Dune Rusty Mutt Cantine Vitevis Barristers Block Evans & Tate Solaris Mazza Artis Jeanneret Best Wine Deals

A meditation on all things red that aren't Shiraz or Cab. We've got Touriga, Grenache, Tempranillo, Mataro, Montepulciano, Negroamaro and Aglianico happening here, and a smidge of Shiraz in the Kilikanoon GSM and the Purple Hands GSM. All things alt red, all offering a very different pathway to pleasure than straight Shiraz and Cabernet. Not that there's anything wrong with that!

If alternative whites are your jam, butter up! Here's a selection of 6 slippery suckers with nary a Chardonnay or a Sauvvy Blanc in sight. All tasted and retasted by our panel and all given the thumbs up. Langmeil’s gold medal winning blend of Rhone varietals Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. A couple of superb Fianos from McLaren Vale. A magic Sem from the Hunter and a couple of gorgeous PGs- one from the Clare and the other from the Adelaide Hills. All drinking beautifully, right now!

Looking to liven up your tastebuds with something a little different? This pack is full of brilliant alternative whites — from Briar Ridge’s stunningly textural Viognier (just awarded 95 points by Halliday), to a multi-trophy-winning Margaret River SSB, and an achingly pure 96-point Watervale Riesling. There’s also a gold-medal-winning three-way blend of Rhône varieties from Langmeil, a magical Hunter Valley Semillon, and John Vickery’s superlative take on Watervale Riesling. Crisp, characterful, and full of surprises — these are whites that seriously overdeliver.

A premium alternatives pack which we think is a bit of a no-brainer. We kick off with the following four Aussie alternatives. After Five's 5 trophy winning Barossa Montepulciano, which is as good a Monte we have ever seen. From Kilikanoon, their stunning, $96, 96 point, flagship Grenache. Artis brings us a magnificently perfumed Nero and Songlines, an old vine, 100% whole bunch Barossa Grenache. Then we have a Riserva Chianti from the low yielding and fabulous 2020 vintage, and a densely powerful Rioja, made by one of just 2 producers who are more than a century old. These are all excellent and we've no doubt you'll have as much fun with them as we do..