McHenry Hohnen 2007 3 Amigos

Sometimes you come across a bottle of wine that seems to simply evaporate in the glass. This my friends is just such a bottle. A blend of shiraz, grenache and mataro, it is a darn sight more interesting than most GSMs emanating from South Australia. This is a wine that screams "drink me". It has bright, shiny fruit but plenty of action on the palate. Complex but not demanding. Hard to go past this one. $24.

Crittenden Estate 2009 Los Hermanos Tributo a Galicia

Don't be put off by the complicated name; this is a cracker. Made from the grape variety formerly called albarino in Australia (which actually turned out to be savagnin) the label is Rollo Crittenden's little joke; a tribute to Galcia in Spain, from where albarino originates. This is floral on the nose, with juicy ripe pear characters on the palate and a crisp, dry finish. Disarmingly drinkable. $29.

Paradigm Hill 2007 L'Ami Sage Pinot Noir

One of the rising stars of the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria, Paradigm Hill is the vision of passionate former medical researcher and biotech expert Dr George Mihaly and his wife Ruth, a former chef and now a viticulturist. This is an outstanding Australian pinot with lovely aromatics and and an excellent fruit/oak balance. It's already soft and smooth, with smart dark cherry flavours and hints of earthiness. It will probably cellar well but you may find it hard to stay hands off as it is drinking superbly right now. $50-60.

Terre a Terre 2009 Sauvignon Blanc

Who would have thought that a wine from Wrattonbully under a new label would be perhaps the most interesting savvy in Australia? This is a very impressive wine from the husband-and-wife team of Xavier Bizot and Lucy Croser; very textural in a fumé style with some wonderful complexity and sensible alcohol levels (12.7%). Unsurprisingly, and unashamedly, French in style but with some jolly, zingy Australian fruit character too. One out of the box and up there with Kiwi stars Greywacke and Te Koko. Brilliant for $24.

Taylors 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon

It's hard to go wrong with the wines from this family-owned Clare Valley producer, which are invariably good value for money. This is a lip-smackingly good, rich and powerful red wine with plenty of oomph on the palate, oak in harmony and soft tannins. It's a juicy and appealing red wine with that indefinable quality: drinkability. You'll probably find it for less than the RRP of $19.

Turkey Flat NV Pedro Ximénez

I just can't get enough of this delicious fortified wine made from the Spanish grape Pedro Ximénez in the Barossa Valley. The concentrated fruit flavours have been aided by maturation in French oak hogsheads, resulting in a wine that is dark amber in colour, has chunky marmalade and citrus peel aromas and is luscious and intense on the palate, where you'll find more dark marmalade characters. A fabulous way to round off an evening. $27 for 375mls.

Capel Vale 2009 Debut Unwooded Chardonnay

The offerings from this West Australian winery are reliably good and this is a terrific-value quaffer that's perfect for long autumn evenings. It's a classic fruit-driven, cool-climate chardonnay with lifted tropical fruit aromas and plenty of crisp freshness on a palate that shows citrus and white peach characters with plenty of length. Drink young, drink chilled. $18.