Great wines can be hard to find

T HERE is no more reliable producer in Australia - and perhaps the world - than Penfolds.

Part of the giant Southcorp group, they still produce some of the best value wines in the country.

They have always been known for the quality of their robust and fruity reds rather than their whites.

And that's probably fair. Penfolds' Konunga Hill Chardonnay and Rawson's Retreat Semillon Chardonnay are at the bottom end of the range and are widely available north and south of the border.

But the majority of the range consists of shiraz or cabernet- based reds that are widely available in the north but much more, difficult to find in the south unless you are a regular customer of one of the better off- licences.

My own favourites are the Bin 2 (blend of Sshiraz and mourvedre) and the superb Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz and Bin 128 Coonawara Shiraz, both of which will age superbly.

We shouldn't forget of course that it is Penfolds that produces Grange.

This is one of the greatest wines from anywhere in the New World and is, of course, ridiculously priced. The new vintage will be selling for around pounds 85 in the north and probably over pounds 100 in the south - if you can find some.

The problem is that the south has a much bigger market than the north and when you're talking about wines produced in very limited amounts, the bottles disappear incredibly quickly.

The only answer is to get to know your local quality wine merchant.

But now Penfolds has a new wine in the fold. It is the product of six years of experimentation and is being dubbed the 'White Grange'.

'Yattarna' is an absolutely delicious 100% chardonnay with a wonderful purity of melon and peach flavoured fruit allied to a good streak of acidity - but it's not cheap.

The 1995 has just been released on the Irish market.

In a good store in the north it will cost you pounds 30-pounds 35 and in the south, pounds 40-pounds 50. Good restaurants will be charging a fair bit more.

Personally, I'll stick to the Bin 28 and Bin 128 that you can get either just under a tenner or just over a tenner, depending on where you live.

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