Wines of the week: The best wines for Australia Day

For aperitifs

McHenry Hohnen Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc 2010

The first of three bottles to celebrate Australia Day and a useful reminder that not all Aussie whites are over-oaked Chardonnays. A finely tuned, near-50:50 blend from the Margaret River area, it is a lovely Old/New World combination of tropical-fruit aromas and lingering but clean, grassy mineral flavours of lemon and gooseberry. Savour as an aperitif, with white meats or crustacea. £8.75, thewine society.com; £10.75, hailshamcellars.com; £11.99, henningswine.co.uk

For a robust meal

Wakefield Cabernet Sauvignon Clare Valley 2009

A single-varietal wine at its best, with the structure and power of Cabernet Sauvignon harnessed and expressed in a full, rich and concentrated mouthful, with typical tastes of leather, tar, mint and eucalyptus underpinning the intense dark-fruit flavours. A perfect match for robust casseroles or, if you are planning an Aussie-style event in defiance of the winter weather, with barbecued meats. £8.79 (each for two as part of minimum purchase of six mixed bottles; normally £10.99), majestic.co.uk; £9.95, slurp.co.uk

For the party

Four Sisters Sauvignon Blanc Sparkling

No celebration is complete without something sparkling and this is a perfect party cork to pop at a terrific price. Made by Tahbilk, one of the great names in Australian wine, this is an unpretentious does-what-it-says-on-the-bottle sparkler, full of light, grassy minerality, as clean and invigorating as a Bondi Beach breeze and incredibly gluggable. £9.99, Nisa stores; thedrinkcellar.co.uk