It won a Trophy for its first release, another Trophy and Gold for 2007 and 2009, and Gold for 2010.

It’s from the Elqui Valley, an extraordinarily high region next to the Atacama Desert.

Thanks to the wonders of irrigation, flourishing green vineyards stand out in stark contrast to their moonscape surroundings.

The award winning Viña Falernia was set up by Italians Aldo Olivier Gramola and Giorgio Flessati in 1995 and is one of only two wineries here.

Today they have extensive vineyards and a cellar packed with state of the art equipment.

With impressive richness, great complexity and finesse, this is a wine to decant and serve with roast lamb on a special occasion.

However, a down draught from the Andes and the Pacific’s Humboldt Current both help to moderate temperatures by day and ensure very cold nights.

In addition, the sunlight is exceptionally bright and snowmelt from the Andes provides all the irrigation water required.

Viña Falernia, one of only two wineries in the valley, was built in the late 1990s by Italian Giorgio Flessati and won a Trophy with its first vintage. Elqui produces “some particularly gutsy Syrah at altitudes of over 2,000 metres” (World Atlas of Wine), and the Carmenère is equally robust.

Deep bramble, cassis and spice character, it's great with lamb. Best decanted.

This juicy, full-of-fruit red sums up the best of Aussie wine – gorgeous ripe flavour, good intensity and freshness. Way & Cat is short for ‘wayfaring catador’, catador being Spanish for taster.

So the name is a tribute to how the team source their fruit – they head out into the vineyards to taste the grapes of their grower friends. When they find the selections they like, they vinify each parcel separately, then blend the results into fruit first expressions of the varieties they chose. That blend changes vintage by vintage, depending on what performs well that year. It's top for versatility too – great as a glass on its own, tasty with roasted vegetable quiche, sausage and mash. And just the ticket at a barbecue.

Cooled by the sea breeze, the vineyards produce ripe Pinot Noir grapes with silky texture, raspberry fruit and freshness.

Since its launch, Casa Silva has become widely regarded as one of Chile’s best and named 'Winery of the Year' four times. It was founded by fourth generation Mario Silva, from one of Chile's oldest winemaking dynasties. They started in Angostura, but their latest venture is in Paredones, Colchagua. Just 6km from the coast, it is described by Decanter as "a source of terrific whites and reds".

Casa Silva has been one of its ardent pioneers, championing the region's ability to produce seriously fine, cool climate wines. Cool Coast Pinot Noir is an outstanding example of what they can do: brimful of ripe raspberry, with an elegant freshness. If this were from New Zealand you’d be paying twice as much. Perfect on its own or with white meats.

There aren't too many spots on the planet where Pinot Noir really excels. Burgundy and New Zealand's South Island spring to mind. But there is another, less known region blessed with perfect conditions for world class Pinot Noir: Colchagua Valley, Chile. The Silva family realised this many decades ago and now set the benchmark for outstanding Pinot Noir. They have four times won 'Winery of the Year', while Vitis named them 'Most awarded of the century'.

Velvet smooth, it gives many a pricier Pinot a run for its money. Full of that classic red berry and spice complexity that fans of this grape adore, the wine spent a few months in French oak, which adds a further toasty richness to the ripe summer fruit. Excellent with creamy chicken dishes.