Eldridge Estate 2011 PTG

David Lloyd from Eldridge Estate on the Mornington Peninsula is passionate about both pinot noir and the Beaujolais grape gamay, so it makes total sense for him to have put together a 50-50 blend of the two red varieties to produce an Australian version of the Burgundy blend known as passetoutgrain. Lloyd is a wine technician, but this releaase is all about fun. Excuse me if I gush a little, but this is the perfect young red wine for summer. It's a fresh and lip-smackingly good wine that could stand a few minutes of chilling on a warm day. It's dominated by raspberry and red cherry characters with just a few spicy hints. More importantly, it is deliciously drinkable and delightfully food friendly. If this doesn't sell out sooner rather than later I will be extremely surprised. It's worth buying at least a case. $25. www.eldridge-estate.com.au.

Bowen Estate 2009 Coonawarra Shiraz

The Bowen family are salt-of-the-earth country folk who produce only three wines each vintage; a cabernet sauvignon, a shiraz and chardonnay. Their labels are minimalist, they still use cork as a closure and their wines are reliably good – and excellent value. This wine, made by father and daughter team Doug and Emma Bowen, has 15 per cent alcohol but you wouldn’t know it, as while it is forceful it also is beautifully balanced with ripe, dark, juicy and sinuous fruit flavours knitted together with hints of spice and laidback cedary oak. It has some attractive savoury tannins and demands to be enjoyed with a dish like traditional roast lamb. $27.