I spend most Wednesday nights with my best friend, Jenny. Both fresh off a workout, she whips up a salad or pasta and I bring the wine. With the yo-yo heat wave, I’ve been sticking to interesting, minerally whites that do well with all kinds of foods and cost less than $15.

But last night, with the sun significantly milder, I decided to bring a red, something soft enough to work if we went with salad, but hearty enough to stand up to a red pasta sauce. I went with a 2005 Friday Monkey Shiraz. I know what you’re thinking — South Eastern Australian Shiraz would squash a salad with its near 16 percent alcohol, right? Not this one.

The wine, which retails for about $8, was quite balanced, with light tannins, blackberry aromas and flavors and a spicy, American oak finish. We decanted the wine and drank it over three episodes of “Mad Men.” This morning, Emmy nominations were announced, and “Mad Men” walked away with a whopping 16. I think Friday Monkey deserves at least that many accolades.

Check out their other selections, including a Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet-Merlot blend, by visiting the store locater on their web site.

This is a lovely, soft blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre from some of the oldest vines in the world.

The early settlers came to Australia’s Barossa Valley with vine cuttings from James
Busby’s collection gathered during his trip to France and Spain in 1831. Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvédre were some of the very first red grape varieties planted and these low yielding, old dry grown bush vines survive today.

In the glass, the wine is cherry red and medium bodied. The nose is full of currants and raspberries and the flavor reminds me of herb-dusted dark berries. It’s a very well balanced wine and the initial blow of alcohol, though not particularly high at 14.5%, disappears with a little breathing.

If I made lamb, I’d serve this with a roasted version covered in herbs. But since I don’t I had it with Zachary’s pizza. Those herb-marinated tomatoes loved the wine. Get it online at Peter Lehman Wines for $16.

I’ve got Australia on the brain. And wine not? They are the number two supplier of imported wines to the US. Their wines are complex without being over-the-top. You can always spot a Barossa Valley Shiraz for its velvet luxury. Aussies make the best sparkling roses and their Reislings are dry enough to pass for Sauvingnon Blanc. An Aussie’s wit is even drier. They’ve never taken themselves too seriously. And they keep their prices just as accessible as their wines. Here are some of my favorites:

Yellowglen "Yellow" or "Pink" Southeastern Australian Sparkling NV. Get it at BevMo for around $10.

Jacob’s Creek Sparkling Rose NV. Have it with salmon or  something garlicky.

Hardy’s South Australian Sparkling Shiraz NV. Deep purple and berry delicious. Usually runs under $20.

Cullen Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2003. Big enough to be a Shiraz but smooth enough to be an aged California Cabernet. A really unbelievable wine.

Did you know the Aussies start their winemakers early? Since 1992, students at Nuriootpa High School in the Barossa Valley have been making and bottling a shiraz and a chardonnay, designing the wine labels and developing sales and marketing strategies. The only thing we made in high school was posters.

So do the wines suck? Actually, no. They cost $20-$45 and are so good that The Grateful Palate here in the CA imports the Nurioopta High Wines. The vines used for the Shiraz are the same ones that go into E&E Black Pepper Shiraz, and if you’ve had that you know it’s good. Grateful Palate sends the money from the sales back to the school to help pay for winemaking equpiment. Some seniors may be lucky enough to taste the labor. The drinking age in Australia is 18.