Lake Breeze Angus the Bull Zonte's Footstep Bird in Hand Chain of Ponds Rusty Mutt Solaris Mazza Heirloom Vineyards Best Wine Deals

We used to mostly just drink Shiraz here in Oz. Or Cab. Then Pinot started to get a bit of a following — and pretty quickly, it blew up.

Fifteen years ago, Grenache was still dead in the water.

"I don't like Grenache."

"I haven’t tried a Grenache."

"It’s alright in a GSM blend, I guess..."

Then came The Grenachening.

Halliday started championing a few standout straight Grenache from McLaren Vale and the Barossa. Why? Because Australia does straight Grenache better than pretty much anywhere else in the world.

Sales climbed. Growers started paying much closer attention to their vines. Grenache is finnicky — the picking window is much shorter than for most other varieties.

Then the availability of straight Grenache as a gold and trophy winning standard took off, and it seems there is no one who hasn't had Grenache and very few who don't love it. It's expensive too - fruit is 2+ times the price of Shiraz fruit these days.

So, here’s $720 worth of just magical Grenache and GSM, all superb — yours for just $295.

The Wines

4 bottles – Heirloom Alcala McLaren Vale Grenache

96 points from Halliday. Dense, lifted, powerful, magnificent.

4 bottles – Lienert Brothers Eight Clone Barossa Grenache 2022

Aromatic and vibrant. Red fruits, spice, drive, and serious structure.

4 bottles – Kilikanoon Meymans GSM 2023

Clare Valley elegance. 96 points from Kim Brebach, who called it his GSM of the Year.

We love McLaren Vale here at winedirect.com.au. These reds have soul – rich, fruit-driven and generous – drinking beautifully from the first glass to the last.

They’re relaxed enough to lift a pizza after mid-week sport, but easily classy enough to eyeball a fillet steak on Friday night.

This pack brings together six absolute beauties, including Oliver’s Taranga Shiraz 2022 – from a Halliday 5 Red Star winery and Grange grower, this is pure McLaren power with polish to spare. There's Pasha Shiraz 2021 – A 97-point, $100-a-bottle stunner that balances opulence and finesse in one hell of a package. From Dowie Doole, their flagship Architect Cabernet Sauvignon, a 96-pointer and, in our view, one of the best Cabs coming out of the Vale right now. Dandelion Vineyards 'Treasure Trove' Grenache 2021 – vibrant, silken, and wildly aromatic. Staff orders are full of this stuff – and for good reason. And if that's not quite enough, and to be fair 'cos there are 12 slots in the box, Showblock's ‘Rosie’ Red 2019 – A bold, full-throttle blend that’s rich, ripe, and ready to go. Big wine, big flavour, big fun.

This is a classic red dozen, built entirely from well-known, widely-acclaimed names.

Turkey Flat own the oldest Shiraz vines on earth and are rated 5 Red Stars by James Halliday.

Leconfield relaunched the Coonawarra in the 1980s and are rated 5 stars by Halliday. Their Cab, which features in this pack, is magnificent.

Kilikanoon have the same 5 star rating, have been awarded best Australian winery more than once and on one occasion won 85% of the available trophies at the Clare Wine Show. Their GSM, which adorns this pack is rated 96 points by Kim Brebach, who rates it the best GSM he's seen this year!

Mitchell (Peppertree) make one of Australia's most loved Shiraz and are also rated, you guessed it, 5 stars by James Halliday.

Leasingham's Bin 61 Shiraz also has legendary status and has been made every vintage for more than the last 50 years.

Zonte's Footstep have been a mainstay for the last 25 years and are loved for producing consistently gold medal winning Shiraz.

Neldner Road isn't so well known, but also has a 5 star rating from Halliday, and have made perhaps the only red, other than 1953 Penfolds Grange, to be rated 100 points by Jeremy Oliver. Neldner Road is the main project of Torbreck founder Dave Powell, and their 'The Silesian' Barossa Shiraz is a $150 a bottle stunner, and the 13th bottle in this incredible baker's dozen!