How this highly evocative, intensely vibrant, citrus-forward example can rock in for under $20 is beyond me. I adore the cleansing apple, lime and honeysuckle layers and it's beautifully constructed, with balance, texture and beautiful persistence of flavour. It's a sensational value-for-money wine, a lipsmackingly lovely example indeed.
Sip with: crayfish and avocado salad with chilli citrus dressing.
Rivera Salento IGT Primitivo 2015 $18
Primitivo is in its element down in the southern Italian area of Salento and, if you're keen on light, juicy, ultra-spicy reds, then this will completely crumble your cookies. I love the lift of dried herbs, red rose, dark plum and boysenberry on the nose, along with warm, woolly tannins that have just the right amount of chew-factor. Extra for experts: Primitivo is the Italian name for another grape that American's call zinfandel.
Sip with: baked lamb and rosemary cannelloni.
Yvonne Lorkin is co-founder and chief tasting officer of winefriend.co.nz and a Wine Writers of NZ member.
