For John Hughes, the attraction to Riesling is all encompassing. Growing up on a small vineyard in the Clare Valley, and going on to work with some of the brightest Riesling makers in the country before launching his own venture, John is never far away from his beloved grape. John makes classic Australian styles from carefully selected vineyards with an emphasis on purity and site reflection, as well as German-inspired expressions that balance acidity and sugar with singular precision.

Rieslingfreak No.5, like No.3 is made from the family vineyard, but with the grapes harvested from a vineyard with lighter soils therefore providing a lighter style of wine. The  grapes are harvested earlier in the season, to provide a wine that is slightly less in alcohol. Being ‘off dry’ the sugar level can vary each vintage, pending on the season, normally between 11-15g/L. The sugar is balanced nicely with the acid, providing a fruit driven style with a hint of sweetness. The wine drinks well on release, or will reward with cellaring.

Some of the most charming, easy-to-drink, fun wines on the planet are made from riesling in an off-dry style. This doesn't miss a trick. It has the skittish crimps and crackles of saline minerality found in bone-dry riesling, but offers up the gentle lip-plumping of honeyed citrus and red apple fruitiness that are the tells of residual sugar. There's no sense of 'sweet wine' here, just a textural nod and a fruitiness. The balance is sublime. Wildly drinkable and charming. Date: Aug 2026; Alcohol: 10.5%; Price: $29.00; Drink by: 2030; Rating: 95 Points & Special Value Star; James Halliday Wine Companion