Domaine Day Eden Valley Garganega 2005, $19.95
Former Chief Winemaker of Orlando, Robin Day, believes he is the first in Australia to plant garganega, the white grape of Soave, in Italy’s Veneto region.  I had to visit Wellington, New Zealand, to taste the wine but have since enjoyed it twice in Australia, most recently at the Glug launch in Canberra last week. Apart from providing a bit of dinner party one-up-man-ship, the wine offers a delicious new spectrum of flavours in the full, racy, tropical-fruit direction. It’s pronounced “gar—gan-e-gar” and no matter how you say it, it’s available from the cellar door, phone number is 08 8524 6224.

Glug Fleurieu Peninsular ‘Our Little Devil’ Petit Verdot 2005, $6.99
Petit verdot, one of the varieties blended with cabernet sauvignon in Bordeaux, tends to make very deeply coloured, high tannin wines. Indeed, most seem a little too tannic. But the variety clearly likes Fleurieu’s maritime climate as Little Devil – made in the Veritas Winery by Barossa winemaker, Kym Teusner — offers loads of upfront sweet, ripe fruit to carry the tannin. It’s a medium bodied, tasty quaffer offering much more interest than any other I can think of at this price. Available at glug.com.au

McWilliams Hanwood Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2005, $8-$12
Consumption of sauvignon blanc and blends of it with semillon have been growing prodigiously for several years. According to McWilliams sales of semillon sauvignon blanc blends in the $9 to $15 price range increased by 34 per cent in the year to September — hence the arrival of this new hopeful under the Hanwood label. With a recommended retail price of $12 it slots into that fast-growing category. But in the real world we’ll probably see it at $7.99 and that price it gives excellent value with its rich lemony, semillon flavour and zesty, herbal sauvignon blanc lift.

Copyight © Chris Shanahan 2005 & 2007