Welcome to tranche 2 of the #MonthofAndrew wines. I probably haven't hit the cellar as hard this birthday with the imminent baby arrival (just over two weeks until due date), but this collection - opened at …
Usually, verticals have a purpose. An excuse for the winery to show off a wine, launch a new one, or just to remind everyone how good something used to be. But sometimes, a vertical has …
Oh yes, this is a big edition! As the name suggests, these are the 34 wines that almost made the Australian Wine Review top grade (of 17/20 or 90/100+) this month. Some missed the mark by a …
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 …
Here are a few of the wines that have passed the desk this month and almost made the grade. Some weren't far off the mark, others are absolute disasters. A few big disappointments of note: The …
Two years ago Xavier Bizot of Terre à Terre held a tasting comparing a selection of the 'old world' of the new world. A group of wines that you'd call Cabernet classics, vs some newer …
I'm in notebook digging mode this week and landed upon my scribbles from this year's Masters of Wine Sydney 2012 Bordeaux tasting. I make it a habit to go to this every year, as it offers …
It feels like I've had a lot of premium Cabernet over the past few weeks, especially after the Voyager extravaganza and the Margaret River 50th Anniversary tastings. But no point in stopping now is there? This collection …
In 1966 a research paper by University of WA agronomist Dr John Gladstones was released that declared Margaret River's climate of wet winter, moderate dry summers and gravelly soils ideal for viticulture. Inspired, Perth cardiologist Tom …
Each year Voyager Estate do a masterclass that is not to be missed. Pitting their own Cabernet and Chardonnay against the very best in a blind tasting, it's one of those events you don't miss …
While I didn't get much time to look at these new releases from Yarra Valley's Yeringberg, it was a pleasure to check in with wines that I really like. Sandra De Pury was doing the …
I've always wondered why sparkling red is viewed with disdain by some Australian wine writers. It seems curious to attack a style that is very much our own, works well with our climate and tastes …
It's that time again! These wines haven't quite made it into full review status this month. I'm a bit behind (living out of a suitcase does that), hence why this list is longer than normal. Ten Minutes …
This is the final instalment of notes from the recent Negociants Working With Wine Tuscany seminars. What is Working With Wine? Start here, then here, here and here). So far in this series I've covered off Flight 1: Sangiovese in …
It's that time again. These wines haven't quite made a full write up this month. Odds and ends... Sunshine Creek Yarra Valley Cabernets 2013 No back label. Feel the mystery! Not quite in the same realm as the …
The Masters of Wine (MW) bandwagon rolled through town on the weekend, with local students (not me) diving in for another round of intensive wine study. Personally, I look on in admiration at anyone willing to …
The quest for quality BYO restaurants in my area (Sydney's northern beaches) is an endless pursuit. Sure, there are plenty of quality restaurants. There are also plenty of BYO restaurants. But there are precious few that …
While I don't always share his point of view (he fired some cheap shots at me years ago and wouldn't print the replies. But that's another story), I read with interest Tony Keys' investigation of …
Redman Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot 2009 I was banging on just last week about the need to drink Redman Cabernets with bottle age. Consider this, a six year old, as prime evidence, Mid red with minimal signs of …
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.