AceHighWine

The latest addition to the Quaff ($19.95, Hardie Grant) collection on the bookshelf is as good as ever - and I’m not just saying that because I’m part of the tasting panel.

Once the lovechild of the vinous matrimony between Melbournite Max Allen and Perth boy Peter Forrestal (a bit of trivia - Forrie was the founding editor of Australian Gourmet Traveler WINE), the Scarborough wine writer has been granted sole custody of Quaff and has really taken to growing the annual guide to Australia’s best value drops, both in terms of the final product and weekly updates on the Quaff website.

While a handful of horrible growing seasons has led to the much-publicised wine and grape glut of yore starting to dry up, those hunting for value will still find plenty of options vying for their wine buying dollar. According to Forrie, of the 400 sub-$15 wines recommended in the book, 50 - one in eight - are “seriously good”.

Sadly, I missed the tasting where Quaff 2008’s wine of the year - the 2007 Peter Lehmann Eden Valley Riesling - was unearthed, but I can vouch for the objectivity of all the tastings: four seven-wine brackets, all served masked and organised by variety, and the democratic discussion of the tasting panel. It’s a real thrill to discover some of the gems studded throughout the crowded Australian wine market and their subsequent lowly asking prices - some of the value on offer in the fortified stakes (thanks must go largely to Seppelt and Morris) is just bewildering.

Regular Quaff-ers will also notice some other changes to the book including a top 20 round-up of outstanding wine bargains and a reshuffle of categories to reflect the changing industry trends. There’s also a selection of more than 100 recommended drops more than $15 to hunt for, all written in Forrie’s succinct and insightful style.

If you’re still smarting after the commercial success known as “The Festive Season”, Quaff could well be your knight in red and green shining armour - either as a gift for fellow winos or a cheat sheet to unearth some of the nation’s best value drops. www.quaff.com.au