After getting stuck into Penfolds this week for a lack of authenticity in their mooted new releases, I figure it's only right today to highlight a producer that is making genuine wines. Schwarz Wine Co. is …
Penfolds have announced this week that they're going to become a truly international winemaker, revealing plans to begin making a Napa Valley red and a Champagne. No, I didn't make that up. What is arguably Australia's most …
Obviously it's July now (not June), but I did a quick trawl through the tasting book today and it revealed an interesting stat - Riesling, Chardonnay and Semillon make up the bulk of the white …
After just over two weeks in the Hawaiian warmth I'm back at the desk and into the grind today, labouring through Sydney's chilly mid-winter with sunshine but a dream. Despite trying hard, I drank very little …
There's always questions when the founder of a famous winery leaves. Will the wine style change? Prices go up? Labels disappear? No matter how many times the new owner says that it will be 'business as …
Believe the hype, the 2014 Hunter Valley vintage really is that good. Or at least that's what I wrote back in 2015, when it was being bandied about as 'the vintage of the century'. But three years …
It's almost like Spain doesn't exist. Here in Australia we bow down at the feet of the best French and Italian red wines, willingly forking out mega dollars for Burgundy and wads of cash for Barolo. …
I love it when interesting new wines from unknown wineries (to me at least) turn up at the door. It's like wine Christmas. Brackenwood is a vineyard at Kuitpo in the Adelaide Hills owned by ex-somm …
Alkoomi White Label Frankland River Shiraz 2016 More than once on this site I've had the criticism that I don't talk enough about widely-available, well-priced wines (and probably fair enough too). Consider this Alkoomi White Label Frankland …
From great value quaffers to absolute train wrecks, this month's compilation of 'almost' wines is a biggun'. I'm always conscious of my prejudice against overripeness and heavy-handed oak, but I call both as symptoms of poor …
Following on from last month's focus on other reds and Shiraz, this May I'm all about red blends. It's always frustrating that we seem so singularly focused on mono-varietal wines in Australia, as it often makes for less …
Sorry everyone, I failed. Last week, I said that I'd try to post some tidbits from my time judging at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in Beijing, China. Except I didn't event get close. Long days …
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.