The Champagne region grows three grapes, two red – Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier – and one white – Chardonnay. Blanc de Blancs is made only from Chardonnay and, as Hugh Johnson says, it therefore has “great grace and less weight than traditional Champagne”. Laithwaite’s is a tip-top example which has been expertly created for us by a superb cellar in Vertus, one of Champagne’s finest villages. This particular cuvée is 100% Premier Cru vineyard fruit and was matured for 30 months before release – double the required minimum – to ensure a luxurious, toasty biscuit character. It’s ideal for special occasions, on its own or with smoked salmon canapés.

If you enjoy quality wine and appreciate value, southern France has a lot to offer. There is a myriad of appellations and producers to get to know. And fewer rules to follow, so winemakers can be creative. We have been wending our way around villages and vineyards there since the late 1960s so we know where to look and have many invaluable connections.

Yannick Pons of Domaine Saint André has a beautiful estate, skirted by the Canal du Midi and the Roman road Via Domitia. It's not far from the famous Oppidum (hilltop town) d’Ensérune, which dates back some 3,000 years. This is prime Chardonnay country, producing lovely, pure, creamy peach fruit in this modern style white. It’s perfect on its own or with salads, fish dishes or roast chicken.

The mission for the wines made at Le Chai Mediterranné is to make classic Grand Cru styles at a good value price. So our winemaker, Mark Hoddy, sources grapes not from the pricy, famous-name appellations, but from tucked-away vineyards where the quality is outstanding. This poised, elegant white is crafted very much like a fine white Burgundy, yet the fruit is from the Languedoc.

Mark sources the best Chardonnay grapes of the vintage from trusted growers, many from cooler sites to retain that tantalising bite of freshness and minerality in the finished wine. Ageing on lees in barrel lends a creamy rounded texture and complexity to Le Champ. Yet the fruit remains foremost. Gently chill and enjoy with creamy white meat dishes or salmon.

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.