Banjo Harris Plane.
Banjo makes the most of his budget with some quality left-of-centre drinks.
It’s not holidays without fizz, and the BK pet nat is guaranteed to delight.
From the Adelaide Hills, it’s made by eccentric, experimental skate-mad Kiwi Brendon Keys. Made from chardonnay and full of lemon zest and yellow apple, this is cloudy, textured and full of life.
The bone-dry Valdespino sherry from Jerez in the south of Spain is probably the greatest-value single vineyard wine in the world, with buckets of complexity. Salty, nutty and super dry, with really tangy acidity, pair this with anchovies, olives and cured meats.
I’m cheating a little with the Two Metres Tall because it’s beer, but it’s a style that’s becoming more popular – sour beer. Here, yeasts that are traditionally frowned upon in winemaking (lactobacillus and brettanomyces, among others) are used to craft a beer that has acidity, and thus length of flavour. Nothing is more refreshing and, to be honest, this is particularly wine-like.
The Walsh & Sons is an intriguing blend from two vineyards in Margaret
River. Zesty and fresh, but with nutty complexity, there is a lot going on in here, thanks to crafty harvesting selections and some intuitive but low-interference winemaking.
Phillip Jones grows and makes pinot noir par excellence – there’s no arguing with that. One of his hidden gems, however, is his rosé. He doesn’t make it every year, but when he does and it’s good, it’s one of the country’s best. Textural, full of ‘pinotsity’ and with a tapering tail of flavour, this is an excellent wine to have on the table over the coming summer months.
Jarad Curwood (of Chapter Wines) and Jordy Kay (of his eponymous winery) teamed up last year to make a single vineyard pinot noir from the Mornington Peninsula. It is made without the addition of any sulphur dioxide, so two things should be kept in mind: 1. Drink the whole bottle within a day or two of opening – this is when it will be at its best, and 2. It is full of incredibly vibrant fruit – it literally jumps out of the glass. This wine may surprise, but open your mind and explore the diverse Australian wine landscape!