An Aussie Châteauneuf-du-Pape

2006 Charles Melton, Nine Popes, Barossa Valley, South Australia (£24.95, Philglas & Swiggot, 020-7924 4494; Bennetts Fine Wines, 01386-840392; Hanging Ditch, 0161-832 8222; Rannoch Scott Wines, 01787-281944; Harrogate Fine Wine Co, 01423-522270).

Charlie Melton launched his first ever vintage of Nine Popes live on air, on the old GLR 94.9FM radio station, during a wine slot that I used to host every week in the late eighties.

A hilarious moment came when I asked him how he came up with the name for the wine. He looked at me oddly and nudged me in the ribs and said "You know, Jukesy, Chteauneuf-du-Pape!" I spluttered and replied, "Charlie, that means the new Chteau of the Pope, not the Nine Popes!"

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Well, bearing in mind the recent furores at the BBC over blue language on air, Charlie's Anglo-Saxon expletive was lucky not to send the entire studio up in flames. Thankfully, we were all laughing so much that not one complaint came in. 2006 is the best vintage of this grenache/shiraz wine (modelled on the aforementioned Southern Rhne classic) in ages.

Matthew Jukes is a winner of the International Wine & Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year.

Matthew Jukes has been the MoneyWeek wine correspondent since 2006.

He has worked in the UK wine business for well over three decades and during this time has written 14 wine books. His four highly-acclaimed, annual wine reports – the Burgundy En Primeur Report, the Bordeaux En Primeur Report, the Piemonte Report and the 100 Best Australian Wines – are published on his website.

Matthew is a winner of the International Wine and Spirit Competition's Communicator of the Year Trophy. His thoughts, recommendations and tastings notes are followed very closely by the wine world at large.