Winter winners don’t need to be heavy and red

Winter feasts don’t have to mean carb overloads and big, heavy reds. Break bread with these cockle warming wines instead.

Chalmers Dott Schioppettino 2017 - a winter winner

Winter feasts don’t have to mean carb overloads and big, heavy reds. Break bread with these cockle-warming wines instead.

Chalmers Dott Schioppettino 2017

CHALMERS

2017 / Dott. Schioppettino

Region: Heathcote, Vic

Best with: Pizza — scoffed fireside

Try saying “schioppettino” fast three times after a couple of glasses of this beauty. The grape variety comes from faraway lands (it’s happiest in Prepotto in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia — very close to the Slovenian border). The Chalmers family loves experimenting with emerging varieties and this is a stonker. It’s light, bright, juicy and has a lovely spicy finish. Memorable stuff.

$28

Rating ****

2017 Vintage Longbottom H Syrah

VINTAGE LONGBOTTOM

2017 / H Syrah

Region: Padthaway / Adelaide Hills

Best with: Slow cooked beef cheek pie

You can’t miss the label, it makes Dame Edna’s purple ‘do’ look reserved. Unlike Barry Humphries’ dumpy alter ego, this pretty, poised damsel has a spring in her step. She smells of violets and fresh baked cherry pie, and delivers spoonfuls of poached plum and cardamom flavours. At 13.5% alcohol it’s not too heavy either. A big-bosomed cuddle in a bottle.

$28

Rating****

Giant Steps Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2018

GIANT STEPS

2018 / Yarra Valley Chardonnay

Region: Yarra Valley

Best with: Kingfish sashimi

Sometimes, a wine zings with so much energy it knocks your winter socks off. This minimal intervention chardy is poised and balanced as a tightrope walker strung high above a circus ring. Down below, there’s plenty of action; layers of green apple, melon, and a citrus tang. It’s wild at heart (whole bunch pressed, fermented on full juice solids, wild yeast) and vibrant. Drink now for a lovely experience, or cellar for a wee while to see how far the little beauty flies.

$35

Rating****

Vallee Du Venom 2019

VALLEE DU VENOM
2019 / Vallée du Venom Pet Nat

Region: Margaret River/Swan Valley, WA

Best with: Baked snapper

When winemakers Rhys Parker and Paul Hoffman poured the pétillant-naturel (natural sparkling) goods for attendees at the 2019 Young Gun of Wine awards the response was “Wow”. It’s worth the hype. The hand-harvested chenin blanc fruit was fermented naturally and treated with care. The result is a delightfully crisp, clean, fresh, fizz full-o lemon/citrus and tonic flavours. Order via Insta.

$40

Rating ****1/2

Henschke Giles Pinot Noir 2017

HENSCHKE

2017 / Giles Pinot Noir

Region: Adelaide Hills

Best with: Oma’s beef rouladen

Sometimes a wine floors you for all the right reasons. Drop everything and give this pinot the full attention it deserves. The fruit was grown on the steep north and east-facing slopes of Henschke’s Lenswood vineyard and crafted using traditional methods. The result is a refined, seductively spicy drop with beautiful flavour intensity and a proud backbone that’ll see it stand tall in 20 years time. Enjoy feet up in front of a roaring fire.

$55

Rating *****