I was thinking just this week that I didn't declare what my wine of the year was. There was no ceremony. No trophy, nor a jumbo cheque with my face …
The end of December and early January is an excellent time of year for reducing the size of the sample pile (or the sample wardrobe in my case). Many winemakers/PR folk …
When it's still 25C at 9pm who wants to drink heavy oaky reds? Not me. So today, let's look at six red wines that champion drinkability instead of trying to be …
Oh yes, these new Macedon Ranges wines from Balgownie Estate are special. So special that when I cracked the Pinot, in particular, I had to email winemaker Tony Winspear to …
Each time I taste another well made 'alternative' variety from the King Valley I thank phylloxera. That's because, when everyone's nightmare grape louse swept through the region between 1991 and 1995, …
Welcome to 2022! Taking out the recycling over the past few days reminded me that a) I drink plenty of beer b) there were some seriously fine wines opened over the …
Merry Christmas! After 2020's locked down non-Christmas, we're looking forward to a classic family Christmas this year. Ham, seafood, Jingle Bells, more ham, sparkling red, etc. In further good news, I …
Despite what you might expect, getting rosé right is a challenge. Well, it has to be, because so much rosé is terrible. What always irks with typical monosyllabic modern pink wines …
I was reading on Andrew Caillard's new site (the Vintage Journal, published alongside Angus Hughson, well worth a read) that the famous '63 Mildara Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon (aka the legendary …
Medium-bodied and less overt Yarra Valley' claret' in a warm year mode - that's the vibe with this Steels Gate Cabernets 2018. It's a blend of 85% Cab Sauv & …
God this is good for $15. Many of the Quilty & Gransden wines have been smart (and with the hits I think '$15 is madness') but this Quilty & Gransden …
While not quite as minimalist as the 2019 Vineyard Series I reviewed earlier, this Oakridge 864 Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 is another entirely elegant, and very classy wine, let alone another …
It always feels like you're stepping back in time with these Zema reds, harking back to the early noughties in winemaking style. That's not necessarily a bad thing mind you, …
Prepare yourself, these 2019 Oakridge Cabs are very different beasts to most Australian Cabernet-based reds. One peek at the alcohol on this Oakridge Vineyard Series Oakridge Cabernet 2019 tells the story …
At 18, I started working in a small suburban bottleshop, largely to buy cheap beer. It was my first year of university, slogging through physics and chemistry, so a liquor shop seemed like fun. Needless to say, I discovered wine, and my life evolved with a unique dual focus - wine and the environment.
Twenty one years later and I spend my days wearing many (wine) hats, mostly as a writer, presenter and marketer. and judge at wine shows around the world...Read more