Apparently, 40 is the new 30. Or such. I hit the big 40 on Friday and to celebrate; I've been digging deep into the cellar (and beyond) and using it …
Mount Gambier has a surprising volume of Pinot Noir in the ground. Limestone soils too. But Pinot country? Yeah nah. The delicacy is almost never there. Even for the Coola …
Woah. Deadly serious Yarra sparkling is this Seville Estate Blanc de Blancs 2017. Wild fermented, barrel matured, spends 10 months in old barrels, 30 months on lees and zero dosage. …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Ambitious Nebbiolo from the Willoughby Bridge Vineyard. Spends 54 days on skins and 16 months in barrel. Light coppery red, the nose is quite floral, if tinged with brick dust …
Fun fact: Shiraz makes up over 25% of all winegrapes crushed in Australia, and South Australia has the largest vineyard area with 76,292ha (Wine Australia figures 19/20). But what I want …
Old vines is the angle behind this Tahbilk Old Vines Cabernet Shiraz 2017, of which Tahbilk has no shortage. The first note here is alcohol. Then the palate kicks in with …
I feel like a broken record, but this Blue Pyrenees Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is another gruff and robust Cabernet. The pick of the estate range, which is full of gruff …
Robust is putting it mildly - this Taylors St Andrews Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is a beast. Minty, firm and uncompromising, with oak lifting up the palate, but tannins squaring it off again. …
It's a bit rough-edged, but this Hastwell & Lightfoot Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 has heart and power. Smoked chocolate oak, some varietal/regional mint and a burly, true McLaren Vale Cabernet palate. The …
Australian Chardonnay is in the midst of a purple patch, with quality - and value - as good as it has ever been, as this collection of the 16 best …
Notch up this Oates Ends Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 as another top shelf Margaret River Cabernet from Cath Oates, just like previous high quality releases (like this one). Maybe a little more …
Always sexy oak on these Levantine wines. Another fine release is this Levantine Hill Chardonnay 2017 is too, lightly mealy with lemon butter, a coiffed palate of perfectly even fruit …
Its easy to become a Yangarra Grenache fanboy. Every wine has an unquestioned charisma, a sense of 'round peg in round hole' correctness about them that is unmistakable. This '17 …
The latest step forward into premium wine for Bill Calabria and family, this Calabria Alternato 2017 is an unusual blend of Barossa Durif, Nero d’Avola, Montepulciano and Shiraz. Blackberry fruited, warm …
Mark this Forty Paces Pinot Noir 2017 on the 'try me ' sheet. Setup by Jason Peasley in 2001, Forty Paces is a 1.5ha plot at Pipers Creek in the Macedon …
This Longview Devils Elbow Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 is solid Adelaide Hills Cabernet, but honestly, the Saturno brothers should just graft this over to Nebbiolo (which they do so well). Dusty and …
Today is Cabernet Day, which, like all the other days, no one cares about bar a handful of marketers. But you know that already. Rather than stew on why we need …
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