Chardonnay. Chardonnay and Riesling. Maybe some Semillon. That's a local hierarchy of white grapes I'm happy with. You? There is quite a Chardonnay flavour on Australian Wine Review this week, too, with …
These Deep Down wines are seriously exciting. Organic, lofi Marlborough releases of uncommon intensity. Seriously uncommon. There seems to more layers, more width, extra everything. It doesn't always work - …
This year, for just the second time, saw the release of a Hawke's Bay Chardonnay Collection. Now, a year after the wines were picked, and a few months since they …
Alex Head dropped this, and a pack of other Grenache, around in person a few weeks back, purely to get into the Grenache Day vibe (which started back here). I'm …
It's a mouthful but a good name - Fowles Ladies Who Shoot Their Lunch Wild Ferment Shiraz 2019. Matt Fowles has co-authored a book on wine and friendship called Weekends …
This Oakridgee Willowlake Chardonnay 2020 is easily my favourite wine of the 2020 Oakridge Chardonnay lineup, and feels so much grander (and riper) than the rest. White peach, fig, grilled …
Ultimately, this Tapanappa Whalebone Merlot Cabernet Franc 2018 is too firm and ripe to be great. But maybe, just maybe, it's too young by half and I'm going to look …
My first degree was in environmental management, and despite the skills I picked up proving useful use in wine writing, I still feel that they're somewhat wasted years. So, what …
While it doesn't hit the same heights as the first release, this Tim Smith Wines Barossa Rosé 2022 is entirely drinkable. Barossan Mataro fruite, crafted using barrels and tank for fermentation, …
Not all wines can be great. Plenty are just ‘ok drinks’, and some are just bad… Here is a selection of 22 wines that almost made it in September 2022. As ever, …
Want to know what the best part about wine show judging is? The judge's dinner. That's because the judging is less glamorous than you'd think. Often, it's a mouth-destroying slog, with …
This is great. A great wine and a great drink - and all at 13.5% alcohol. So what's the secret of the Yangarra King’s Wood Shiraz 2020? It obviously starts in …
This McWilliam’s Hanwood Estate Classic Tawny NV is the five-year-old, entry-level wine the Hanwood Tawny range, and it's a relative bargain. Rich and sweet and mouthfillin in that rich tawny …
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. But then, I fell in love with wine and craft beer, and it took over my life.
Twenty three years later and I spend my days wearing many beverage hats and judge at wine shows around the world...Read more