With Christmas fast approaching, now is a good time to start thinking about stocking fillers and gifts for the wine lover in your life. Here’s a Christmas wine gift guide that caters to a wide range of budgets and palates.
Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore | RRP $19.99 | Available at Dan Murphy’s and BWS stores nationally.
Santa Margherita Prosecco Superiore is the perfect quality wine for celebrations, marking special occasions and creating memories with family and friends. This stand-out sparkling wine is vibrant, aromatic and fresh with fine, lively bubbles that dance in the glass. A bouquet of ripe peaches and delicate florals on the nose complemented with bright flavours of rennet apples and fruity hints of pineapples on the palate.
Over the past seven decades, Santa Margherita has cemented itself as one of the most famous and highly regarded sparkling wine brands in the world, and a leader in the prosecco category.
House of Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged Vintage 2007 | RRP $265.99 | Available at fine wine retailers nationwide or online at www.houseofarras.com.au
House of Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged Vintage 2007 marks the 10th consecutive release of the sparkling, which is an outstanding expression of House of Arras Chief Winemaker, Ed Carr’s vision for Australian sparkling wine and the potential of Tasmanian vineyards. This latest release exhibits all the elegance, power and complexity of a world-class sparkling wine and shows the longevity that can result from such meticulous decisions from vineyard selection to release.
An inviting palate with a rich melange of flavours including nougat, desiccated lemon, honeycomb, alluring spices and sauteed field mushroom. An exquisite structure built around a low dosage that allows the complex characters to be revealed, exposed and enjoyed. The rich palate is beautifully balanced with the structural elegance and natural acid line. Perfectly paired with poultry or game meats.
House of Arras Blanc de Blancs | RRP $129.99 | Available at fine wine retailers nationwide or online at www.houseofarras.com.au
A wine that truly expresses the elegance and sophistication of Tasmanian Chardonnay when paired with meticulous winemaking and extensive aging in tirage. The House of Arras Blanc de Blancs is a tribute to Chardonnay; a variety often considered the pinnacle of classic sparkling wine varieties for its elegance and longevity.
A densely structured wine with great presence and minerality. Flavours are reminiscent of baked Granny Smith apple, white peach, lime essence and brioche. The firm natural acid backbone melds all the characters together to express power, poise and a fantastic vibrancy. Perfect to pair with fresh seafood, natural or with a hint of exotic spice.
Grant Burge Pinot Noir Chardonnay | RRP $30 | Available from www.grantburgewines.com.au or through major retailers such as Dan Murphy’s and BWS.
A lovely Pinot Noir Chardonnay made from a majority of fruit grown in the elevated cool climate regions of the Adelaide Hills, Alpine Valley, and Eden Valley. The grapes from this area have delicate, yet quite intense flavours, as well as the natural acidity and lean, elegant structure that are required to make high-quality sparkling wine.
Tinged with copper hues, the wine exhibits a delightful biscuit-like nose combined with ripe strawberry and peach characters. The palate is rich and generous with a real vitality that’s heightened by the creamy mouth-feel. The Grant Burge PNC is a sparkling that adapts to its environment, and as such is just as enjoyable with food as it is on its own.
Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz 2018 | RRP $229.00 | Available in major and select independent retailers nationwide or online at www.grantburgewines.com.au
Grant Burge has an immensely rich history, dating back to 1865 with pioneer Meshach Burge, whose generosity gave birth to five generations of vignerons and whose legacy is reflected in the wines today. Grant Burge is renowned all over the world for crafting exceptional quality wines, with winemaking techniques expertly refined over more than 30 years, to showcase an elegance and generosity of flavour that is characteristic of the place in which they are grown.
This is a bright, vibrant and powerful wine, with a strength that is reflective of the old vine blocks it comes from. Wonderfully balanced, with dark chocolate and plum on the mid-palate, with hints of aniseed and cinnamon on the end. A long, elegant finish with an acidity line that will ensure this wine will age gracefully (peak drinking 2023+). The Meshach Shiraz would pair beautifully with wagyu steak.
St Hallett Old Block Shiraz 2018 | RRP $159.99 | Available in major and select independent retailers nationwide or online at www.sthallett.com.au
St Hallett’s reputation as the Masters of Barossa Shiraz has been hard-earned over many decades and this wine is the pinnacle of their legacy. Since its inception in 1980, the focus of Old Block has been to showcase the rare and ancient vines of the Barossa.
A vibrant and elegant wine, that offers rich fruit notes with layers of dark chocolate, and complex spices of cinnamon, cedar oak and hints of black pepper and nutmeg. The 2018 Old Block Shiraz is the perfect Christmas gift and will reward careful cellaring for 20+ years so could be one to open on a special occasion.
Little Giant Shiraz | RRP $19.99 | Available via fourthwavewine.com.au and Dan Murphy’s
Hand-crafted and made with minimal additions and preservatives, Little Giant grapes are picked at optimal ripeness and are minimally handled in the winery.
Little Giant is currently working with Australia’s largest wildlife rescue organisation WIRES as a platinum partner. For over 35 years, WIRES has rescued and cared for sick, injured, and orphaned native animals. Little Giant is proud to be providing much-needed assistance to wildlife and the preservation and ongoing welfare of Wombats.
The Little Giant Shiraz continues to be the favourite in the Wombat family. The wine displays more elegance and lift than previous vintages though the cooler Eden Valley fruit adds aromatic lift, interest, and freshness. This is a contemporary Barossa Shiraz having spent maturation time in older oak adding subtle vanilla and chocolate nuances. There’s softness on the finish while maintaining freshness and vibrancy.
Elephant in the Room Pinot Noir 2021 | RRP $13.99 | Available at fourthwavewine.com.au and Dan Murphy’s
Unapologetically big in flavour, bold in personality, and suitable for any occasion, Elephant in the Room is the perfect pairing this Christmas. Each wine is sourced from slow-ripening cool climate vineyards in the Limestone Coast of South Australia and partially matured in French Oak before final blending and bottling by Corey Bryan.
Light crimson in the glass with aromas of plum cherry and hints of savoury complexity, with some nicely integrated oak. The palate is lively with a core of supple red berry flavours, enhanced by some captivating spice notes. Pair it with Porchetta on baby lentils.
Take it to the Grave Pinot Noir | $15.99 | Available at fourthwavewine.com.au and Dan Murphy’s
Medium in colour with that atypical Pinot Noir nose of strawberries, dark plums and cherries with a savoury edge. The palate is rich and sumptuous with smooth cherry and vibrant red berried fruit. It presents a beautifully lush mouthfeel complemented by fine tannins and soft acidity that provide structure and length. Pair with baked mushrooms and parmesan.
Take it to the Grave Shiraz | $15.99 | Available at fourthwavewine.com.au and Dan Murphy’s
The vividly coloured Shiraz from Take it to the Grave has plenty of berry, plum and oak on the nose. The flavours of plum and blackcurrant hit you on the palate with some herbs, cloves and spice thrown into the mix as well.
Enjoy responsibly.
