Sand Road Grenache 2024 is Hither & Yon's take on the lighter, fresher style of Grenache McLaren Vale has become known for over the past decade. Pale ruby in the glass, it looks closer to a rosé than a typical warm-climate red, and pours just as invitingly as it looks.

Red cherry, raspberry and dried herbs sit on a perfumed, floral nose, and the palate stays light-bodied and juicy, with fine, silky tannin rather than grip. Its lower weight keeps it lively glass to glass, and a faint white pepper note adds a savoury lift underneath the fruit, with a touch of red liquorice showing on the mid-palate.

The finish is fresh and savoury, with a faint spiciness lingering after the fruit fades, rather than any heaviness or heat working against it.

Serve it lightly chilled with charcuterie, a mushroom tart or grilled fish, where its lightness and acid line suit food a heavier red would overpower.

It is a wine for drinking young, ideally within its first two years, while its freshness and perfume are at their peak.