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 …
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 …
This edition of the Almost Club is a few days late as I was busily not doing much in Noosa (photo attached. We love Noosa). Here than are 20 wines that almost hit the mark in …
Wine shows cop a lot of flack. You need only read the feedback to my post on the 2018 Sydney Royal Wine Show exhibitors tasting to see that. But is it justified? And indeed do …
Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Johannisbrünnchen Eiswein 2004 I'm filing this in the 'great wines that I only get to taste, not drink'. J.J. Prum's wines can take a few years to come around, but even at 14 …
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 …
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 …
Chateau d'Yquem 1990-2011: Working With Wine Flight 4 This was the final flight in the 2016 Negociants Working With Wine seminar series and easily the most anticipated. Check out the other flights here, here and here …
Working With Wine Highlights: Flight 3 2007 Sauternes You're probably best starting here for this series of posts. The 3rd flight introduced some bottle age into the equation and, despite it being another strong vintage, I was less …
Working With Wine Highlights: Flight 2 Sauternes 2013 (inc. '13 d'Yquem) Following on from yesterday's Flight of top sweet wines, today it is all about Sauternes, with the excellent 2013 vintage on offer. 2013 is considered to …
Working With Wine Highlights: Sweet Wines Flight 1 It seems like the second half of 2016 has passed by in a flash. Year. Gone. It's only now, however, that I'm finally in control of things. Kinda. Anyway, I'm going …
Riversdale's premium botrytis Riesling. Circa 160g/L residual sugar. Bottled early from what I can gather. Oh and no, I didn't drink this with the miso... Big hit of botrytis on the nose here. Too much. There's …
This the second part of my report from the recent MW Bordeaux 2011 tasting in Sydney, with the first part here. Fun fact - the only Bordeaux I've ever bought en primeur was Sauternes. Indeed, I've …
I've always counted Huntington Estate as one of the forgotten labels of the wine industry. The sort that just to blend into the fabric of the wine industry and either keep on keeping on, working …
I liked Verona. There's something beautifully romantic about this northern Italian city, the sentiment extending well beyond the tourists and tacky selfies in front of Juliet's Balcony. Romance, great food, and vines surrounding the city in many …
Bordeaux 2010: An IMW mega tasting of 20+ top Bordeaux Tasting young Cabernet is hard. Actually, it's not technically hard at all, just unfun. Sure, you can recognise potential, and the great wines do look great. But …
De Bortoli Deen Riverina Bortrytis Semillon 2009 For my money this is the best value sweet wine in the country. No question. In fact, I'd probably choose this over De Bortoli's more favoured Noble One most …
Blue Pyrenees Pyrenees Botrytis Riesling 2010 This won 2013 International Sweet Wine of the Year at the International Sweet Wine Challenge, a lofty title indeed for a wine that can be picked up at the members …
Kellermeister Eden Valley Eiswein 2010 An Eden Valley Gewurztraminer ice wine? Tricky. Hand-picked grapes are slowly frozen over 2 weeks and whole bunch pressed when frozen. But this doesn't tasty tricky. Just odd. Almost Muscat like in …
Westend 3 Bridges RIverina Botrytis Semillon 2011 Am I the only one who finds actually drinking most Australian botrytis styles hard work? All that sugar. So little refreshment. The better wines, however, at least counter the marmalade unctuousness …
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.