If you haven't already gone long on 2017 Yarra Valley reds, consider this another reminder. I feel like I say this all the time, but why spend $150 a bottle on variable 1er cru Burgundy when …
Airlie Bank Pinot Noir 2018 Be amazed at the value. Or at least just appreciate how much effort went into a $22 wine. A huge 40% whole bunches in the mix here, and it shows, with …
Soumah Hexham Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017 I'm a card-carrying fan of the 2017 Soumah Pinots. Every egg is a (tasty, varietal) bird. Great colour for this Hexham Vineyard Pinot too. It's a slightly sappy, vinous style …
Castle Rock Pinot Noir 2017 I'm not a massive fan of Great Southern Pinot, purely due to a lack of delicacy. That's a broad generalisation, I know, but convince me otherwise. Meanwhile, this Castle Rock is …
Following on from Monday's article on blends, I thought it only fair to back it up with a selection of the better white and red blends to pass the desk recently. No shortage of interest in …
You know what? Locally, we have a poor attitude towards blends. And it's all the fault of varietal labelling. Over the last thirty years Australia has phased out 'style' labelling - using generic terms such as …
Oakridge Sparkling Meunier 2016 Want an example of the right wine, in the right packaging, at the right price? Little wonder it has now sold out. Dave Bicknell's sparkling Meunier rosé lobs in a style that is …
Leclerc Briant Millesime 2007 Here's a prime example of a good Champagne that could be sublime, but just lacks some vitality. Disgorged in December 2015 and I wonder if sitting around in warehouses and shops since …
Mandala Blanc de Blancs 2015 I'm on a sparkling mode today, though at the moment it's largely beer that I'm drinking sparingly (thanks newborn who doesn't sleep). Anyway, I like this Yarra sparkling. Spends 24 months on …
Domaine Serene Evanstad Reserve Pinot Noir 2014 Great to see more of these better American Pinots in Australia. The prices are mad, but I welcome the diversity. This red from the Willamette Valley spends 16 months …
Petaluma B & V Vineyard Shiraz 2015 Remember when Petaluma was one of the industry benchmarks? Sadly, the brand has had at least 5 ownership changes since then, and the wines are a mere shadow of …
One of the great things about wine is how it can reflect the personality of their maker(s). It doesn't always happen - hard to work out the personality of the 15 winemakers that helped produce a …
If you ever need a reminder of how devastatingly hard the life of a farmer/vigneron can be, look only at New England's Topper's Mountain 2019 'vintage gonski'. On Feb 13th the Topper's crew were gearing up …
Punt Road Pinot Gris 2018 With a newborn now eating up most of my waking hours, for the next couple of weeks the reviews will be a little shorter than normal. Oh and I'm only really …
Let's not bullshit, the vast majority of wines made aren't compelling. They're not. There's a tiny quantity that are compelling, but most are are pleasant, well made, if unexciting. And some wines are just poor. Here …
I'm finally getting back into some sort of normal programming this week, or whatever that means when you're a new parent. The little one is sleeping, but the days now seem to go even faster …
Framingham F-Series Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese 2016 Our little family became three this week, so there is less wine and more not wine/not sleeping.. In fact, I’m typing this with a dozing little one in my other arm. …
BEER: Modus Operandi Future Factory IIIPA Here's a beer that questions just how much is 'too much', the Modus Operandi Future Factory IIIPA. Released on Friday, this hazy 10% alcohol triple IPA may as well have frankenbeer …
It's been fascinating to watch the revival of the big Burgundian negociants. Historically, names like Faiveley, Chanson and Louis Jadot have been treated with a certain disdain here in Australia, tagged as 'just negociant wines'. That's likely …
At 18 I started working in a small suburban bottleshop, largely to buy cheap beer. It was my first year of university, doing a degree that I didn't really like, and a liquor shop seemed like fun. Needless to say I discovered wine, my uni degree morphed into something completely different and wine/beer took over my life.
Almost twenty years later and I currently spend my days wearing many (wine) hats, mostly as a writer, presenter and marketer.
While wearing my writer cap I write features for the likes of National Liquor News, Gourmet Traveller WINE and the RAS plus I'm a Lifestyle FOOD channel wine expert. Read more about me here or get in touch to book your next wine event with me here.