Take your rightful place as the favourite child this Father’s Day with your pick from our curated gift guide.
Whether he has a Vintec that needs filling or is just starting to enjoy a rosé at lunch, is a shiraz diehard or likes to journey from Champagne to merlot, Dad will appreciate the failsafe gift of a bottle of good stuff. But which wine, you ask? That’s where we come in.
Ahead, we round up some of the best wines to get Dad for Father’s Day at every budget, and most have a special My Dan’s member price right now, too. All the experts on the Dan’s Daily team (plus plenty a critic) vouch hard for these bottles, so take your pick and rest easy. Don’t say we never do anything for you (sorry, Dad joke).
Under $30
Cape Mentelle White Label Chardonnay
As a Margaret River chardy (one of THE great places for chardy), this is a medium-bodied wine with zesty, crisp and generously fruity flavours. There’s no better way to kick off spring, celebrate Dad and get him in a good mood before you ask if you can have the Netflix password.
Claymore You’ll Never Walk Alone Clare Valley GSM
A dry, medium-bodied GSM (a blend of grenache, shiraz and mataro grapes) that is French-inspired but locally (and independently) made in Clare Valley. The bottle, as you may have noticed, is branded with the Liverpool FC motto “You’ll Never Walk Alone” and is coloured their particular shade of red. Yes, the makers are football fans, and if Dad is too, this fresh and juicy wine will seem an extra-thoughtful gift. If he’s an Everton fan, though, steer clear.
Under $40
Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling 2021
The 2021 vintage was unreal for most of South Australia, and this riesling is an absolute cracker. All sorts of green fruit (think apple, lime and pear) are expertly balanced by mouthwatering acidity. It’s a bright wine that will make mighty fine drinking right now, or Dad could cellar it for five to 10 years, if that’s his thing. Either way, zero regrets.
Yering Station Pinot Noir
Not to simplify the complexity of this authentic Yarra Valley red (we’re talking strawberries, cranberries, the right amount of spice and silky-smooth tannins), but this is an incredible wine to go with a cheese plate and charcuterie board. The kind of bottle you open at the start of the night and enjoy so much that you never move on to anything else. An absolute winner if Dad loves two things: pinot and snacking.
Under $60
Giant Steps Harry’s Monster
Strap in – this a big, bold red for Dads who like their wine to come out swinging. It’s made up of 59% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 1% petit verdot grapes grown on the Victorian Warramate Ranges. And it may be intensely flavoured, but Giant Steps knows how to rein it in with expert precision. As Dad says, go big or go home.
Shaw & Smith Shiraz
Shiraz is a classic Father’s Day buy, and for good reason. But if Dad’s normally all about the Barossa, surprise him with something a little different this year: a killer example of cool-climate shiraz. From an independent winery in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills, this drop is nicely spicy, full of red fruit and savoury goodness, and balanced with fine tannins. It’s all very elegant and refined. Expect Dad to put this one on repeat – with you to thank for it.
Under $100
Balnaves The Tally Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
If he’s serious about his cabernet, this is a must-try bottle in Dad’s wine education of Australia’s best big reds. With mouth-puckering tannins and rich dark-berry flavour, this is a full-bodied drop matured in the fanciest of French oak (Taransaud barriques) and it will only get better over time. He’ll be sending a pic to his Whatsapp wine group captioned “best kid ever”.
Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale Champagne Brut Nature France
Champagne Dad knows how to live. He appreciates the good things in life. He gets it. Honour that characteristic with a bottle that’s as refined as he is. Described as bone dry, there’s nothing sweet about it. It’s apples rather than bread, but the 72 months it spent ageing has given this Champagne a depth of flavour to write home about.
Under $200
Cullen Diana Madeline
Award-winning, a critic darling, and hotly anticipated every year: words to describe this stunning Margaret River red and your dad (even if the award was a World’s Best Dad mug you gave him when you were four and the critic is the dog). Said to rival the very best of Bordeaux, this is the kind of wine you give when you really want to show appreciation for the old man, and hopefully, he’ll let you have a glass. However, you might have to wait a while: the cellaring guide on this biodynamic, classic cabernet blend pushes 30 years plus.
Levantine Hill Katherine's Paddock Chardonnay
This is a very special bottle from the Yarra Valley for a very special man. You can say that when you give it to him. This single-vineyard chardonnay is an ode to the Montrachet Grand Cru of Burgundy, yet a truly modern Australian expression of the variety. It’s all lemon curd, elderflower and sage, and subtly oaky with a taut natural acidity followed by a buttery finish. Together it makes this one of the most structurally interesting and mouthwatering whites around.
Drink it on the day
Glaetzer Anaperenna Shiraz Cabernet
This is an impressive, drink-now, big Barossa red. It’s very concentrated, with all that cabernet structure mingling with the plushness and vibrancy that comes from the shiraz. There’s deep black fruit, oak, spice, licorice and chocolate, and it’s a particularly glossy berry colour that will look very nice on your tablescape.
Lloyd Brothers Picpoul
Bring a talking point to the table – it’s better than hearing Dad’s lawnmower story again. Picpoul is a lesser-known white varietal from the Côte d'Azur, although this particular bottle hails from much closer – McLaren Vale. Fresh, tart and thirst-quenching, picpoul was made to be enjoyed with oysters, just as Dad was made to eat them. Serve it chilled with your seafood spread and wait for him to make his chuffed face.
Reference: https://www.danmurphys.com.au/dans-daily/hit-list/fathers-day-wine-gift-guide-2024
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