I'm steadily making a dent in the sample pile at the moment, after getting massively behind after my little one was born. She's 8 weeks old now (and beautiful, in my completely unbiased opinion), so things …
Livewire Pinot Noir 2017Livewire is the label of Anthony Brain, who must get dumb jokes about his last name all the time. Meanwhile, I end up with 'Hi Graham' (got one today). Do you see …
Let's check in with some recent Shiraz and Semillon releases from the Hunter Valley (and beyond). A pleasure to see more experimentation with traditional Hunter styles too. Making the same wine in the same way every …
Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio, you do my head in. Here's a variety capable of textural magnificence. Of mouthfilling richness in Alsace or Central Otago, then pure, saline delicacy and effortless freshness in the Veneto. Yet at the same …
Bellvale Pinot Noir 2017 As the old saying goes, you can either have good Pinot or cheap Pinot. But never both. Except for this Bellvale wine. John Ellis' dry-grown Gippsland vineyard can deliver some excellent, concentrated wines, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
It's my birthday this week, and rather than just confine it to a single day I like to stretch out celebrations for a good 3 weeks - the #monthofAndrew. That sounds indulgent, but really it's just …
With the official Graham HQ Chief Chardonnay Drinker 34 weeks pregnant, I'm not opening up as much Chardonnay as normal (outside of tasting lineups). The flip side is that I'm probably drinking more beer than ever …
Christmas is my favourite time of year. The smell of gardenias. The sun. The green grass. The promise of holidays. It's so good. This time of year is also perfect for opening lots of wines. I …
I'm still working out what to drink on Christmas day. I've got most of the usual boxes ticked - Primo Joseph sparkling red, '12 Giaconda Chardonnay maybe and a stray bottle of Pra Monte Grande that …
On Thursday, a squad of Hunter Valley winemakers came to Sydney to show off some new releases at the new Brix Distillery. While I couldn't hang around and drink beer with the lads, they had in …
Mylkappa Wines Pinot Noir Rosè 2017 A new name to me but with plenty of interest. Mylkappa is a small Adelaide Hills vineyard at Birdwood that has largely grown fruit for other producers, only recently turning …
Tapanappa Tiers 1.5m Chardonnay 2017 Another great Tapanappa Chardonnay. Sourced from a block of close-planted vines planted in 2003 on the Tiers property, this is quite a contrast to the more linear Tiers (which still has …
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.