Leconfield Artis Mazza Hastwell & Lightfoot Rusty Mutt Chain of Ponds Evans & Tate Langmeil Barristers Block Latest Packs

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.

Big Reds & Pizza? Not Always a Match…

But that doesn’t mean you have to drink plonk either.

We’ve rounded up mid-weight reds that punch well above their weight in aromatics and flavour — wines that play nicely with a slice (or three). Think:

Old vine Barossa Grenache

Adelaide Hills Nero d’Avola

Turkey Flat GSM — a stunner

And more

The kind of bottles that cuddle up to a Margherita or that prosciutto/rocket/buffalo mozz combo like they were made for it.

Plus, in place of slinging you a garlic bread, we'll send...

A bottle of Dandelion’s flagship Grenache —

Smart, delicious, pizza-friendly reds — and one absolute baller bottle for good measure.

Ready to order?

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!

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 2019 – 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.

6 magical Chardies here. Evan's and Tate Redbrook, which picked up gold at the Adelaide Show, is creamy and complexed with stunning French oak. The Hirsch Hill is this Yarra winery's Flagship Chardy - with powerful fruit and assertive acidity, it will cellar well. The Picardy is one of the best Chardonnays made in Oz. Made entirely from clones imported from Burgundy, it offers complexity, depth and class. We can comfortable recommend all of these for your consideration!

Stunning 7 clone Barossa Shiraz, made by the Lienert Brothers, who used to sell fruit to St Henri, before deciding to keep the good stuff for their own bottlings. Multiple trophy winning Shiraz from Forester Margaret River, Claymore's consistently slurpable Dark Side of the Moon Clare Shiraz. Gold winning SB from Barristers Block and trophy winning SBS from Willowbridge. All this makes this a great value pack, but just in case you needed convincing, we added in a $250 a bottle Barossa Shiraz to help you over the line!

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!

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..