Tis’ the season for Summer BBQs, pool parties & outdoor dinners - and with all this partying, you’ll need a damn fine wine (or three) to go with it!

Summer to me, is all about fresh flavours, tropical fruits & bright aromatics. Here’s a few of our local favourites that will keep you refreshed all Summer long.

One: Hampton Estate, Sparkling Rosé

Take a short drive down to Tamborine Mountain and B-line for the newly revamped Hampton Estate Wines. They have a vast range of brand spankin’ new wines to try and amongst them all is this spritzy Summer essential, the Sparkling Rosé.
This wine is the perfect celebration wine, aperitif or starter wine.

Tastes like: Watermelon, strawberries & guava
Smells like: Musk, nectarine, summer berries & rose water
Feels like: Balanced, bubbly, refreshing
Best paired with: Good friends & light meals

Two: Witches Falls Winery, Wild Ferment Verdelho

Queensland is well known for making delicious Verdelho, however every now and then we come across a real stand out - and I’m telling you now, this baby is liquid gold!

Witches Falls Winery is one of the few in the region who make wild ferment wines (or “natural” wines) and they do an exceptionally good job of it! “So, what is a wild fermented wine?” you ask. Most wines we taste today are made with a commercial yeast product (the yeast eats the sugar from the grapes to create alcohol). Wild fermentation takes on a more natural approach by using the natural yeast and bacteria grown on the grape skin (microflora) to activate fermentation.
This time consuming process gives the wine a soft yet complex flavour that will linger on your palate making it the perfect food wine.

Tastes like: Tropical fruits, melon, creamy vanilla and lightly toasted oak
Smells like: Yellow stone fruits, butter
Feels like: Soft, rounded, lingering flavours
Best paired with: Chicken, fish, creamy pasta / stroganoff

Three: Flame Hill Vineyard, Barbera (2016)

Nestled away in the Sunshine Coast Hinterlands, Flame Hill Vineyard are producing an extensive variety of vino to try and there’s only one word to describe them: YUMM!

My hot Summer pick for the reds would be the 2016 Barbera. It may be light in body, but it packs a flavoursome punch! This Barbera is loaded with bright, sweet fruits and is perfect for any occasion.

Tastes like: Glazed cherries, black mulberry, exotic spice
Smells like: Dried strawberries, dark berries
Feels like: Lingering fruit flavour, dangerously easy to drink ;)
Best paired with: Char-grilled lamb, BBQ meats, tapas,

Yours truly,
Tash Maree