The Bidgeebong Triangle encompasses three distinct districts, Tumbarumba at the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, Hilltops and the Murrumbidgee plain around Gundagai. A vibrantly fruit driven, easy drinking cool climate Chardonnay, the finish is long and lingering.

Barossa makes a gentler style of Chardonnay. The Schrapel family had the foresight to sow Chardonnay vines long ago, the quality of fruit that grows from these old plantings is now outstanding. A fortnight of ferment is followed by two months of lees stirring battonage on sedimentery lees. Grapefruit, apples and pears to the bouquet, the palate flows with delicate flavours, bakery and butternut, golden apple, peaches and quince. Like all great Chardonnay, Bethany affords the opportunity to experience a growing complexity of remarkable richness as the wine breathes and continues to evolve.

A real insider's wine, Best's make the most flavoursome, elegantly structured and spectacular Rieslings which stand confidently alongside their more famous cousins. The Great Western region lends itself very well to growing exceptional quality fruit, diurnal weather patterns work very well, allowing grapes to ripen naturally, yielding luscious lemon and lime blossom flavours with great acid balance. Some of the original plantings can be traced back to German vineyards, there is great history and pedigree in the root stock of Great Western Riesling.

A compilation of several blocks Great Western Riesling, treated to the luxury of a wild indigenous yeast ferment in a single, extravagant 2500 litre French oak foudre, coopered at the Burgundy barrel works of Marc Grenier. Candidate parcels of fruit must exhibit the wanton opulence of floral nectars and honeyed sweetness before entering the Frankish Foudre, its slowly fermenting juices coalesce into a full flavoured Riesling wine with the grainyness of oatmeal and autolysis of oak, roman nougat and spice, magnificently gingered with bickford lime and crisp acid finish.

McLaren Vale makes august Chardonnay wines, multi dimensional, seamless and affable. Beresford planted their rootstock in the 1960s and now host some of the most auspicious Chardonnay vines. Barrel fermented in a high proportion of new French oak and treated to six months on yeast lees sediments to achieve palate flavour and textural richness. Lifted crème brulee, nectarine and peach, its luxurious French vanilla toastyness and sound weight of fruit makes Beresford the Chardonnay of choice to match white meats and roast game.

There are only two hectares of Pinot Grigio at Bellvale but they are very well provided for, planted to well drained, moderately fertile ferrous soils, they yield a wine of sound structure and refined acidity. A rigorous regimen of pruning and canopy management is essential to the quality of fruit, there is no sleight of hand at the Bellvale wineworks, the ultimate quality of wine is determined as fruit ripens on the vine. A stylish Gippsland Pinot Grigio of eloquence and length, the perfect match to delicately flavoured cuisines, quails under pinenut or whiting and white meat terrine.

There are a mere five hectares Chardonnay at Bellvale, planted to a number of clones for opulence and complexity. Burgundian techniques of viticulture are the order of day, it is after all Gippsland, vine density is high and crop load is duly limited for harvests of the most superior quality. Time spent working vintages along the Cote d'Or translates into a refined, textural cool climate Chardonnay that's mineral and crisp, due to higher acidity, tightly structured, with a well defined balance between fruit, secondary evolved characters and seamlessly integrated oak.

The small but dedicated team at Bellvale take inspiration from the big boned Chardonnays of Cote de Beaune, drawing fruit off five closely managed hectares on the temperate, maritime windswept pasteurs of Gippsland south. Hand picking and sorting are a matter of course, lees exposure, barrel ferments and traditional Burgundian regimens add palate weight and flesh. A crisp, mineral style, defined by its penetrating acid line and evocative of Chablis, its fresh cut orchard fruit character and juicy apple zip are supported by a wafer of creamily spiced oak.

After founding Mornington's eminent Moorooduc Estate and contract winemaking for Mornington's leading brands, Richard McIntyre established a small family operated vineyard, with a view to producing limited yields of the most exquisite small batch wines. A single estate parcel of dry grown Pinot Gris at Main Ridge is hand picked and fastidiously sorted before being treated to a minimalist vinification. The inclusion of a dash Gewurztraminer infuses wonderfully delicate perfumes, candied pear and autumnal spice, a mouth filling style of juicy, creamy ripeness.

Bellingham's closely coddled block at Main Ridge yields a quality of Chardonnay which articulates the expression of a very special site. Hand picked fruit is whole bunch pressed and barrel fermented in a mix of new and seasoned French oak, followed by a traditional regimen of lees stirring and shrewd course of partial malolactic. The judiciousness of restrained oak encourages delicate white peach and subtle florals to emerge, a light toastyness and vanilla pod characters in support of juicy stone fruits, finish seamlessly on a length of perfectly pitched citrus acid.

Bellarmine are expert at Riesling and famously produce three different interpretations, each with its own story and appeal. One of very few vineyards in Pemberton to grow Riesling, no doubt indulging the German ancestry of proprietors Dr Willi and Gudrun Schumacher. Grapes are exclusively sourced from the estate property, planted by hand in 2000, vines are trained to receive maximum exposure from sunshine throughout the growing season.

Bellarmine jugs were used throughout the middle ages to carry wine from oak cask to table. The Bellarmine property at Pemberton was planted entirely by hand, vines were trained from ground up, to expose the ripening grapes to optimal sunshine. The terroirs and clime here are a Chardonnay maker's dream come true. Soils are red gravel laterite, offering excellent drainage while providing warmth to the vine root systems at night, courtesy of heat that the gravels have absorbed during the day. A lightly oaked wine, highly evocative of the dry and fruity Chablis style.

De Bortoli established their Bellariva vineyard at King River near the base of Victoria's snowfields in 1994. Planted to some of the more exotic Italianate grapes, it is the source of Pinot Grigio for a wine that's more about vitality and style. Finely polished, juicy and fragrantly aromatic, finely textured and dry, its soft stonefruit characters, lemon lime sherbet flavours and withheld acidity make Bella Riva an engaging, food friendly style which will appeal to all comers, above all it is delicious.

Toby Bekkers married into French viticulture. His wife returns to Chablis every year, to collate a few parcels of the finest village grown Chardonnay, for assemblage into a powerfully fruit driven wine. Bekkers Petit Chablis however is fashioned to Australian tastes, the precious harvests from a distinguished co operative of the most famous old vineyards, are treated to an invigoratingly unoaked ferment, brisk with oyster shell, chalk cliffs and fossil, her undulating citrus flavours and smoky minerality are underpinned by suave maritime salinity and juicy grape acidity.

The unique weather and topography of Tasmania form microclimes more closely resembling the classic winegrowing regions of the old world. Hardy Wines have long taken great interest in the vineyards of Tasmania, wonderful places of arcadian splendour which yield princely harvests of the cleanest cold climate Sauvignon Blanc. Bay Of Fires are renowned for their splendid structure, elegance and finesse, exquisitely balanced wines of luscious mineral complexity and persistence of flavour. The classic Sauvignon Blanc of kiwi, lychee and passionfruit, marked by crisp textures and fine acid length.

The tranquil pasturelands of Gippsland share an affinity for Chardonnay with the timeless terroirs of La Bourgogne. Bass Phillip pioneered viticulture here, introducing the noblest of white grape in the 1980s. Phillip Jones maintains strictly controlled yields on his fastidiously husbanded Leongatha property, a costly regimen of pruning which permits less than a tonne and a half of fruit to the acre. The reward comes in the form of a buttery Montrachet style, brimming with grapefruits, bracing with crystal minerality and framed by a veneer of polished golden oak.

McWilliams Barwang pays tribute to the unique characteristics of cooler climate regions by delivering expressive, distinctive wines that reflect their origins. Tumbarumba produces highly flavoursome Sauvignon Blanc grapes that translate into luscious wines with good structure and finesse.

McWilliam's has long been a major player and staunch supporter of the emerging Hilltops as a premiere viticultural precinct, retaining some of the region's most salubrious vineyards. Career farmer and veteran RAAF fighter pilot Peter Robinson planted his Barwang property to cuttings procured from McWilliams in 1969. The prodigal vines returned to McWillians stewardship and today contribute the backbone of fruit for Barwang Pinot Gris.

Meaning place of water, Barwang owes the character of it's wines to the most exacting standards of viticulture. An affinity for the land and a holistic approach to sustainable vineyard management is essential to the final goal of delivering bold, flavoursome wines. Characterised by a multitude of steep slopes, rich basalt soils and high altitude, the growing conditions at Tumbarumba contribute greatly to providing a long ripening period which consistently produces Chardonnay with exceptional flavour and heightened concentration of essential varietal fruit.

Rose petals, lychee and turkish delights, pears to the palate, lanolin, calico and a supple squeeze of lemon spice, this is the Schonburger which claimed Winestate's Alternative White Varietal of Year, no mean feat for a tiny Tasmanian. The allure and charm of such a precocious varietal is formed in the vineyard, an abundance of daily sunshine within a cooler clime, develops articulate fruit esters while allowing the extra time to bloom into complete ripeness. Macerations and whole bunch vinifications, infuse the wine with luscious fruit flavours, crisp textures and provocative aromatics.

Grown to the balmy coastal climes of our great southern land, burnished by the extended northern sunshine and invigorated by the sobering winds off balmy Bass Strait. The moreishly rich grapefruit style, vinified from the exclusively free run pressings for pure pristine opulence, barrel fermented in lovely French oak and treated to the extravagance of lees stirring malolactic. Brilliantly proportioned of pineapple and pith, sherbet and citrus, its magnificent length of lime curd sweetness and oak influenced mineral, resolving on an awesome, seaspray oyster shell finish.

In-toe-ducing Barefoot, the Sauvignon Blanc that's wowing them around the world. The McWilliam's team know Sauvignon Blanc very well and retain access to the finest harvests. To satisfy Australia's consuming love with the refreshing, easy drinking style, the boys and girls at Barefoot got down and together to over deliver on a wine with luscious varietal flavours of gooseberry and passionfruits, a touch of herbaceousnesss and cleansing, crisp mineral acidity. Just perfect for the relaxed luncheon alongside freshly shucked oysters or a chicken caesar.

The team at Barefoot believe that it's in the national interest to make delightful, easy drinking wines available to everybody. Consistent wines with generous flavours that refresh the palate and make life more pleasurable. Pinot Grigio fits the bill perfectly, a food friendly style with a little more fruit and a little extra complexity. It all begins in the vineyard where the winemakers themselves take an interest in harvesting those grapes which are worthy of the Barefoot label, a wine that dances across the palate with luscious Pinot Grigio fruit characters.

There's nothing like a chilled Moscato to create the perfect mood at any time of year. It's the refresher of choice on a hot summer's day, perfect with prawns and splendid with salads. In winter, the juicy fruit flavours will warm the soul throughout all those long evenings indoor. The McWilliam's team have been growing Moscato for many years and now retain access to the finest harvests, curiously the only wine varietal that actually tastes of grape. Barefoot dances across the palate, a frolic of sweet feet with lush peach and citrus flavours before a crisp, fruit filled finish.

Raise a glass to Banrock Station, knowing that proceeds from every drop are donated to environmental projects around the world. The Banrock Station vineyards were developed out of a severely degraded property after a century of sheep grazing. Banrock today are a showcase of sustainable viticulture, employing solar power and renewable materials, leaving a minimal environmental footprint. The cleanest, healthiest grapes are vinified into a fully flavoured, generous Chardonnay wine, without the addition of any sulphur or preservatives whatsoever.

French influences abound at Bannockburn, where Sauvignon Blanc draws inspiration from the Sancerre districts of Vallée de la Loire, the emphasis being on elegance and depth of flavour. The maritime influenced climes surrounding Bannockburn's vineyards make for cool and stable ripening, combined with unique soils, providing sensational conditions for growing excellent Sauvignon Blanc. A combination of vinification techniques are employed to construct a singularly engaging wine, it's definitely not another boring, grassy, single dimension style.

Distinguished Langtons Classification. Bannockburn release a Chardonnay each year that accurately and faithfully reflects the merits of an exceptional terroir. This is far from easy, it is only achieved through dedication and resolve. The classic Bannockburn seashell characters are all her in good measure, as well as some interesting ginger and lemongrass, creme brulee, struck matchstick, roasted nuts and mealy influences, all beautifully integrated. Wonderful persistence and structure, the wine goes on and on, a lovely, lengthy, textural finish.