Greg Melick embarked on the prodigal road to gambling and booze as a mere teenager, after winning the daily double at Werribee and spending the lot on good red wine. He ultimately returned to the straight and narrow, achieving the rank of ADF Major General, Senior Law Counsel, Master Wine Judge and Officer of Australia AO. Melick now grows his own, he remains besotted with les grands vignobles de Bourgogne, the illustrious Pinot Noir of Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune. There are few places in the world, more akin to the 1er Grand Cru style of Pinot Noir, than the temperate pastures along Tasmania's River Derwent. It was here in 2002, amongst the woodland idylls of the apple isle, that Melick established Pressing Matters, a meagre four hectares of superior.. Pressing matters in pinot noir»

Unico Zelo are an old world style of winemaking co-operative, a congress of Adelaide Hills family growers who take their work seriously, to ensure that their harvests are fashioned into a range of exquisite, artisanally crafted limited edition wines. Italian varietals are the specialty, a class of grapes which grow magnificently within the premier precincts of Adelaide Hills, eco friendly to local flora and fauna, they bloom wonderfully in the parched, unirrigated mesoclimes of native Australia. Made to measure for enthusiasts of the small batch Adelaide Hills style, aficianados of Italianate chic and gourmands at large, the wines of Unico Zelo raise the fruit of dedicated growers to stellar heights, worthy of accompanying the most splendid fare... The adelaide collective of veteran vignerons»

Torbreck of Barossa are one of Australia's great export brands, synonymous with luxury and excellence throughout the world of wine. Crafted from the fruit of old and ancient vineyards, the opulence and exclusivity of Torbreck's painfully limited production challenge the primacy of Grange. Established by a share cropper in the 1990s, its precious range has risen to the status of First Growth amongst the community of ardent international advocates. Woodcutter is the entry level, assembled from parcels which may have been destined for some of the brand's lofty icons, an essential experience for all enthusiasts of compelling Barossa Shiraz... Chew a chop of woodcutter's wine»

Adam Marks is a chicken enthusiast. In his pursuit of the ultimate eating fowl, Marks traced a route throughout the barnyards, orchards and vineyards of La Belle France. He ultimately settled on the Harcourt Valley of greater Bendigo to establish his own agricultural concern in 2004. Succulent roasting chickens and ripe juicy apples soon gave way to a range of world class wines, which are defined by their regional eloquence, sublime excellence and bucolic grace. The Vineyard Bress is a place of pristine soils, cheerful livestock and breathtaking pastoral charm. The wines speak for themselves, crafted to the most painstaking, small batch vinification techniques. They are a powerful and articulate expression of fruit, framed by a soupcon of tannins, complexed by the disposition of vintage, terroir and clime... Halcyon harvests of harcourt valley»

Clonakilla are one of our nation's most eminent vineyard wineries, a tiny production operation, established by a CSIRO scientist at Murrumbateman, very near Canberra. It turned out to be a fortuitous planting, with a climate not dissimilar to Bordeaux and northern Rhone, the Clonakilla property now occupies a rank next to the mighty Grange on the prestigious Exceptional Langtons Classification, it yields vintages of Australia's most invaluable Shiraz. At $26.99, the estate's entry level belies its stature and excellence within the pantheon of great Australian wine, an essential experience this week for all enthusiasts, a canny choice for shrewd and judicious aspirants of elite new world Shiraz... Here's what our most picky pundits prefer»

Hoddles Creek was planned and developed from day one, with a view to crafting an artful range of superlative Yarra Valley wines. The most arduous aspects were planted, because they offered the best promise of outstanding quality fruit. Chilly mornings, vivid afternoon sun and extended ripening, profound vintages of intensely ripened berries. From four superior rows of Pinot Noir on the Hoddles Creek property at Gembrook. Rows 22 to 26 always yield something spectacular with each new vintage, the mix of Burgundian and new world clones are hand picked and separately vinified for release as an exquisite limited edition, only made in the finest vintage years... For partisans most particular about pinot»