There's nothing half-hearted about this chunky Clare Valley red. It's awash with dark berries, dark chocolate, and other dark things, with some mint and a little cedary cigar box characters just for good measure. Oh yes, this is full bodied red wine for sitting fireside (it would even taste good out of a mug) that warms up your soul and makes the world right again.

The Clare Valley is a lovely mix of families that have been around for generations with the region producing wine since the 1850s thanks to the Jesuit priests at Sevenhill. Kevin Mitchell is winemaking royalty in this neck of the woods, with the Mitchell name found all about the Valley. Kevin’s main winemaking job is at Kilikanoon, where he founded the winery in 1997. However, winemakers are suckers for punishment, and he started up his label, Woodvale, in 2006 with his wife Kathleen. We are extremely happy at Good Pair Days to share these wines with you and introduce you to the wonder of Kevin Mitchell. It must be said that you need to be prepared to have a spare hour every time you chat to him, however the reward is worth it in the case of extremely tidy wines that will have you smiling for days. Woodvale is a nod to classic winemaking done well, which is a perfect way to sum up the Clare Valley as a whole and folk like Kevin.