Team Shaw + Smith, I dip my lid. If ever there was an advertisement for how professionalism and a search for continuous improvement can deliver ever better wines, then let it …
It's that time again. After a long weekend - and with another one on the way - the Graham wine fridge needs a top up, and I'm looking to you for …
You remember when I pumped up the little brother wine to this new Tapanappa Tiers 1.5m Chardonnay 2021? This is a significant step up. Different though. Drawn from the close-planted block …
For the back half of this working week, I'm in our nation's capital, Canberra, to judge at the Winewise Championship. This is one of my favourite wine shows on the calendar, …
Besides the obvious wine quality, what I always like about the new vintage release of the latest Tapanappa wines is the commentary from Brian Croser. Come for the Chardonnay, stay …
2020 was a tricky vintage for the Hills (fire, uneven flowering, the lot). You can see it in this lean and unready Longview Macclesfield Chardonnay 2020. Part of the excellent Macclesfield …
I haven't been opening anywhere near enough fizz lately. Maybe it's because I've taken my eye off the bubbles train. Or maybe it's a lack of celebrations/excuses to open fizz. Maybe …
We don't get out much anymore (small child + COVID), so when a birthday/excuse to celebrate comes up, it's an opportunity to drink and eat well. On Saturday, I turned 41, …
Not all wines can be great. Plenty are just ok drinks. And some are just bad. Here is a selection of wine that almost made it in December 2021 & January …
I want to talk about how much I like these new Lyons Will Estate releases. But also, it's a good excuse to talk about why, of all the mainland Australian …
I've enjoyed so much of Sam Coverdale's recent releases under the Even Keen/Polperro labels. Aside from the overly broad Field Blend, there have been no misses and many gold medals. …
What a pleasure to check in on another top dog Chardonnay from the Burch family (after the Marchand & Burch) that really delivers. This Howard Park Allingham Chardonnay 2018 comes …
This needed to happen, really. After last week's list of the Top 4 wines of 2021 was so bluntly biased to unaffordability (would you like the $350 Cab Shiraz of the …
The end of December and early January is an excellent time of year for reducing the size of the sample pile (or the sample wardrobe in my case). Many winemakers/PR folk …
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. But then, I fell in love with wine and craft beer, and it took over my life.
Twenty three years later and I spend my days wearing many beverage hats and judge at wine shows around the world...Read more