Sydney, late August, and winter taking time out, we turned to riesling. At East Restaurant, east Circular Quay, Mesh Eden Valley 2013 ($25 retail) appealed for its intense, maturing flavours and fresh acidity. But with spring in the air, Tim Gramp Watervale 2015 thrilled even more with the searing yet delicate, lime-like vitality unique to riesling from this Clare Valley sub-region.  The very finest of these Watervale rieslings retain lime-like flavours into mellow old age. But there's a special beauty to these pure, vivid, very young wines.

Angoves Long Row Shiraz 2014, $9-$11

Australia's tradition of cross-regional blending gives our larger winemakers great flexibility to maximise wine quality at any given price point. In this instance, Angoves combine more powerful shiraz from generally lower yielding vines in McLaren Vale with simpler wine from higher yielding vineyards in the Riverland. For around $10 a bottle you get a decent medium-bodied dry red with ripe, vibrant, varietal flavour, a juicy mid-palate and soft, drink-now tannins.

Bloodwood Orange District Cabernet Franc 2014, $30

Perhaps best known as a blending variety in France's Bordeaux region, or in its own right along the Loire Valley, cabernet franc arrived in many Australian vineyards misidentified as merlot. In Orange, Stephen and Rhonda Doyle welcomed theirs as a much loved, albeit unplanned child – and even extended plantings when, as an early ripener, it flourished in Orange's cool climate. From it the Doyles make a distinctive, medium-bodied red. Deep, fragrant and crimson-rimmed, it offers cherry- and chocolate-like flavours layered with strong but fine, drying tannins.