Wine Explorer’s Starter Selection – Mixed 6 Pack

Embark on a delightful wine journey with this thoughtfully curated selection, perfect for beginners and seasoned tasters alike. Featuring an inviting mix of reds and whites from renowned wine regions, this 6-pack offers a perfect introduction to the world of wine. Explore diverse aromas, flavors, and styles that showcase the artistry of winemaking. Whether you’re hosting a casual tasting or building your collection, this pack promises a sip of excellence in every bottle.

1 x Bottega IL Vino Dei Poeti Prosecco DOC Extra Dry 2022 ~ Veneto, Italy

Bronze - Falstaff (2021 vintage)
Bronze - Tom Cannavan  (2021 vintage)
Silver - The Prosecco Master, The Drink Business UK  (2021 vintage)
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards  (2021 vintage)

Multi-award winning winery

Organic

Bottega is famous for its top-end Prosecco served in gold bottles.

Falstaff "Golden pale with brilliant reflections. On the nose, notes of white rose, lychee, reminiscent of strawberry. On the palate, it is very fruit-driven, opening up with subtle creamy nuances."

Tom Cannavan "Pretty, floral and icing sugar notes lead on to that palate which, after an initial burst of peachy fruit, soon narrows to a reasonably long and very crisp and agile finish."

John Szabo, Master Sommelier (MS) "A prosecco made in a gentle, barely off-dry style (though still brut), lightly effervescent, crisp, fruity and floral. This is the sort of stuff to buy in quantity to have on hand for that spontaneous moment; it will appeal widely and fit almost any occasion, at a fine price."

Rhys Pender, Master of Wine (MW) "Floral, pear, green apple and honeydew melon notes on the nose. The palate has a lively, crisp mousse, racy acidity and green apple and mineral flavours in this dry Prosecco."

The Winemaker "Brilliant, with a rich and persistent foam and fine perlage. Straw yellow with fruity, flowery notes, with scents of acacia flowers, apple, white peach and citrus fruits. The taste is Fresh, delicate, fragrant and well-balanced"

Extra dry. It is a barely off-dry style Prosecco.

Bottega creates Prosecco in Venoto Italy using the classified Glera grape.

1 x Georges Duboeuf Chardonnay Pays D'OC Blanc IGP (Organic) 2021 - Southern France, France

84/100 - Gillian Sciaretta, Wine Spectator (2018 Vintage)
85/100 - Gillian Sciaretta, Wine Spectator (2017 Vintage)
84/100 - Wine Enthusiast (2005 Vintage)
87-88/100 - Robert Parker (2005 Vintage)
84/100 - Wine Enthusiast (2002 Vintage)

Gillian Sciaretta, Wine Spectator "Crisp and fresh notes of apple and peach are lightly spiced and marked by floral accents on the clean finish. Drink now. 5,000 cases made, 500 cases imported. — GS" (2018 Vintage)

Gillian Sciaretta, Wine Spectator "Light- to medium-bodied and lightly spiced, with a plump profile offering apple and lemon notes. Creamy finish. Drink now. 1,500 cases made, 465 cases imported. — GS" (2017 Vintage)

Wine Enthusiast "With its distinctive enameled, flowered bottle, this sets out to be a fun party wine. It succeeds with its fresh, flowery, open fruit, enhanced by vanilla, spice and green apple flavors." (2005 Vintage)

Robert Parker "Displaying toasty, yeasty white peach and peanut aromas, the 2005 Chardonnay Vin de Pays d’Oc is an oily-textured pleasure machine. Thick, spicy, and expressive, it is riddled with apples, pears, and melon balls. It should be drunk over the next 2-3 years." (2005 Vintage)

Wine Enthusiast "Soft, light and fresh, this wine has attractive acidity as well as crisp, green flavors. There's a touch of vanilla which broadens it out. It's a solid, ready-to-drink wine." (2002 Vintage)

Winemaker Notes: A pale, golden straw colour. The nose is powerful and delicate, with intense pear, fig, pineapple and roasted hazelnut aromas and discreet hints of honey. Unctuous and lively on the palate, with hints of fig and vanilla. We recommend to taste this wine at 9-10 °C.

Les Vins Georges Duboeuf is one of the largest wine producers in France founded by the late Georges Duboeuf who was affectionately known as 'le roi du Beaujolais' (the king of Beaujolais) or sometimes pape du Beaujolais (Pope of Beaujolais). Les Vins Georges Duboeuf produces a staggering 3 million cases of wine annually. The company is most well-known for its popularization and production of Beaujolais wines. In 2018 Georges’ passed control of his company to his son Franck Duboeuf, who is considered to be one of the key specialists in Beaujolais, its terroir and its wine, and has shifted production to focus more on Beaujolais Nouveau.

Pays d'Oc is the IGP for red, white and rosé wines that are made in a large area on the southern coast of France. The catchment area for the IGP corresponds roughly to the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region – one of the largest winegrowing areas in France. The region covers all the wines that are not made under the strict laws that govern the AOC-level appellations in the regions: among them Corbières, Minervois and the Languedoc appellation itself.

The Pays d'Oc IGP is arguably the most important in France, producing the majority of the country's IGP wines. Five separate departments fall under the IGP (the Hérault, Aude, Gard, Pyrénées-Orientales and six communes in southern Lozère), which is delimited by administrative boundaries rather than geographical ones.

The Pays d'Oc area has a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry summers and mild winters. Most of the rainfall is compressed into spring and autumn.

The region's viticultural history dates back to Roman times but the area is also know for its progressive approach to wine production. The Charmat method of producing sparkling wine was developed by Jean-Eugène Charmat at Montpelier in the early 1900s and, as mentioned, many producers adopt a New World approach to production and marketing. Some domaines will even bring in winemakers from Australia and New Zealand.

Pays d'Oc IGP wines were previously labeled as Vin de Pays d'Oc (established in 1987), although since 2009, the VDP category has been phased out of French wine laws. It has now been replaced with Indication Géographique Protégée, a category designed as part of a standardised wine-labeling convention in the European Union.

Burgundy (Bourgogne in French) is an historic and highly respected wine region in eastern France. Burgundy wines have long had devout followers throughout the world and continue to do so today. Although Bordeaux produces about four times as much wine every year, Burgundy’s estimated 74,000 acres (30,000ha) of vineyards are considered to be of equal importance, producing some of the most exclusive wines on Earth.

The two key grape varieties of Burgundy are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, both members of the extended 'Pinot' family of grape varieties. There are others too, of course, like Aligoté, Pinot Gris, Gamay, and Sauvignon Blanc but the primary focus of Burgundy’s production is Pinot Noir for Bourgogne Rouge and Chardonnay for Bourgogne Blanc. Located in the east-central part of France, Burgundy has 6 primary wine growing areas; Chablis – “shab-lee”. Côte de Nuits – the night slope, Côte de Beaune – the slope of Beaune, Côte Chalonnaise – the Chalon slope, Mâconnais – the region of Mâcon, and parts of the Southern Beaujolais.

Chardonnay is one of the world’s most popular grapes, Chardonnay is made in a wide range of styles from lean, to rich, creamy white wines aged in oak. Bolder, richer, full-bodied and buttery Chardonnays are made using oak and are produced in California, Burgundy, and Australia. Unoaked chardonnays such as Chablis and those produced in Chile, New Zealand, and other parts of France are leaner and often crisp and mineraly, with delicate flavors. By law, if a label says “Chablis,” it must be Chardonnay.

1 x Georges Duboeuf Ecusson Pinot Noir 2022 ~ Languedoc-Roussillon, France

One of the largest and best-known wine producers in France. Known as 'the King of Beaujolais'.

Les Vins Georges Duboeuf is a multi-award winning French winery and has a well-established reputation globally and in Singapore.

Wine.com "With an elegant and luscious mouth-feel, the fruit-forward palate has notes of spice from a subtle touch of French oak. Unctuous and delicious through the finish."

Dame Wine "Wild strawberries that give rich red fruit flavors and has baking spices interwoven with the lush body with a fresh finish."

The Winemaker “The Pinot Noir has a deep ruby colour. Full-bodied and hearty, it reveals fresh fruit aromas, such as Morello cherries. Its silky tannins and length make it a very well-balanced wine.”

This wine is produced by Les Vins Georges Duboeuf which is one of the largest wine producers in France founded by the late Georges Duboeuf who was affectionately known as 'le roi du Beaujolais' (the king of Beaujolais) or sometimes pape du Beaujolais (Pope of Beaujolais). Les Vins Georges Duboeuf produces a staggering 3 million cases of wine annually. The company is most well-known for its popularization and production of Beaujolais wines. In 2018 Georges’ passed control of his company to his son Franck Duboeuf, who is considered to be one of the key specialists in Beaujolais, its terroir and its wine, and has shifted production to focus more on Beaujolais Nouveau.

Languedoc-Roussillon is a hugely important and historic wine region that produces over a third of French wine each year. The output of Languedoc Roussillon exceeds that of the entire United States, and has hundreds of thousands of acres under vine, growing a wide range of both red and white grapes. Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the oldest and most important wine regions in the world, with a history that stretches back millennia to the ancient Greeks, who adored its warm and humid Mediterranean climate which is ideal for viticulture.

Pinot Noir is the dominant red wine grape of Burgundy, now produced in wine regions all over the world, including western Germany, northern Italy, Chile, South Africa, Australia and, perhaps most notably, California, Oregon and New Zealand.

The essence of Pinot Noir wine is its aroma of strawberry and cherry (fresh red cherries in lighter wines and stewed black cherries in weightier examples), underpinned in the most complex examples by hints of forest floor. Well-built Pinot Noirs, particularly from warmer harvests, also exhibit notes of leather and violets, sometimes approaching the flavor spectrum of Syrah.

1 x Glenlofty GO Shiraz 2015 ~ Pyrenees Victoria Australia

91/100 The Wine Front
91/100 CellarTracker
Bronze - Decanter World Wine Awards
Bronze - Huon Hooke
Bronze - Jeni Port (Halliday) (2017 Vintage)
Bronze - Aaron Brasher (2017 Vintage)

Silver - Melbourne International Wine Competition 2020 (2017 Vintage)
Gold - Melbourne International Wine Competition 2019 (2017 vintage)

Huon Hooke "Deep ruby colour without purple tints, ............ with some developed raspberry, chocolate nuances. There's a whiff of oak and a lot of developed characteristics."

Tastings.com " Black garnet color. Aromas and flavors of candied bacon, purple fruit, nutmeg, and black pepper with a slightly chewy, crisp, dry-yet-fruity medium-full body and a smooth, charming, medium-length finish with notes of plum pudding, grilled spice cake, and sage tea with well-integrated tannins and moderate oak flavor. A sturdy Shiraz for grilled meats."

Jeni Port (Halliday) "Upfront and sweet-fruited red that is ready to go right now. Ripe red berries, blue fruits and juniper spice drive the engine. Smooth and succulent on the palate. Meets the price point perfectly." (2017 Vintage)

Aaron Brasher "Ripe, dark cherry, spice and cool, minty aromatics. Flavours are driven by a crunchy, tangy, red cherry spiciness that is lively, fresh and bright. Quite a straightforward wine that needs a little time for the angles to soften" (2017 Vintage)

The Winemaker “Red and black fruits abound, supported by earthy and savoury characters as well as licorice and spice. Complex length of flavour.”

Winestate Magazine "Glenlofty’s vineyards have been carefully nurtured since 1995 in the cool-climate foothills of Victoria’s Pyrenees. Formerly blended into premium wines produced by Penfolds, Seppelts, Rosemount and Brown Bros, Glenlofty’s remarkable fruit has been bottled under its own Glenlofty Wines label only since 2013. Early industry applause has been rapid, as demonstrated by its awards."

The award winning Australian winery Glenlofty has vineyards located 340 metres above sea level in the heart of one of Australia's most famous cool climate wine growing regions, the Victorian Pyrenees. Here the climate, ancient granitic soil types and varying slopes mirror those of France’s northern Rhône region. Until 2010 Glenlofty sent their cool-climate premium fruit for blending into high-end wines under Seppelts and Penfolds labels. In 2010 the 140 ha vineyards were acquired by the pioneering Richmond-Smith family, well-known in Australian agriculture since 1839. The first wines released under the Glenlofty brand appeared in 2013, and were an immediate success, winning gold medals across the world.

Shiraz is the name given to the dark-skinned Syrah grape when grown in Australia and selected pockets of the New World. Though genetically identical, the stylistic differences between Shiraz and Syrah are usually pronounced.

Shiraz is so important to Australian viticulture that it is the most planted grape variety in the majority of Australian vineyards and has become virtually synonymous with the country's wine regions, and in particular the Barossa Valley.

1 x McHenry Hohnen Rocky Road Semilion Sauvignon Blanc (Organic) 2020 ~ Margaret River, Western Australia

94/100 Nick Butler, The Real Review

5 Stars, McHenry Hohen Vintners
5 Star Winery - James Halliday
Commended, International Wine Challenge (2009 vintage)
Bronze, International Wine Challenge (2008 vintage)
Bronze, Decanter World Wine Awards (2008 vintage)

Nick Butler, The Real Review "Serious value here. It's grass and cured lemons, lemon curd and dried green herbs, an arm-wrestle of a wine. Ripe and open when sipped, grippy and challenging with time to reflect."

Founded by one of the pioneers of the Margaret River winemaking region, David Hohnen, and his brother in law, Murray McHenry, an accomplished fine wine retailer. Both have been making wine in Margaret River since the early 1970’s. McHenry Hohnen vineyards are 100% biodynamic. Their three unique vineyards (Burnside, Calgardup and Hazel’s) produce wines that are a reflection of the land. McHenry Hohnen focus on crafting site expressive wines and are known for producing some of the region's best wines.

Margaret River is one of the best known wine regions in Australia, recognized internationally for the quality of its wines and the natural beauty of the region. Although originally renowned for its unusually refined cabernet sauvignon and intensely citrusy chardonnay varieties, the region now produces high quality Semillon-Sauvignon blends and Shiraz.

Located in the south-western corner of Western Australia, it is famous for having a more 'European' wine style than its counterparts across Australia, owing to the regions temperate, coastal location which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.

Sauvignon Blanc – Semillon is a classic white wine blend. It is most widely produced in France (most notably Bordeaux's Graves district), where both Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon are well-established varieties, and has more recently caught on in Australia (particularly Margaret River). The versatile blend is typically made into crisp, dry wines, but it is also the blend of choice for the world's most prestigious sweet wine style, Sauternes. The blend is endowed with vibrant acidity and grassy aromas by Sauvignon Blanc, and its structure and mouthfeel from Semillon.

1 x McHenry Hohnen Rocky Road Rose 2022 ~ Margaret River, Western Australia

5 Stars - McHenry Hohen Vintners (2018 vintage)
5-star winery - James Halliday (2018 vintage)

"Halliday Wine Companion - Australian Winery of the Year 2022 & 2023"

The Winemaker "Raspberries, rose petals and red cherries on the nose are complemented by a silky texture and balanced acidity. Medium-bodied and light on its feet, our Rocky Road Rosé displays intense forest berries and a satisfying, dry finish, making for a perfect summer drink."

100% Shiraz
Alcohol: 12.70%

Founded by one of the pioneers of the Margaret River winemaking region, David Hohnen and his brother in law, Murray McHenry, an accomplished fine wine retailer. Both have been making wine in Margaret River since the early 1970’s. McHenry Hohnen vineyards are 100% biodynamic. Their three unique vineyards (Burnside, Calgardup and Hazel’s) produce wines that are a reflection of the land. McHenry Hohnen focusses on crafting site-expressive wines and are known for producing some of the region's best wines.

Margaret River is one of the best-known wine regions in Australia, recognized internationally for the quality of its wines and the natural beauty of the region. Although originally renowned for its unusually refined Cabernet Sauvignon and intensely citrusy Chardonnay varieties, the region now produces Semillon Sauvignon Blanc blends and Shiraz.

Located in the south-western corner of Western Australia, it is famous for having a more 'European' wine style than its counterparts across Australia, owing to the regions temperate, coastal location which is very similar to that of Bordeaux.