We asked five Dan Murphy’s wine merchants for their one top wine pick. Instead, we got 19 failsafe ideas for you to steal.
It was always going to be a tough question. What’s the one wine you’re taking everywhere this festive season? That’s what we asked five Dan Murphy’s wine merchants – the people who pretty much know everything there is to know about the wines on the shelves. We wanted to find out which bottles they think will slot right into every upcoming occasion – from the sit-down dinners and impromptu guests to backyard hangs and all the other times you need a bottle to keep all the wine fans happy. After all, these in-store experts know their stuff.
But rather than offer up a single wine, the wine merchants gave us loads of brilliant ideas, which is, in fact, a whole lot better. What follows are foolproof, versatile and extremely tasty wines that you can confidently pull out and share at every event this season.
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1. Adam Zweck, Norwood, Adelaide
Adam Zweck’s love for wine is so great that it even inspired a career change. Always a big wine collector, the former electrician moved on to a role at Petaluma Wines in the Adelaide Hills where he worked across all areas for 10 years. This included cellarhand duties, hands-on tasks during vintage, work on the production side and much more.
These days, though, Adam is right at home in his role as wine merchant at Dan Murphy’s Norwood. “I’m a salesman,” he laughs. “I just love talking wine all day every day, and I love the variety we have here.”
So, what’s Adam drinking this Christmas? “I love Champagne with croissants, so I’m going for the Lanson Vintage. You can step it up a little on Christmas Day,” he says. For most stores, that means the 2012 vintage, which Adam describes as elegant with minerality, a little nuttiness and a beautiful vibrancy.
Adam is also a huge fan of aged riesling, which he acknowledges can be polarising. “A lot of people think aged riesling turns into kerosene, and there are some with hints of it, but a good-quality aged riesling will show sauteed lemon, honey, more of a lanolin mouthfeel and sauteed citrus flavours,” he says. A prime example, he says, is the Jim Barry Florita Riesling, especially when paired with seafood.
Adam also can’t go past New Zealand chardonnay. “They tend to have beautiful delicate flavours and there’s a bit of citrus there as well,” he says. Follow his lead with the Tony Bish Skeetfield Chardonnay; he’s pairing it with crayfish Thermidor – grilled with a cream sauce – on Christmas Day.
But if he had to choose just one wine this season? “Everyone loves Champagne,” he says. “It doesn’t matter what food’s being served – you can have it first.”
2. Joanna Cooper, Coogee, Sydney
Proving again that a passion for wine can throw a curveball at your career, Coogee wine merchant Joanna Cooper used to be a nurse. While COVID was one of the biggest triggers for her to change course, she couldn’t ignore her growing love for wine. Since leaving nursing, Joanna has worked in wine stores as well as wineries in the Adelaide Hills, Mudgee and France’s Bordeaux, where she also studied viticulture and oenology.
Like the other wine merchants, Joanna found it hard to pin down her wines. “Christmas is such a good opportunity to open lots of bottles over a big spread with everyone,” she says. Joanna’s dad is from Tassie, so sparkling from the island state always makes an appearance at her family’s Christmas. “We like the Arras Brut Elite and the Josef Chromy Brut Finesse Vintage Sparkling,” she says, adding that the Josef Chromy NV is great, too.
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For the Christmas ham, it’s all about pinot noir. Joanna loves New Zealand’s Burn Cottage, especially the Burn Cottage Pinot Noir for something special. “Their winemaker Claire Mulholland is a Central Otago local who’s worked in Burgundy, Oregon and Australia,” she says. “I’d also go for Jane Eyre,” she says. “She’s an excellent Australian winemaker who spends most of her time in Burgundy, but she also makes wine from the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula.”
If Joanna had to choose between these two styles as the season’s winner, it has to be sparkling – as an aperitif, with cheese or throughout an entire meal. And for anyone who automatically reaches for Champagne, Joanna says not to overlook Aussie bubbles. “The climate in Tasmania is suited so well to growing those traditional Champagne grapes and we have some of the best sparkling makers in the world – a lot of them have trained over there, so they’re really highly skilled,” she says. “These wines are also much better value and it’s good to support our local industry.”
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3. Mick Stanton, South Fremantle, Perth
If you’re ever in the Freo area and need some wine-matching advice, swing past Dan’s in South Fremantle for a chat with Mick Stanton – he was the sommelier at Swedish Michelin-starred restaurant Bloom in the Park for years. As a restaurant that operates without a menu, Mick had to think on his feet to keep the pairings just right.
Today, Mick still thrives on offering wine suggestions. A recent highlight was a request for a red at $50-plus to match… a kebab. “I asked if there would be garlic sauce, chilli sauce, which protein... I went with a Rioja,” he says. “Every day’s a new challenge!”
Mick may not have one specific wine for this season, but he did narrow it down to a single variety. “I’m all about riesling, whether it’s from Clare, Eden, Canberra, Great Southern or somewhere else,” he says. “It’s fresh, light and versatile, and such a wonderful wine to put up against any sort of food. That’s what I’ll be spruiking and taking wherever I go this summer.”
As Mick says, great riesling is also excellent value, from the Tolley Clare Valley Riesling, at about $13 a pop to the Kirrihill Regional Series, which sits under $20, and that Jim Barry Florita at about $80 a bottle.
But Mick’s top picks include the The Cat Amongst the Pigeons Fat Cat Riesling, standout Castle Rock Estate Riesling (mostly available in WA stores but delivered to some states), and the Mockingbird Hill Dr Bain Riesling – the perfect all-rounder, according to Mick. “It’s fresh, zippy and classic Clare with a little oiliness on the palate. You don’t have to think too hard about it – just enjoy it.”
An early job at Dan Murphy’s helped spark Matt Reed’s interest in wine. He soon took on the global wine certification WSET Level 2 and quickly became “obsessed” with wine and its diversity. Matt moved on to other retail roles and later worked at esteemed Yarra Valley winery Oakridge. But now, he’s back in the Dan’s fold at South Melbourne and in his element – talking wine.
Matt also offered up several wines. “One of my favourite whites is the Jim Barry Assyrtiko,” he says. It’s a recent release in stores, mostly stocked in New South Wales and Victoria. “It’s a Greek variety, but it’s like the riesling of Greece, and it works really well with seafood and is perfect for the dinner table. It’s zippy, fresh, a little salty and about $35,” he says.
For a bargain bubbles, Matt’s all in on the Famille Bougrier Pure Sparkling, a sparkling chenin blanc from France’s Vouvray that sits at around $25. “Everyone who I sell it to, it just goes nuts. I think it’s one of the best sparklings at Dan’s,” he says. “There’s a little creaminess, it’s fresh and zesty, and it’s very dry with pastry notes and orchard fruit flavours.”
If you fancy a red, Matt’s a big fan of the Cape Mentelle Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon. “I like it because it’s not over the top,” Matt says of its style. “It’s from a cooler environment, which tends to make elegant styles. We have roast lamb at Christmas and it’s perfect for that as it has a rich fruit profile but won’t overpower it. The tannins work seamlessly.” That also makes it a pretty great go-to for every barbie this summer as it’ll work a treat with other grilled meats, too.
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Jane Curley has a long history of working with wine. This includes roles with a US retailer and Canada’s Wine Marketing Association of Ontario, and on return to Australia, Jane undertook her Masters in Wine Business. A marketing gig at Gilbert Wines followed – including launching the 200mL pouches A Glass Of – and now she’s back home on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast as the wine merchant at Kawana.
Jane has some brilliant ideas to see you through the season. Bias aside, for stocking fillers this year, Jane’s gifting A Glass of Gilbert Rosé. “It’s a gorgeous, premium sangiovese rosé in a mini bagnum from a great family-owned brand,” she says.
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For bubbles, it’s the Guyot Choppin Champagne. “It’s fantastic value for money – generally under $50,” she says. “It has beautiful stone fruit, lemony flavours and great acidity, and it’s nice, soft and approachable. It’s not going to break the bank, and it’s great for people who find Champagne too austere or expensive, but it’s still interesting and tastes great.”
When it comes to a white, Jane recommends the Paracombe Pinot Blanc – a great sub for riesling. “It has beautiful spicy citrus, gooseberries and green apple flavours, amazing minerality and texture, and beautiful length. I just love it, and it’s such great value at around $25,” she says. “It’ll match everything from appetisers all the way through to turkey, ham and prawns.”
Prefer a red? Seek out the Doom Juice Rouge, ideally served chilled, so it’s perfect for summer. A blend of shiraz and grenache, it’s a natural wine but without the funk, Jane explains, with raspberry and cherry flavours, texture and minerality. “It’s juicy and delicious,” Jane says. It will also work with almost every meal this season, especially Asian dishes. “It’s a great gateway wine for people who drink rosé but don’t necessarily drink red.”
