If you're the sort of wine-lover that likes to have your wine rack stacked with the hottest emerging wineries in the country, you've come to the right place!
This week we are highlighting six producers on the up and up that you should be keeping a close eye on in 2019.
These six rising stars are just the tip of the iceberg. The Australian wine landscape is flooded with cracking young producers who are pushing boundaries and shaking things up. We'll be bringing you each and every one of them over the next 12 months!
But, in the meantime, here's a small hit list to get you started!
Koerner
Born and raised in the Clare Valley, brothers Damon and Jono Koerner are now redefining the region with vibrant modern wines made predominantly from their family's vineyard Gullyview in the Watervale sub-region.
Mum and Dad have farmed the site for almost four decades. Now the boys are pushing the fruit in brave new directions. They play with a mix of 'classic' Clare Valley varieties such as Riesling, Cabernet and Malbec and a suite of alternate varieties that show a different side of this iconic Australian wine region.
With fruit sourced from their own family vineyard and the surrounding Watervale region and a move toward more contemporary winemaking, utilising terracotta and ceramic for fermenting and making as little additions as possible in the winery, it's easy to see why their star is on the rise.
Watch out for plenty more top-notch juice from this family in 2019!
LS Merchants
While Dylan Arvidson was working as a winemaker at Juniper Estate in Margaret River, he and wife Taryn got the itch to hatch their own project.
In 2015 they took the plunge and purchased their first parcel of fruit that would become LS Merchants. These wines offer a fresh look at Margaret River, exploring alternative and underrated varieties and pushing them into exciting new territory.
The wines are made with as little interference as possible and are produced only a barrel or two at a time. In just a few short years, LS Merchants has become one of THE names to watch in the West. Their 2019 is going to be a blinder.
Mallaluka
After years of roaming the Australian outback, young Sam Leyshon returned home to the Canberra region and hooked himself a job at Clonakilla. Now with that invaluable experience under his belt, he has taken over the winemaking reins at his family winery in Yaas, an hour north-west of Canberra.
His dynamic wines have already caused quite a stir as he finds his own winemaking groove. These are modern wines that reflect the changing face of the Canberra/NSW high country wine regions. He makes wines with a wild side, they are made with minimal intervention and are insane value for money.
With Sam in the driver's seat, Mallaluka is one of the rising stars of the region, bringing a unique light and shade to the Canberra district.
Two Tonne Tasmania
Without question one of Tasmania's breakout producers of the last few years has been young Ricky Evans as he has released hit after hit under his Two Tonne Tasmania label.
His focus is on Pinot Noir, predominantly from the Tamar Valley. By offering his services as a vineyard manager, Ricky has managed to get his hands on some very high-quality fruit at 'mates' rates. In a region where fruit prices are skyrocketing, this has proved to be a great way to keep his fruit prices down and offer incredible value in his TMV and Ziggurat labels.
Watch Ricky fly this year as his range expands a little and his production cranks up a notch. His are the kind of wines that you will tell your friends in five years that you've been buying since before he was the 'Next-Big-Thing'. Get in on his "small parcels of big love" while you can.
Golden Child
One of the hottest new acts out of the Adelaide Hills in the last few years has been the emergence of the joyous and highly smashable wines of James Hamilton at Golden Child.
Using grapes grown by his father David from his own vineyard in Kuitpo in the southern Adelaide Hills, James uses his wealth of winemaking experience to bring the wines to bottle.
Having their own 20+-year-old vineyard gives the Hamiltons enormous flexibility with the wines and allows James to craft some pretty unique offerings. The fruit is all hand-picked, fermented with natural yeasts and crafted together gently and with minimum additions.
With new varieties in the ground on his Dad's vineyard and a healthy cult following swelling behind him, James is primed to well and truly hit his straps in 2019.
Dune
If there's a more promising project coming out McLaren Vale at the moment than the devastatingly delicious wines of Dune, we haven't seen it.
Duncan and Peter Lloyd are the sons of Mark and Mary Kathleen of Coriole wines. They are on a serious hot streak, cranking out totally original blends from their Blewitt Springs vineyard.
The grapes are farmed organically, the wines are made with a gentle touch, but rather than let the 'minimal intervention' philosophy hem them in with dogma, the boys are free to tinker and blend as they see fit.
These are fantastic, energetic wines that have set a cracking pace with only a few vintages under the brand's belt. Keep your eyes peeled for what's next for the brothers Lloyd.
The reviews of these wines so far have been excellent. We expect much more of the same from the boys through 2019.
To try the wares of any or all these pic new-wave producers, you'll find them all here...