After such a shit year, surely it's time you spoilt yourself this Christmas? An excuse to open something even more special? Something, like the exceptional Hickinbotham The Peake Cabernet Shiraz …
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 …
This Tapanappa Whalebone Cab Shiraz 2016 sure packs in flavour, but it would be more compelling if it was less ripe. 85% Wrattonbully Cabernet and 15% Adelaide Hills Shiraz (from the …
Just like any of the recent vintages (like this, or way back here) this Wirra Wirra Church Block 2018 is a success. A reminder that affordable, widely available reds don't …
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 …
This year, Xavier Bizot & Lucy Croser have made the decision to rationalise the Terre à Terre range to a trio of red blends (and a Sauvignon Blanc). This Terre …
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 over the past few …
In what has become a semi-annual event, I ventured out into the Armageddon-esque sideways rain on Saturday to taste the trophy winners (and more) from the Sydney International Wine Competition. You're …
Terre à Terre Red 2016No fucking about with naming conventions, just 'red'. I like. Rouge would have also been acceptable if you're reading this Xavier. I always like the structure …
Not all wines can be great. Plenty are just ok drinks. And some are just bad. Here’s a selection of wines that almost made it in October 2019. I like plenty …
It's been a rough week or so at Graham HQ, as a sniffly 5 month old meant little sleep and not enough wine... So let's keep this tight. As the name …
Here's a wine that I know will brighten up a dour pub list. The Wirra Wirra Church Block 2017 is another reminder that making good $25 wine isn't hard. You …
Auld Family Wines Wilberforce Barossa Cabernet Shiraz 2015 The Auld family name is synonymous with South Australian wine, with William Patrick (Pat) Auld known as one of the early Adelaide vignerons. …
Happy New Year! I'm celebrating the start of 2019 with a little tasting note house cleaning, how about you? Actually I'm mainly at the beach. Before we crack out the towels …
Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard Reserve 2015 For the past few vintages, the Terre à Terre label of Xavier Bizot and wife Lucy Croser has been inching towards a truly game-changing …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Q: Have you noticed any trends among the wines this year? A: 'The quality of the 2015 vintage in South Australia and Victoria'. That's James Halliday, talking trends in an article …
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