Sip your way through the season with this selection of the best Australian made wines for winter!
If you’re hosting a dinner party at home or you’re just wanting something new to add to your wine collection, this list is for you.
Regardless of your reason, sometimes the biggest conundrum is choosing the right wine. Do you go red or white? Should you pick something sparkly or maybe something that needs to be cellared?
To help you make the right choice this season, we’ve curated a list of some drops that are sure to smooth your senses. So read on through as we uncork the best Australian wines for winter 2024!
Image via The Wine Collective website.
Blind Corner Wilyabrup Evangaline 2020
Drink good and feel good this winter thanks to Blind Corner’s Wilyabrup Evangaline 2020. What sets this white wine apart is its impressive production process where small batch organic and biodynamic chenin is sourced for their vineyard in Western Australia’s Margaret River wine region. Fermenting with skins in two Georgian qvevri that’s then buried in bushland underground, the wine is then rested before passed through a sieve and then bottle. Within no acidification or sulphur, this drop is fresh and fun.
Image via The Wine Collective website.
De Bortoli Riorret Lusatia Park The Abbey Pinot Noir 2020
Scoring 95 points through the Halliday Wine Companion, the De Bortoli Riorret Lusatia Park The Abbey Pinot Noir 2020 should be at the top of your list to try this winter. The vineyard, located in Tarrawarra, Victoria is one of the Yarra Valley’s most premium vineyard sites. And, drinkers can expect nothing short of exceptional with this drop. Bright medium red in colour, you’ll find hints of blueberry, raspberry, game and woods on the palate.
Image via The Wine Collective website.
Forest Hill Vineyard Riesling 2024
Mount Barker has made its mark on this list of the best Australian made wines for winter with Forest Hill’s Vineyard Riesling 2024. Scoring 95 points from the Halliday Wine Companion, this riesling rose to fame with its energetic yet textured palate punching with plenty of citrus juice flavours. Bright pale straw in colour, the Forest Hill Vineyard Riesling 2024 has lifted aromas of blossom, citrus and subtle yellow fruits. One of the best winter white wines for 2024!
Image via The Wine Collective website.
Koonowla Single Vineyard Shiraz 2020
Dark plum in colour, the Koonowla Single Vineyard Shiraz 2020 is the perfect red wine to crack open this winter. Despite its affordable price point, this Clare Valley drop is sophisticated, comforting and the ultimate accompaniment on your next cold night in. With notes of black skinned plums, crushed blackberry and French oak, this shiraz balances a blend of summer fruit with rich winter-like textures. Described as “even, deliciously long and satisfying.”
Image via The Wine Collective website.
Pierro Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2020
Here’s another one to add your collection: the Pierro Reserve Cabernet Merlot 2020. Pierro, found in Western Australia’s Margaret River, released this graceful yet sophisticated drop. Despite being full bodied, this cabernet merlot is smooth, rich and packed with plenty of flavours for you to uncover in every sip. Think blackberry, mulberry, blackcurrant, plum and plenty of spice. A 2020 vintage, winemakers recommend cellaring this wine until 2032!
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Peter Drayton Anomaly Arnies 2022
Arneis, a variety found in Italy’s Piedmont region, is taking centre stage thanks to Hunter Valley based winemakers at Peter Drayton. Best described as a blend between a riesling and chardonnay, the Peter Drayton Anomaly Arnies 2022 is packed with plenty of lime, fresh citrus and white peach. With notes of jasmine, this dreamy medium-bodied drop is wild and is sure to warm up your tastebuds this winter 2024!
Image via The Wine Collective website.
Tomich Wines Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2023
Handcrafted from estate grown fruit, this high-altitude cool climate wine from the Adelaide Hills in South Australia is a special drop to add to your collection. Despite Australia’s winter chilling up fast, it is recommended to cellar this red wine until 2031 or, if you’re impatient like us, wait three to five years. Pale cherry red in colour, the Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2023 by Tomich Wines has an intense berry and cherry aroma. Combining this with plenty of warm spices on the palate, drinkers will find a seductive sip that promises to be well worth the wait.
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Yangarra Estate Hickinbotham Grenache 2022
Hailing from South Australia’s McLaren Vale, Yangarra Estate’s Hickinbotham Grenache 2022 is features a sweeping selection of flavours that heightens throughout every sip. Their site, which is rich in history, features a unirrigated bush vines planted in 1962. The fruit, famed for its gentle yet distinct wild fermentation is matured in classic Italian cocciopesto amphorae – which looks like a large terracotta-like urn. With a pleasant weave of tannins, it’s the detailed perfume that makes this one of the top Australian winter red wines.
Image via The Wine Collective website.
Zilzie Butterfly Kiss Organic Shiraz 2022
How does luscious dark berries sound? What about heartwarming winter spices? Expect all of this and more from the seductive yet silky Zilzie Butterfly Kiss Organic Shiraz 2022. Crimson in colour, this drop is highlighted by its juicy raspberry, cinnamon and anise palate. Sourcing grapes from their organic vineyard, Zilzie stands out with their skin-on, seven-day fermentation process before grapes are gently pressed. After aerating and then fermenting in French oak, the Butterfly Kiss Organic Shiraz 2022 becomes one of the best Australian wines for winter 2024!
Image via The Wine Collective website.
Z Wine NEVAH Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2022
Usually in winter, the last varietal that comes to mind is a chardonnay. But, we just could not include Z Wine’s NEVAH Wild Ferment Chardonnay 2022. Sourced from Eden Valley, this chardonnay feels like summer in a bottle thanks to its aromas of white peach, rockmelon, citrus and cedar. It’s full, it’s fruity and it finishes with a fresh feeling of toasted almond meal. The Wine Collective recommend cellaring this drop until 2028. The wait will be worth it, we promise!
Plan an indulgent night in with this Must Try Guide to Pairing Wine and Chocolate. And, to learn more about winter wine picks, check out this list of the Best Australian Made Red Wines for Winter.
Editor’s Note: Our writers and contributors have independently selected and curated this article, and all opinions are their own. This article does contain affiliate links which allow us to make revenue off some purchases made by our readers.