Our old pal at Flagstone, Bruce Jack, called Gerhard Swart "the best winemaker I have ever met" – high praise indeed from someone with a lot of talent himself.

With the 2010 General Smuts Trophy under Gerhard's young belt, Winemaker of the Year in 2017, 5 Stars from John Platter and many other impressive awards, it's perhaps of no surprise. Gerhard's thirst for knowledge means he's always looking for ways to improve and produce something new and exciting. Crush magazine wrote "What makes him truly exceptional is understanding the language of grapes from vineyard to cellar." You can taste that in this fresh, fruity white. A zesty blend of Chardonnay, aromatic Viognier and Chenin, it’s spot on with shellfish, and best of all with lobster.

The name William Knuttel resounds in California fine wine circles. In the 1980s, Knuttel was key to establishing Saintsbury as a leader of fine Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and later helped build a great reputation for Chalk Hill and Dry Creek wineries too. In 2001, he founded his own estate and today is joined by his son and daughter.

This full-bodied, velvety red is pure Cabernet, sourced from Wilson Vineyards in Clarksburg. Just east of San Francisco Bay, the site benefits from cooling sea breezes and rolling mists that encourage long, slow ripening of the grapes. 14 months ageing in French oak barrels has lent layers of gentle oak spice to the dense dark fruit of this Cabernet. A great red to serve with roasted red meats or hearty bakes.

Our good friend, the winemaker Alessandro Gallici, was the one who insisted our Buyer Leo dropped by to see the Anselmi family in 2019. They have a winery in Friuli, NE Italy, an area renowned for its crisp, aromatic whites. The family have been making wines there since 1928 and now have extensive vineyards, running almost to the shore, naturally cooled by breezes from the Adriatic.

The clay soils are ideal for the many native varieties – Refosco, Friulano, Verduzza, Pignolo, Ribolla Gialla and, of course, Pinot Grigio, as well as international stars Cabernet and Merlot. Above all, their wines are terrific value. Named after the originally called Romeo and Juliet, Luigi e Lucina is a refreshing white. Ideal solo or with light dishes.

As far back as 1982, the founder of this cellar, Pablo Morandé, was discovering the benefits of Chile's great coastal-cooled regions. That was a decade before anyone else. He set up his winery in 1996 and has won scores of awards since then, including being five times Chile's Winery of the Year. Pablo was also named a 'Winemaking Legend' by MW Tim Atkin in 2017, while James Suckling called his "a leading and innovative winery", "a bold, experimental winemaking adventure project".

His winemaker is Jorge Martinez, who has worked at cellars worldwide, including Napa's Kendall Jackson and Pauillac's Léoville Poyferré. Carignan from 40-year-old vines in the warm Maule valley, this is a velvety, dark, spiced red. An ideal match with lamb shanks.

Aquarius is one of the great wines made by the McPherson clan. You may know the name – they are the incredible team behind our bestselling The Full Fifteen. There’s no end to the talents of Chief Winemaker Jo Nash who has a long list of accolades to her name and crafts this excellent rosé too. It’s dominated by Shiraz, with supporting roles from Sangiovese and Petit Verdot – all carefully selected from Central Victoria.

The juice is quickly run off the grape skins to obtain a good kick of pink, then cool fermented for the perfect balance of freshness and fruit-filled flavour. Bright, zestful and dry with aromas of raspberries, strawberries and a touch of white pepper spice. Chill down well, sip solo, or pair with a quiche or Thai curry.