A richly fruited Shiraz that's arrived just in time for the mercury to drop. Expect deep, dark plums and cherry, with a little sweet boysenberry sweeping through and lifting the palate. It's a big red, just how we like it.

Clarnette Shiraz 2021

Flavour favours the bold wines? That’s not how it goes, but this goes down, right down with juicy blues fruits and sarsparilla flavours stirring with sandy tannins and something like blood orange. Add friends and a grill for perfection.

SC Pannell Dead End Tempranillo 2022

Picture handfuls of blueberries dusted with cacao nib and savoury herbs. This runs smooth, so if you’re into velour, silk or Sade (the singer), then this is for you. Perfect with skirt steak and café de Paris butter.

Cherubino Pedestal Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

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.

Battles Granitis Shiraz Viognier 2023

Great value Shiraz that plays all the blackberry, liquorice classics with elegance. There’s also trademark sage, black fruits and sweet spice – it’s traditional at it’s best. Sometimes you just wanna play The Stones and wear Levis.

Kaesler Reach For The Sky Shiraz 2021

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

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

Rich and juicy with boysenberry, mulberry that feels like laying on a rich, comfy shag-pile of tannin. There’s a handful of lavender in there too, and a little punnet of plums and blue fruits.

Stonehaven Stepping Stone Malbec 2022

Get some saturated plums and cherry liqueur in your glass, then watch the taste-filled smiles spread. Every note here hits at an operatic scale and even though there’s a bit happening – toasty tannins, smooth liquorice, nuttiness, baking spices – it’s all harmonious.

Reillys Black Label Shiraz 2020

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

El Maestro Sierra PX Pedro Ximinez 750ml

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

Ripe, sweet vanilla and plums that play out with liquorice spice, prunes, figs and peaches. It might read like a bit of a shopping list, but it’s what dreams are made of and it’s all one bottle!! To make it all even better, pair it with your favourite tomatoey comfort food.

Sensi 1890 Primitivo 2022

Plum pudding and just the tiniest touch of vanilla sweetness. It’s the plush raspberries and maraschino cherries that’ll have you coming back, and the fact you nailed your pasta sauce. Again. This is why the Italian tourism board doesn't waste time with marketing, the wine and pasta makers do the work for them.

Borgo Cipressi Montepulciano d Abruzzo 2022

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

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

Half the size, twice the fun! It’s our version of a single ristretto. Will fit in most handbags, and all tote bags and you could probably (not sure how legal this is) drink it while lining up for a MIFF session to keep you warm. The flavours are all layered here with rich fruits and even a little cacao nib - also perfect if dad's the only one who likes Shiraz at the family dinner table.

Hentley Farm Shiraz 2022 375ml

Packed with black fruit and licorice, ripe black cherry and currants, plum pastille and olive tapenade with a big dollop of luscious tannin, to balance all that ripe fruit. Grab the wood splitter and open this next to the fire.