Welcome to our latest video 'Australian reds', a theme that fits perfectly with our Antipodean Wine Festival

Taste with me three of my favourite red wines from down-under:
Willunga 100 Shiraz Viognier, reduced £7.59
Mitolo Jester Shiraz, reduced to £9.49
Rolf Binder 'Heinrich', reduced to £9.98

If you have tasted these wines and would like to add your tastings notes, please feel free using the comments section of this blog post

One of our favourite importers dropped by this week with a couple of wines tucked under her arm, begging to be tried.

Wild Earth is a Central Otago winery. At 45^o south, Central Otago is the world's southernmost winemaking region. It is mountainous, rising to over 2000 metres with the vines planted among spectacular alpine scenery. The vineyards are the highest in New Zealand, located between 200 and 400 metres above sea level.

Central Otago is rapidly developing an International reputation for top quality Pinot Noir. More than 70% of grapes grown in Central Otago are Pinot Noir, as this early ripening variety is suited to the short growing season that results from such a southerly location. The key factor in Central Otago is the position of the vineyards. They need to be sited to ensure that the grapes ripen fully during the short window available to them. One of the best areas is Bannockburn, which is where Wild Earth's main vineyard is situated.

The Wild Earth Pinot Noir 2006 is a lovely wine: Dark blackcurrant, bramble, spice smoky plum and wild gamey aromatics, a warm rich complex mouth feel showing elegance, dark brooding flavours and a long persistent finish.

Wild Earth Riesling 2006 sits, stylistically, somewhere between the Clare Valley in Australia and a German Riesling, perhaps from the Mosel. Limey with hints of grapefruit, there is residual sugar, making this a distinctly 'medium'style. Excellent balance and a lovely zingy, fresh acidity. Great as an aperitif, but probably great with fusion food too - something I shall test out in coming months and report back on.

But for now, I'll settle for finishing off the Pinot Noir. Not a 'monster wine' - see tonight's earlier post. But certainly one that would make any Pinot-lover very happy.

Off to see current 'hot film' Cloverfield tonight with son Douglas. Just been reading up on it while doing a bit of tidying up on Surf4Wine - and listening to Spurs take the lead over Man U - fingers crossed!

Film looks a really interesting concept, and in this modern, internet-driven age it is amazing that no one really knew much about this project until it hit the cinema screens.

Cloverfield is produced by 'Lost' creator JJ Abrams it seems set to be tense, nervy affair filmed in shaky home-movie kinda way, a la Blair Witch Project. Check out the trailer here: Cloverfield Movie trailer.

So, not sure if we'll be too scared to go for the traditional post-flicks Pizza, or just come home and chill out with an ice cold Boag's (current beer of choice in Chapman house) and pretend neither of us were that scared after all!

But supposing that wine does get a look in - what to drink after a monster movie?

I guess a monster red!

This might fit the bill: Ned and Henry Shiraz Mourvedre, Dean Hewitson

Alison and I drank this earlier in the week. Huge, brooding, rich red wine, crammed with dark berry fruits, spice and touches of vanilla. Ripe, fine tannins underpin the immense fruit that has been stuffed into this most definitely BIG red. But balanced. High alcohol, but good tannin and acidity stop this tasting unbalanced. Really impressed with this wine. Will age very well over next five years plus, but works now if you decant to help aerate the wine (treated myself to a Riedel magnum decanter at Christmas. One of the best wine accessories I have owned. A magnum decanter is excellent for a 75cl bottle - really gets the air into young wines.)

Will fill you in on the movie tomorrow...if I come out from behind the sofa!