It seems this celebrity wine thing isn't going away. Following closely on the release of Ricky Ponting's new wines, comes another celeb drinks project backed by the same group. This time, however, it's …
As announced on Facebook late last week, Damien Tscharke is closing his popular Barossa cellar door permanently to focus on vineyard and wines. It's a bold move. Bold, but I don't …
'I want to make the vineyards the story, and not the winemaker'. That's not your usual Barossan winemaker line. Not in a region where the mantra is about blending, and often …
This didn't feel like a normal NYE. But with a toddler, what counts a 'normal' NYE anyway? More importantly, who cares about New Years? Regardless, I opened plenty of tasty drinks …
Not all wines can be great. Plenty are just ok drinks. And some are just bad. Here then is a selection of wines that almost made it to a pass mark …
The evolution of Angove's premium wine push continues. This McLaren Vale red comes off the now certified organic, circa 90yo Warboys vineyard and it looks every bit the artisan Vale …
I feel like a broken record, but here is another ‘good’ Coonawarra red that might have been great with less oak. This Patrick of Coonawarra Home Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 …
Balgownie’s best work is in reds, but Tony Winspear has proven his hand with some white outliers. This Balgownie Estate Viognier 2019is the first straight estate Viognier bottling since 2010 with …
Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Joyous Festivus (take your pick of chosen intro). This has been a very weird Christmas for us. Here, situated in the only part of Australia in lockdown, Christmas …
My not-so-hot-take - Mencia can make profound red wines and I can't wait until we get the vine age/clones/site selection etc etc for it to align for quality. This La …
Barbera is such a promising variety for the Adelaide Hills, the range of styles as diverse as it is in Piedmont. This RedHeads Rusty Roof Barbera 2019 fits into the …
From Daniel and Jenni Payne's Dirt Candy label; part of the new wave of Hunter wine, complete with a suite of pet nats and such. This is an outlier too …
Another joyful, incredibly well-priced McLaren Vale red from Allan Varney. This Varney Entrada G.M.T 2019 is a blend of Blewitt Springs & Seaview Grenache, Whites Valley $ Blewitt Springs Mourvèdre, …
I wish these Zema wines were just a little less overt. More elegance, tone down the oak and alcohol. This Zema Estate Family Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2015, for instance, is …
Refreshment, thy name is Castle Rock Estate Riesling 2020. As ever, Gardenia aromatics, ultra crisp lemon, lemongrass and grapefruit, the palate trim, sour in a correct lemony form. It’s very …
Puglian Primitivo can be delicious. But mostly it's either a bit too ripe and Zin-light (which is a serious trend), or it's a lean, and lightly herbal dry red. Sometimes …
Yarra Valley in full luncheon claret mode. That's the pitch with this Zonzo Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 in all its leafy, elegant glory. It's understated, driven by acidity, elegance and …
This takes a different turn in 2020. The Tahbilk Marsanne 2020 is riper, fuller, more honeyed... and all together more everything. More honeydew and less green melon, the acid still …
Notch this up as another interesting Susuro release. Friuliano, from the Mornington Peninsula, that appears to be barrel matured but the tasting notes thing is a bit ambiguous. Golden yellow, …
Robust. That's how you can describe the Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2016. Dark colours, blackberry coulis on the nose and thick, berried palate edging towards overripeness, the tannins drying out the …
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 environment.
Twenty years later and I spend my days wearing many (wine) hats, mostly as a writer, presenter and marketer.
I now judge at wine shows around the world, sit on the Australian Wine List of the Year awards panel and was once a Wine Journalism Young Gun (but baby that was years ago).
Currently, I write features for a variety of publications including National Liquor News, Gourmet Traveller WINE and the RAS, plus I'm a former Lifestyle FOOD channel wine expert.
In 2019 and 2020 I was voted in the Top 30 Best Wine Critics in The World, and in my spare time, I'm a sucker for punishment and run trail ultra marathons, much to the delight of my long-suffering family. Read more about me here or get in touch to book your next wine event with me here