A few weeks ago, the Drinks Trade team spent three days in the Riverland with Hill Smith Family Estates and Oxford Landing Wines.
At the centre of this trip was a focus on the brand’s industry-leading sustainability initiatives, which will be covered in full in the soon-to-be-published special 50th edition of Drinks Annual.
Additionally, it also offered insight into the challenges of making wine at scale – which we covered digitally in this feature article.
However, the timing of the immersive also coincided with a number of important updates for Oxford Landing’s core range portfolio, which, unlike its Endeavour Group and Coles Liquor exclusive ranges, is indended for independent liquor retailers both within Australia and further afield.
Newly launched ahead of the festive trading period are three new SKUs – Cuvée NV, Moscato, and Juicy Red – along with a portfolio-wide packaging refresh designed to improve the brand’s look and feel on shelf:
The new packaging offers clearer brand communication and boosts shelf presence
Here is what the Drinks Trade Tasting Panel thought of the three new-release wines:
Oxford Landing Cuvée NV
Our thoughts: “A balanced, acid-driven sparkling with good freshness and balanced sweetness. Flavours of lemon drop lolly, red apple, hint of musk. Acute acid vein and a light and summery profile. Simple but smartly crafted. Offers awesome value for money.”
Who’s it for: “Great value and proudly local bubbles, perfect for summer sharing or mixing in spritzes. A strong new contender in the sub-$15 Aussie sparkling shelf.”
ABV: 11.5%
RRP: $13
Oxford Landing Moscato 2025
Our thoughts: “The surprise of the lineup, this moscato is lightly spritzed and displays ripe, sweet juicy mango, honey and floral flavours. Med+ sweetness, but with enough acidity to balance making this fresh-fruit forward. Sweet and soft mouthfeel, and an aroma that jumps from the glass.”
Who’s it for: “Moscato drinkers looking for something new/good value, but also as a budget-oriented mid-strength wine option. While sweet, smart winemaking avoids the syrupy style many moscatos fall into and the fresh flavours will be enjoyed by many.”
ABV: 8%
RRP: $13
Oxford Landing Juicy Red 2024
Our thoughts: “Red frog lolly, juicy cherry, spiced plum and vanilla. Balanced sugar and acid and a soft gentle mouthfeel. Best served chilled. A modern wine from the 67 year old wine brand, and at a very affordable price. Also great to have a gateway wine in line with category trends to help build category and educate consumers.”
Who’s it for: “A modern, chillable red that will appeal to younger LDA consumers and that will attract a new cohort of consumers. Also may even appeal to more established wine consumers looking for something fun and affordable amid the current cost of living pressures.”
ABV: 12.5%
RRP: $13
In addition to these three new additions Drinks Trade decided to spotlight two more of the existing wines in the lineup: Sauvignon Blanc and Shiraz.
Both are longstanding stalwarts of the Oxford Landing wine brand both domestically and in key export markets, including in the UK, where it is the best-selling Australian Sauvignon Blanc brand.
Oxford Landing Sauvignon Blanc 2025
Our thoughts: “The most popular Australian SB in the UK, and the most important wine in the Oxford Landing lineup – and for good reason. An affordable price point and layers of tropical fruit, but with a defining softness. Palate is full of lime zest, passionfruit, papaya, lemon myrtle and subtle gooseberry undertones. Light and gentle structure with a sugar roundness. A crowd-pleaser.”
ABV: 10.5%
RRP: $13
Oxford Landing Shiraz 2024
Our thoughts: “Nose displays notes of ripe sweet plum and blackberry fruits, supported by subtle pepper spice and florals. The same flavours display on the palate in a classically-styled, big and round profile on the softer sie but with some subtle chalky tannin structure. A great expression of a classic Australian style.”
ABV: 13.5%
RRP: $13
The core Oxford Landing portfolio includes: Cuvée, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Moscato, Rosé, Juicy Red, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz
Dining and Cooking