrapped up in lovely citrus peels and smidges of lychee. After the initial fruits impresson, it gets savoury and salty before finishing with enough chew to convert red drinkers.

Wangolina Malvasia Istriana 2023

Barossa Grenache that’s turned all the way up and pours with fanning tannins and pepper that comes kicking, but not screaming. There’s more though – like sweet cherry, sarsaparilla and some sage and green herb flavours.

Naked Run The Aldo Grenache 2021

Sooty and savoury with a black olive edge and some spices that’ll be there for you all through Spring and on cold Summer nights. Cheers to all the generous mulberry, plums and that little leafy, spiced oak. It’s literally the ‘jewel’ in our Merlot/Cabernet section, so if you like shiny rocks and you were meant for me, then I was meant for you.