Marlborough's Seddon Vineyard is a spectacular site, sheltered from the southern elements within a very warm mesoclime. Fruit is all hand picked throughout the chill of early morning and treated to a minimalist vinification to preserve the urgency of fully ripened Pinot Gris on the vine. Aromatic with pear, cinnamon and floral spice, finely textured and judiciously off dry, elegantly defined with exemplary balance between crisp acidity, textures and intensity of fruit, an engagingly compex, lingering finish.

From the southern tributaries of Wairau Valley. Identifiably Wairau Valley in its elocution, bursting with all the trademark ripe fruit exuberance that speaks of sunshine, alluvium and prevailing maritime winds. Villa Maria are all about exemplary standards of viticulture, care for the soil and fastidious husbandry of each sacred vine. Pure, powerful varietal aromas of passionfruit, blackcurrants and grapefruit, an underlying flinty complexity, gooseberries and guava, rejuvenated by a fine thread of cleansing acidity on the lingering finish.

An assemblage of elite parcels from Gisborne's most prestigious vineyards. Katoa and McDiarmid Hill are western edged sites on gently north facing hillside slopes. Blessed with auspicious aspects and ample sunshine, drying breezes and cooler temperatures. A choice harvest from the propitious Ledger Block in the middle of Patutahi, contributes the richness of fully ripened fruit. The luxury of oak barrel ferments infuses opulent smokey, grilled nut characters, creamyness and serious palate weight, an extended finish of exquisite French cake house complexities.

The Vavasours settled New Zealand and established one of the first homesteads in Marlborough circa 1890. Proud of their long association with good wine, the Vavasours were employed by William the Conqueror as tasters. There's a single block of outstanding, fully mature plantings on the Vavasour estate vineyards in Awatere Valley which yields a sensational Chardonnay. Creamily textured and richly proportioned, opulent with juicy white peach characters and redolent of ripe nectarine, a refined, elegant style underpinned by divine flinty minerality.

Margaret River is recognized as a more modern style of Chardonnay, focusing on varietal fruit characters while permitting oak and fermentation complexity to support, not overwhelm. Heytesbury represents the best Margaret River Chardonnay Vasse Felix can produce each year, a regional flagship assembled from a barrel cull of the most spectacular parcels, representing the finest of vintage, articulating the complexities achieved through natural ferments, increased solids exposure and quality French oak.

Polish Hill River is renowned internationally for the exceptional eloquence of world class white wines, home to Australia's most illustrious Riesling, it is also a place which yields a tremendous class of Italian varietals. Unico Zelo source Fiano from a spectacular site planted to precious blue slate soils, a propitious terroir which imparts powerful intensity and remarkable minerality. Slate Farm makers Fiano of extraordinary crystalline structure, its glycerine textures and juicy bickford lime luminescence redefine the Neapolitan native into a sublime, new world classic.

Crecchio is an ancient commune on the Abruzzo coast, dominated by the battlements of a medieval castle, its main activities are tourism and good wine. Trebbiano is the white grape of choice and there is no higher provenance, known throughout the world of wine as Trebbiano d'Abruzzo. Hand picked and briskly vinified, it makes a clean, structured style that's easy to appreciate. Fruity and pleasant, it finds itself very welcome around the luncheon table, its dry and food friendly palate is a bliss alongside shellfish, risottos and ripe, pungent cheese.

The Pecorino grape makes a lovely fruit and mineral style of wine that's just right for Mediterrannean fare, it unfortunately was the agent of its own demise as the low yielding vines were replaced over the years with varieties which could produce a more bountiful harvest. Pecorino was rediscovered in the 1980s and is now grown in many parts of Italy. Grapes are all hand picked and destemmed for a day or two of vinification. A delicious drink of tropicality, papaya and balsamic zip, serve lightly chilled alongside white flesh fishes or a tasty fry of fresh sardines.

For those with a true passion for good wine, in the very way that the good folk of Abruzzo have been enjoying it for generations. Crafted from parcels of hand picked Pecorino grapes, grown to fully mature vines and treated to a highly traditional, wild indigenous, open vat ferments, to be bottled unfiltered and unfined. Pecorino was originally husbanded by the Benedictine monks to indulge during their sacraments, Tenuta Ulisse fashion this personable grape into a texturally creamy style, well proportioned, laden with apple spice acidity, crisp, juicy and dry.

Outstanding Langtons Classification. Arguably Australia's finest and most enduring Semillon, Vat 1 articulates the merits of patient bottle ageing as it transforms this pure, unoaked wine. First produced in 1963 and sourced from historic Pokolbin fruit parcels, a mature Semillon aged under the Tyrrells cellar. While drinking like a dream immediately upon release, it will continue to develop delicious bottle age characters for many years hence, a joy to experience time and time again.

Sourced from Neil Steven's Glenoak property at Pokolbin, a scenically undulating site that's planted to a combination of light sand and red clay soils, widely regarded as one of the finest white wine vineyards in Hunter Valley. The oldest block was established circa 1911, the youngest plantings date back to 1965. Since inaugural vintage, Stevens Semillon has been awarded a breathtaking list of national and international accolades, countless wine show medals and a conspicuous tally of significant trophies.

Hunter Valley Distillery is a continuation of the same dry creek bed as the Short Flat Vineyard that produces Vat 1 Semillon. HVD is a proven Semillon vineyard, which consistently yields parcels of fruit that reach the very high standards that are demanded for inclusion in the exalted Vat 1. In 1995, the winemakers decided to keep the HVD Semillon by itself as a separate reserve wine and it went on to become one of the most talked about releases of the last decade. HVD Semillon is rapidly gaining a solid repute as one of Australia's great white wines.

Belford Vineyard paradoxically produces the bigger yet softer of all Tyrrell's premium Semillon wines. Belford is the Hunter Valley archetype, showing a tightly structured palate with considerable length and breadth of citrus honey flavours. Unequivocally a sublime drink with a fully engaging nose and palate, already displaying toasty bottle aged complexity. Since 1982, Belford has claimed an extraordinary list of significant wine show trophies and copious gold medals.

Rhône Valley grapes seem to flourish in the Barossa, enthused by sunny Mediterranean climes and stimulated by the cooling breezes off Gulf St Vincent. Torbreck retain access to the finest parcels of white Rhône varietals in the entire Valley. Woodcutter is fashioned to be dominated by a larger component of Roussanne, which provides the structure and length, Marsanne adds complexity, texture and palate richness. Viognier contributes pure, floral lift, finishing the wine with a measure of refinement and mark of elegance.

David Powell planted Viognier in 1994, with a view to emulating the great growths of Condrieu. Powell is enamoured of the beguiling Viognier, an essential component of his Shiraz flagships, it offers remarkable eloquence and great distinction when grown and crafted without compromise into a pure varietal wine. Only ever made in the finest vintage years and immediately recognizable as an exceptional wine, the white of choice to accompany Sauce au beurre blanc sur les poissons ou quenelles, garnitures à la financière ou quelque chose au pâte feuilletée.

Inspired by the lusciously rich, mineral scented dry whites of La Vallée Rhône, Torbreck have assembled the essential cépage of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne, sourced entirely from the distinguished Descendant Vineyard at Roennfeldt Road in Marananga. Five rows each of superior vine, set aside every year for the construct of full bodied whites to rival the classics of the old world. A seamless experience in silken texture, to accompany anything seafood, west coast marron or moreton bay bug, brewed mussels or deftly prepared abalone.

Torbreck founder Dave Powell acquired prime viticultural land at Marananga in 1994, with the express purpose of establishing blocks of white Rhône varietals. The precious plantings on Descendant Vineyard are now fully mature, Roussanne in particular lends itself to the vinification of an artisanal small batch effort, crafted in the minimalist old world way. Its exceptional purity of fruit is fully reliant on determining the ideal time of harvest within the narrow window of perfect ripeness. Each individual row of vines are assessed daily in the lead up to picking.

Marsanne was at the top of list when Dave Powell established his first vineyard at Marananga in 1994. He stylized his designs on the great Crus of Hermitage Blanc, mouthfilling wines of savouryness, elegance and beguiling balance. Parcels of Marsanne are picked by hand throughout the early hours of morning, pressed into the previous year's French oak Viognier barriques and treated to a wild indigenous yeast ferment on heavy gross lees, infusing the palate with distinctive pastoral richness. An amenable match to crackling pork and roast white meats.