It’s the most wine-derful time of the year!

Christmas is a time for celebration. Whether you prefer to commemorate the year in reflective solitude or the chaos of a family gathering, we have you covered for the best vino that Australia has to offer.

The gift of a bottle (or a case!) of good wine is a gift that continues to give as the receiver gets to enjoy it at their leisure and may even discover a new favourite. As an excellent stocking stuffer or an entire holiday’s worth of beverages, good wine suits every recipient and can be more personal than one might think. The broad spectrum of varieties and vintages Australia has to offer means that you can carefully select a bottle that you feel represents the flavour of your relationship with the person that you are giving it. The following are the editor’s recommendations for 2022.

d’Arenberg

In South Australia d’Arenberg is one of Australia’s first wine families, and their wines are a spectacular choice for celebrating this year. With over 70 wines from over 30 grape varieties, the possibilities are endless and once divided into categories such as ‘The Icons’, ‘The Artesans’, ‘The Nobles, ’ and ‘The High Altitude Hillbillies, ’ its easy to select the perfect wine for every occasion. Basket-pressed and manually foot trod during fermentation, the fourth-generation winemaking family, emphasise the connection between traditional methods and sustainability. If you’re looking for the wow factor, you can capture it in a bottle of d’Arenberg wines, or you can splurge on one of the unique experiences the vineyard offers. With the options of masterclasses, degustation dining and even a contemporary art museum, the gift-giving opportunities extend to anniversaries, birthdays, and all other significant celebrations, as well as Christmas.

 

 

 

The editor’s choice is the Nostalgia Rare, one of the oldest wines available in the country. Emblazoned with the family coat of arms, the decadent pour is only available in small quantities each year. A delicious concentration of toffee, cherry, caramel and marmalade make for an evolving glass as the palette takes you on a journey that starts with olive, walnuts and toasted almonds, cinnamon, dried figs and burnt butter. With a brilliant balance of freshness and age, the sweet wine is kept in check by the oak character of the rancio.

Tawny NV Per Bottle $32.00

 

Pt. Leo Estate

Another vineyard with an exciting experience to offer is Pt Leo. Located on the scenic Mornington Peninsula, Pt Leo invites you to explore the less travelled road along the Western Port of the area. Their impressive Sculpture Park is an outdoor gallery of exceptional international and national sculptures across 330 acres. If you’re looking to take the hassle out of gifting this season, Pt Leo has curated a selection of three Hampers to choose from for entertaining, winding down and celebrating.

 

 

Their 2016 Chardonnay is the result of meticulously handpicked fruit which, after being pressed, was transferred into French oak barriques and puncheons. Stirred every two weeks during fermentation, the wine was bottled in December 2016 and is a beautiful reminder of Australian Christmas through the years. A delicate, delicious aroma with fresh citrus, apricot, florals and old oak are indicative of the lengthy, soft middle palette and lovely acid balance, which pairs well with seafood, onions and goat’s cheese.

CHARDONNAY 2016 $76.00

 

 

 

Pt. Leo has also curated a gorgeous selection of gift hampers with discounts available for multiple purchases, making them the perfect corporate gift.

THE ENTERTAINER HAMPER $295.00

 

 

 

Love + Glory

Love + Glory is passionate about crafting small batches of this ambrosial rosé with no added sugar and low calories without compromising their commitment to stellar wine. The produce is grown on the McLaren Vale family farm, each bottle is lovingly packed, and 3% of the revenue from each bottle is reinvested into local communities via the vineyard’s charitable partner, Fitter For Work.

 

For the high energy, health nut, the Love + Glory 2022 Sparkling Tempranillo Rosé is perfect! Beautiful bursts of ripe strawberry, fresh raspberry and juicy watermelon come together in this bubbling beverage.

2022 Sparkling Tempranillo Rosé Case
$399

 

 

Hungerford Hill

Nestled in the heart of the Hunter, Hungerford Hill is a family-run boutique estate equipped with its own tasting room, a sculpture courtyard and Chef’s Hat dining experience. Proud of the estate’s long history and preceding reputation for producing distinguished wines and unforgettable experience, the team work hard to create unique products. In true Australian style, Hungerford Hill has continued to meet the growing demand for sparkling reds!

 

Their Cardinal Sparkling Shiraz is a match made in heaven for warm summer nights, shared over a cheese board or a traditional roast. Best served chilled, its palette is soft, round and creamy with a luscious finish and its aroma has full-bodied notes of savoury leather, spice, plumb and hints of the forest floor. Sparkling red wine appeared on the Australian market first in the 1880s and is a legacy that truly represents the heart and nature of the Australian Christmas.

Cardinal Sparkling Shiraz $45.00

 

 

Levrier Wines by Jo Irvine

If you’re looking for a wine with a reputation, Levier Wines is hard to miss. Certified vegan and committed to causes like Greyhounds as Pets South Australia, creator Jo Irvine has used her platform to address causes she cares about, and the passion shows in the award-winning wines she has created. Levier wines are known for their unique flavours and identities. The NV Sparkling Meslier Brut Rosé may really be one of a kind. The Meslier white wine grape has a french origin but is rarely used in single-variety wines.

 

Paired with notes of lifted floral and crisp green apple, the wine has been described as ‘racy’ and could be the only single variety of Meslier wine worldwide. On the other end of the spectrum, the 2017 Barossa Cabernet Franc is an aromatic and spicy wine perfect for cozy evenings and feasting. After taking out double gold in New York and Silver and Bronze in other prestigious awards, this is a winning wine that Jo Irvine feels celebrates the forgotten varieties of the Barossa.

NV Sparkling Meslier Brut Rosé $50.00

 

 

 

Peter Teakle Wines

For a seasonal gift, Peter Teakle have paired four of their best sellers for the “Christmas Reds” and “Christmas Whites” pack and presented them in a gift box.

 

“The Christmas Red’s” pack includes the 2019 Estate Merlot and 2019 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon. Despite a low yield in 2019, the quality of the fruits picked was superb and shows in the juicy, full taste of the Estate Merlot. The mulberry and spice tones have a pleasingly persistent flavour which makes this wine a perfect short-term cellar as the wine is well suited as a young, easy-drinking wine.

Christmas Reds Pack $60.00

 

 

Winmark

Winmark is another award-winning Australian winery. The property islocated in the scenic Hunter Valley region and promotes more than world-class wine; across 130acres, Winmark is also an experience. A beautiful balance of nature, art, sculpture and winecomes together in the Winmark experience, and the day ends glass in hand at one of the four pristine accommodation sites. Winmark takes a targeted approach focusing mainly on exceptional Chardonnay.

 

 

 

The 2022 Rusty’s Run is a complex wine that promises vibrancy and
freshness aromatics of toasted spices, white peach and ripe citrus. Warm and graceful the Chardonnay is perfect for Australian summer evenings with loved ones.

Rusty’s Run 2022 Chardonnay 
$32