4 days ago
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Spring drinking is all about freshness, fragrance and fun bottles to pair with long lunches, picnics and balmy evenings on the porch.
What’s in your glass should reflect the vibrant, playful nature of the season. Gone are the hearty reds of winter. It’s time for crisp whites, delicate rosés, sparkling wines, spritzes and light reds that beg to be chilled.
Australian producers deliver a dazzling spread of quality options that won’t break the bank − some even come in at a tenner.
Picnic rugs and platters
Rosé, all the way. There’s a kaleidoscope of options, styles and hues out there. Don’t forget the Esky. Warm pink stuff is never OK.
On the bargain front, the Rewild Sustainably Made Rosé ($9.99 at Dan Murphy’s and $12 at BWS) delivers bang for buck out of New South Wales’ Murray Darling. A light, bright people-pleaser for anyone who digs raspberry and wild strawberry flavours.
There’s much to love about By Fabiano 2024 Rosato ($28.50, byfabiano.com.au), created by McLaren Vale’s Fabiano Minchella. Like the Italian winemaker, it’s all primitivo personality; intense fruit, glorious minerality and just enough sweetness to tie it in a seductive bow.
Meanwhile, the Aristotelis Ke Anthoula Pink 2023 natural wine from the far south coast of NSW, is fruity, bright as a button and currently on sale for $25 (usually $31, akea.wine).
Spring cleaning
Blow away cobwebs (broom or vacuum cleaner in hand) with bubbles.
The utterly approachable and astoundingly affordable Rewild 2025 Prosecco from the Southern Murray Darling is a hit for $9.99 at Dan Murphy’s and select BWS stores nationally.
For a demure, cherry-forward experience, the Marnong Estate NV Prosecco Rosé is a steal at $25 (marnongestate.com.au). The cellar door on a farm less than a 40-minute drive from Melbourne is particularly pretty during spring.
The upbeat Indigo Vineyard Beechworth Frizzante ($27, indigovineyard.com.au) is a fresh, lightly sparkling light red fizz (10 per cent alcohol) that bounces with raspberry and blackberry flavours, and all the exuberance of a puppy.
Casual backyard gatherings
Grab some fish and chips and a bottle of vermentino, and you’re basically on holiday – minus the air miles.
Vermentino is zesty, perky, and ideal for seafood, salads, and sunshine. The Chalmers family, from Heathcote, Victoria, have long been champions of exotic varieties, particularly southern Italian gems. Their Chalmers Vermentino has an RRP of $29 (chalmers.com.au) but when the member deal is right (now), can be snapped up for as low as $24 at Dan Murphy’s.
For a vermentino from New South Wales, look no further than Hunter Valley’s Mercer Wines 2025 Bianco Vermentino ($30, mercerwines.com.au). Winemaker Aaron Mercer’s crunchy, head-snapping white is so engaging that your battered flathead, large chips and extra chicken salt will barely get a look in.
A glass while gardening
There’s something special about an afternoon tipple in the garden. Secateurs, shovels and high alcohol, however, do not mix. For this reason, spritz is a great, lower-alcohol alternative, and the nationwide thirst for it is insatiable.
The crew at Yarra Valley’s Zonzo Estate are up for the challenge. Their popular Zoncello Limoncello Spritz is available for $25 at Liquorland. Or, there’s the Cicchio Pistacchio Spritz ($28), an eight per cent alcohol, nut-inspired fizz with a surprising sweet kick. Tip: add fresh grapefruit to cut through the sugar.
Barbecues in the park
The snags are sizzling and the steak is just right. Spring is the season for light red wines.
The cheap and cheerful 2022 Riverlife by Oxford Landing Stargazing Juicy Red ($15) does what it says on the label: buoyant juicy chilled red vibes.
Lovingly made, low-intervention chilled Gilgraves 2021 Easy Red ($25) is a slurpy, spicy good time, no matter where you serve it. Find it at wine merchants nationwide and selected IGA Liquor stores near the small GilGraves at Axedale, Central Victoria.
Dig deeper and the Handpicked Pinot Noir ($29) from Victoria’s Yarra Valley delivers juicy red berry, cherry high notes, a hit of spice and clocks in at just 12 per cent alcohol.
Watching the sun set on the back porch
Textural, zesty and just a little bit nutty. There’s so much to love about the Italian white variety fiano, especially on warm nights. It’s great with food (especially seafood) or without.
The juicy S.C Pannell Fi Fi Fiano from McLaren Vale’s Mediterranean climate (mind-boggling value for $27.99 at Dan Murphy’s) by winemaking legend Stephen Pannell is as approachable as it is outstanding.
The Kangarilla Road McLaren Vale Fiano ($23.29 at Dan Murphy’s) is also a crisp, dry, perky day-maker.
House and street parties
Got a motley crew of neighbours and friends around? Let’s get weird.
The Blind Corner 2025 Organic Orange* in Colour from WA ($24, blindcorner.com.au) is a textural, skin-contact white made using certified organic and biodynamic sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc. Kissed by concrete egg (among other things) it’s got all the orange-peel-meets-ginger magic of a rustic Tuscan getaway. Yum.
For more orange wine adventures, the Unico Zelo Esoterico from the Adelaide Hills ($24.99 at unicozelo.com.au and wine merchants nationwide) is a medley of zibibbo, moscato giallo, greco, and gewurztraminer so wild it’s basically chaotic drummer Animal from The Muppets (and just as much fun too).
The Konpira Maru 2025 La Douche Tropicale ($28, konpiramaruwinecompany.com) also demands you loosen your fun pants. The playful mix of verdelho and viognier from Queensland’s Granite Belt brings flirty tropical bedlam to the table. It’s a hazy wine – embrace it.
Unico Zelo Esoterico is a medley ... so wild it’s basically chaotic drummer Animal from The Muppets (and just as much fun too).
Camping and caravan trips
Riesling is always a caravan park sundowner crowd-pleaser, especially if it has head-snapping acidity and refreshing crunch.
Forage Supply Co’s Spliced Riesling ($30, foragesupply.co) literally delivers pine-lime Splice ice-cream joy and flavour in a bottle.
For a super cheap but tasty option, the Freya and Jules Watervale Clare Valley Riesling serves lemon acid twang for $9.99 at ALDI.
Whipbird Wines are named after a five-note whistle passed down through the Oatley family’s generations, used to mimic the iconic whip-crack sound of the whipbird, which is native to the east coast of Australia. What better wine to drink around a campfire than the Whipbird Chenin Blanc from Margaret River, WA ($22, whipbirdwines.com.au)? The range, made by winemaker Larry Cherubino is bright, fresh and deliberately touched by little to no oak. Amen.
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