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When most people think of Riverland Wine wine they think of the BIG companies producing “metric shit tonnes” of cask and basic commercial wines.

Well have I got news for you, there are a small but growing number of superb boutique wineries in the #riverland these days. A number of these bods are producing some of the best Mediterranean Emerging Variety wines in the country, so that these days Riverland wine rocks.

This slow cooker Beef Ragu is our go-to Winter recipe that takes little to no time to make and is also kind to the budget this time of the year, using a heap of ingredients you’ll already have in the pantry. The best part is, once you put it on, you can let it bubble away until dinner time. It’s a flavour-filled Winter dish that my whole family loves this time of year, and is super easy (my favourite). Plus, with room in the budget for a bottle of Mataro Durif, it makes a heart-warming duo that is a match made in heaven. Cheers!

Riverland—Australia’s largest wine growing region is one of its least known. Located northeast of Adelaide, Riverland covers 1,584 square miles along the South Australian stretch of the Murray River and is home to over 54,000 acres of vines. In 2022, Riverland fruit comprised 32% of Australia’s total crush by volume. Combine this with the fruit of neighboring inland regions and the figure jumps to a staggering 73% of Australian wine’s entire production.

Tinto de verano is a refreshing combination of red wine and lemon soda. It’s what we drink in Spain in the summertime — usually instead of sangria. 

Refreshing tinto de verano — the perfect summer drink!

“But what about sangria?” (you might ask). Yes, it’s true that this iconic Spanish drink is also readily available, but it’s actually much more common to find tinto de verano, its fizzy cousin, on the menu of your average Spanish bar.

To help celebrate International Grenache Day this last month and our month-long celebrations of this wonderful variety, I sat down with our talented Winemaker, Armand Lacomme to get the insider scoop on the world of Grenache. 

In my opinion, Grenache can pair with almost anything! Anything I cook at home with such a big, hungry and active family, paired with a constantly busy lifestyle has to be easy and not require stirring and loads of TLC. I love food but don’t like spending more time in the kitchen than I have too, anything that has minimal prep time with fresh local ingredients and then throw in the oven suits me. Anyone who knows my husband Craig (Almy), knows that he loves MEAT, so this is one of our families personal favourite pairings with our Grenache, and in true Almy style, its easy!

After six generations of farming history (spanning dairy cows to viticulture) this family business is reaching for the sky.

When Sheridan Alm, her husband Craig, and her parents Michael and Robyn Mason crack the seal on their new Starrs Reach Pet Nat, the flurry of fizz reflects their excitement. It’s good. Really good.

It's fresh, it's fruity and it's the perfect way to spice up your weekend wine!

Sangria is delicious with white wine, red wine and our personal favourite is now with our Rosé! This Rosé Sangria recipe is super easy to make, with only a handful of ingredients, mix them altogether and hey presto, you've got yourself a delicious Rosé Sangria to sip on this Saturday or Sunday.

The Riverland has long been the bulk wine heart of South Australia, with growers churning out cheap fruit pumped up with irrigation. And while the region will likely always serve this function, the script is being rewritten by players like Starrs Reach, who both sell premium fruit and make wine under their own label. Sheridan Alm runs the operation with a focus on minimal inputs, sustainability and restoring non-vineyard land, including Mallee scrub, wetlands and floodplains. With grenache and mataro core varieties, Alm is intent on proving that the Riverland can focus on quality on a large scale, growing grapes that suit modern wine styles that focus on bright fruit flavours and freshness.

In need of some inspiration of what to drink this summer?

We have your back!

Our top three picks are a fresh pomegranate spritz, a versatile fruity froze and a bold ruby red!