M & J Wines
Piquette 
-Schonberger/ Gewürztraminer/ Muscat rouge

Style: Low-alc fizz
Region: Pokolbin, NSW
Winemaker: James Becker

“How do I look?” Tony glanced up from the ghostly glow of his phone. The earth moved, the ocean heaved, the sky split. Her eyes danced, her hair shocked, and her shoulders looked like they were cast in honey. Volcanic desires swelled inside him as he stepped towards her and inhaled deeply, like a newborn that had been slapped on the bottom by a doctor. Rising ribbons of musk, delicate folds of lace, dangerous dose of leather, bouncing plum and summer coconuts. “You look… perfect.”

 

Domanie de le Tourlaudiere
Bohale  
– Muscadet

Style: Complex White
Region: Loire valley, France
Winemaker: Roland Petiteau-Gaubert

Ever been flicking through music channels, affronted at every turn of the dial? Then you land on a station so clear and comely that you could cue the halo and the warm white light? Then you see a spring cascading from the speaker, followed by a volley of nectarines, apricots and spices? Horns loom up as tall as buildings and overflowing from the roof with a light spray of honeyed popcorn. Your body tingles like it’s made of magic gum. Your eyes widen and you wake, draped in a blanket of joy.

 

Mountain People 
Skin Contact  
– Pinot Gris

Style: Orange
Region: Orange, NSW
Winemaker: Will Rikard-Bell

Colin was the only grape in school with orange skin. His least favourite day was swimming carnival, when all the white grapes would giggle at him, knowing the judges preferred a pale patina. But today was different. Colin woke early and made himself vanilla ice cream with apricots and honey. He felt smooth and had a floral flair in his step. From the starting blocks he spied Brigitte Rosé, a chocolate-box kinda girl with pink skin. She winked, the gun fired, Colin was off. Galvanised, he made a zipper through that water, leaving the other grapes splashing about, stupefied.

 

Natural Order  
Rainbow Rave  
– Muscat

Style: Red
Region: Mount View, NSW
Winemaker: Usher Tinkler

Zen master of the Selfless Wine Tradition, Kenji Shinobi, asked his young disciple a question, in a voice that quavered like a cold crow. “What do you taste?” The student studied his glass. “I taste… fields of flowers. And ash from the mountains. And liquorice carried from the city by strangers”. “No,” Shinobi wheezed so strongly that ripples raced across the pupil’s glass, “tell me in haiku.” The pupil drank, and surveyed the wonky architecture of memory inside his glass. Clearly, he spoke: “Lavender fields. Aniseed runs freely. Mountain memory.”

Sabi Wabi  
Red
– Merlot

Style: Mellow red
Region: Hunter Valley, NSW
Winemaker: Peta Kotz

Nancy’s mum found Nancy on a patch of lawn, licking a garden gnome. Again. Nancy had a habit of licking things. Phone booths, letter boxes, parked cars. Even the arm of a passing cyclist. Her mother whisked Nancy off to the cinema for distraction. At the candy bar, Nancy ordered Jaffas and a boysenberry ice-cream. After one quick glance at the screen, she licked a Jaffa. Then she licked her boysenberry ice-cream. A Jaffa, her ice-cream, and so on. Back home, Nancy’s tongue sank wearily in her mouth and a wonky smile smooshed across her face. Happiness.

 

Natural Order
Dad’s a tripper
– Red

Style: Robust red
Region: Hunter Valley
Winemaker: Peter Windrim

Remember when you told your dad that you’re “going to the park with your bae’s to smash some crushable juice”, and he said, “you’re an idiot”? Well, what he meant was, that you should be at home watching old war films and drinking this wine with him.

“Look out! The cherries are here!” … “Take cover young’un! Those plum notes will explode!” … “Oak! We need some more oak, damnit!”

At ease, dad.