Rutherglen is run by real people putting real time, energy and money into the place. The cellar door staff behind the counter have their own skin in the game: no one’s spending someone else’s money, every winery in the region is family-run. It’s a corporate- and stockmarket-free zone. It’s long been a big-hearted region making big-flavoured wines, and it seems there’s now more energy going into the finishing touches. This region needs to be on your list.

All Saints Estate

You hate to think where the region would be without the family behind All Saints – a leader of the area in many and varied ways. You have to visit – for food, wine and the whole shebang.