Screw-top summer whites Vidal Sauvignon Blanc 2002, $118 You know what it's like. Settle down with a glass of wine, raise it to your nose - and recoil in horror. It smells like a sumo wrestler's loincloth. The villain is corkage - a foul rot that penetrates corks and spoils good wine. Some vintners estimate it occurs in up to 10 per cent of bottles. Winemakers and distributors worldwide are fighting back with plastic plugs or screw-top sealers. Traditionalists are up in arms but I like both because they guarantee a wine won't be corked. The makers of this delicious sprightly white from Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, have embraced the screw-top. The grapes come from a number of vineyards owned by this sizeable firm, and they are skilfully blended to produce an aroma of passion fruit and lemon. There is a complex tropical gooseberry taste that pairs wonderfully with chicken. Wine 'n' Things (tel: 2873 5733) Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Riesling 2001, $95 This is from the lower rungs of the huge Penfolds' ladder of wine, which ranges from inexpensive everyday wines to the glory of Grange. Rawson's Retreat is excellent value. Screw off the top, toss it away and pour a couple of glasses of this pale green-ish riesling - you can't go wrong. Eden Valley in South Australia is supposed to have a cool climate, but it is still warmer and sunnier than northern Germany so this exceptionally amiable white gives a lot more fruit and flavour than Rhine wines. Ideal with Cantonese steamed-fish dishes. Jebsen Fine Wines (tel: 2926 2240) Mitchell 'The Growers' Semillon 2001, $119 Another advantage of a screw-top is you can always open the bottle. How often have you been on a junk or picnic, laid out a fine spread of food and found some idiot (usually me) has forgotten the corkscrew? The semillon vine loves Australia. Grapes for this fine example from Clare Valley are handpicked and immediately crushed. Two-thirds are fermented cold in stainless steel and the rest is handled in French oak. The result is a sophisticated and well-balanced wine with a honey aroma and a soft buttery finish. Magnificent with fruit and cheese. Kedington Wines (tel: 2898 9323)
