Aussies will say that something is the best thing this side of ‘the black stump’ (some mythical outback place), and we thought it an ideal name for this wine. But an isolated location hasn’t stopped the Casella family from running one of the country’s most successful wineries, winning countless awards including the coveted Jimmy Watson Trophy, Aussie wine’s equivalent of an Oscar. For English winemaker Alan Kennett, however, the ultimate accolade is knowing his wines grace so many tables back home. Ideal with pasta and creamy mushroom sauce, stir-fry or roast chicken.

Littore was founded by a Sicilian family, then taken over more recently by the Costa clan, who were winemakers in Europe for many years.

Toby is a master at capturing maximum fruit and freshness in his wines, well illustrated by the mouthfilling, juicy balance of Bellarine Bay. Made using premium grapes from Moorabool Valley and Geelong, it is ripe, fruity and extremely satisfying.

Riper than your average Pinot Grigio, its refreshing pear and citrus flavours have a tickle of spice, making it a great apéritif or match for seafood, chicken or creamy noodles.

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover or a wine by its label; but in the case of Laneway, we say do just that. The art was featured in a Melbourne laneway for 27 days and was admired by thousands of people before being painted over. Sensational and all the more beautiful because of its transiency – just like the wine inside. It's made using select parcels of grapes from vines up to 70 years old, all close to the Nagambie Lakes in Victoria. These bodies of water temper the heat and draw out the ripening to produce this ripe, fruit-laden Chardonnay.

This 2022 is generous and creamy, with white peach, lemon zest and honeydew notes and tangy freshness. A versatile and irresistibly fruity wine on its own or with chicken or seafood.

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.