Great winter wine doesn’t need to cost even more than your electricity bill. Whether you’re settling in for a night on the couch, toasting marshmallows, or stirring the slow cooker, there’s an affordable drop to go with it.

“Winter often calls for more opulent meals paired with richer, more intense sauces,” says Xavier Vigier, head sommelier and venue manager at Melbourne’s hatted Circl Wine House.

“I recommend wines that possess the intensity and structure to complement hearty dishes. Varietals such as cabernet and shiraz, along with Italian varieties like nebbiolo, montepulciano, and aglianico, should be favoured.”

In the comfort of home, Vigier gravitates towards bold flavours. “I often choose rich wines from Southern Italy or exceptional syrah from cooler climates. Aged cabernets are among my favourites, providing a profound experience of depth.”

You don’t need to drop a fortune to drink like a high roller this winter. These beauties are affordable, delicious, and guaranteed to defrost your soul.

One for the stew (and a glass or two for you)

A great winter red doesn’t need to knock your socks off, but it does require balance, depth and ideally, a hit of spice. One glass for the slow-cooker, one for the cook.

For astounding value
Head to Aldi, bypass the distracting middle aisle and hit the wine section for the Reschke 2022 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Cellar Reserve ($11.99) and the Wynns “The Sliding” 2023 Coonawarra Cabernet Shiraz Merlot ($12.99). These bold reds from the globally renowned Limestone Coast wine region are all class, minus the price tag.

Solid gold
At $19.29 (sometimes available as low as $17), Bleasdale Second Innings Malbec won the Best Other Red Varietal category (Best Value) in Dan Murphy’s Best in Glass Wine Awards. The full-bodied red from South Australia’s wildly underrated Langhorne Creek region is intense and juicy. Bring on the lamb shanks.

Everyday winner
Go bold with the new organic Handpicked 2022 Trial Batch Pyrenees Nebbiolo ($29 at handpickedwines.com.au and select fine wine retailers). At 14.5 per cent alcohol, it ticks all the rustic, earthy varietal boxes, with a pretty aromatic bonus. The sharp acidity cuts through fatty protein like a hot knife through butter.

Bold and beautiful
The Ravensworth 2023 ‘The Long Way Around’ Sangiovese (Canberra District) delivers cherry, savoury spice and all things nice. Find winemaker Bryan Martin’s sexy Italian beast everywhere from Dan Murphy’s to Different Drop (where it’s a steal at $29 while stock lasts).

For sipping by the fireplace

When the plan for the evening is to sit as close to a campfire or pot-belly fireplace as possible.

Under a tenner
Making mulled wine? Don’t spend big on the plonk component. Brown Brothers 2024 Winter Red ($9.99 at Aldi) is so keen for a saucepan, it almost undresses itself.

By the campfire
Nothing conjures nostalgia quite like Stone’s Original Green Ginger Wine ($15). The beverage is a hit around campfires and long coveted for its “medicinal” properties, thanks to lashings of gutsy ginger. Find it at most mainstream bottle shops.

Crowd pleaser
There’s life in Tahbilk’s Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre ($28.95, tahbilk.com.au). This buoyant, savoury Victorian beauty bounces with red fruit and spice before easing onto an earthy hammock-like comfort zone.

For the cool kids
The medium-bodied Poppelvej Panacea 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon ($28, poppelvej.com), by Danish winemaker Uffe Deichmann, is a wild mix of McLaren Vale cabernet sauvignon, syrah and cabernet franc. At 13 per cent alcohol, it’s all fun, less head spin.

For serving with your Sunday roast

While ballsy drops are the go-to during chilly months, don’t turn your back on medium-bodied reds and whites.

Penny pinchers
Another Aldi-exclusive you can’t argue with. Eastern Laneway Vintners 2024 Grampians Shiraz is as solid and well made as it gets for cool-climate shiraz with a $14.99 price tag.

Crowd pleaser
The Wickhams Road 2024 Yarra Valley Pinot Noir is also a steal at $19.99 (hoddlescreekestate.com.au). Crunchy, cool-climate pinot that is as pretty as it is complex. Great with crispy duck.

Good vibes
As reds go, you can’t go past a vibrant, spicy grenache, and the minimal-intervention Meredith Wines 2024 “New Tricks” Grenache ($29, meredithwines.com.au) from Western Victoria is a winner. Great chilled or at room temp. Good vibes all round.

Small batch beauty
The 2023 In Dreams Chardonnay from Yarra Valley, Victoria, retails for $35 (indreams.com.au) but can be found for around $25 online if you’re willing to dig a little. It’s worth the effort — all zippy, head-turning upper-Yarra class. Great with roast chook.

For imbibing in a bubble bath

Choose chilled wine or you and the vino will overheat. Glass and water (especially spas) generally don’t mix, so opt for a good-quality, unbreakable vessel.

Cheap and cheerful
Bubbles and suds are a certified winter win. The Dal Zotto Pucino Prosecco (around $22 at major retailers) is an uplifting combination of Dal Zotto fizz and house-made limoncello.

Something different
As whites go, there’s alluring savoury spice to great gruner. The Nick Spencer 2023 Grüner Veltliner (Tumbarumba, NSW) is a ripper at $27 to $35. I like it during a long soak accompanied by a gripping true-crime podcast.

Talking point
Everyone’s raving about the 2025 National Wine Show winner, so if you spot the victorious Willunga 100 2023 Grenache out in the wild, grab it. At $30, it’s a steal. Winemaker Renae Hirsch’s McLaren Vale Grenache Rosé ($30) also tickles all the pink bits.

For a night on the couch

A great midweek couch companion is comforting but not too boozy. Go for mid-strength wine and thank me tomorrow.

Budget-friendly
The Yalumba Y Series Lighter Chardonnay from SA clocks in at 7 per cent alcohol and has enough oomph to hold its own with a bowl of risotto or mash. Find it at around the $12 mark at major retailers.

On trend
A piquette (a low-alcohol drop made from leftover grape skins soaked in water) is a great way to pace yourself. Tasmania’s Ghost Rock Supernatural 2021 Sacrifice Piquette ($24, ghostrock.com.au) is like Dark Mofo in a glass – fun, edgy and totally wild.

Class act
The name says it all. Gentle Folk 2024 Vin de Sofa ($28, gentlefolk.com.au) is a relaxed (12.5 per cent alcohol) mix of sangiovese, pinot noir, gamay, syrah, merlot, grenache and mataro from the Adelaide Hills. Chill it before kicking your Ugg boots up on the sofa. Find it at wine merchants like Different Drop, Not Wasted, and Sometimes Always.