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 to a pass mark …
Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Joyous Festivus (take your pick of chosen intro). This has been a very weird Christmas for us. Here, situated in the only part of Australia in lockdown, Christmas …
Fun fact: Shiraz makes up over 25% of all winegrapes crushed in Australia, and South Australia has the largest vineyard area with 76,292ha (Wine Australia figures 19/20). But what I want …
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 …
Geelong makes better Pinot Noir than Shiraz for mine, though it's a case by case basis. For Austin's it's Pinot all the way. Fun fact - This Austin’s Pinot Noir 2018 …
Chardonnay, like it or not, is still the most important white grape in the country, making up over 45% of all white grapes crushed, and 20% of total grapes crushed, …
A self explanatory title, here are 12 of the best 12 Chardonnay to pass the desk in July 2018. If anything, this list just highlights the high standard of Chardonnay in Australia. …
Bannockburn Extended Lees Contact Geelong Chardonnay 2011 Here's a wine that fits somewhere in between experiment and frankenwine (depending on your perspective). It's a Chardonnay from Bannockburn in Geelong that spent an …
Bannockburn 1314 A.D. Pinot Noir 2016 The last vintage of Bannockburn's entry-level (ish) 1314 Pinot I had was wild. Polarising wild. With 100% whole bunches, it was a sappy, bitter beast that …
Xanadu Reserve Margaret River Chardonnay 2014 Xanadu's run of great Chardonnay continues. This is superb modern Margaret River Chardonnay, of the type that makes people wax lyrical about Chardonnay from the …
The tasting of the year is back again. By my count this is at least the fourth, possibly fifth time I've been to one of Voyager Estate's annual masterclasses and, again, …
Here's another new name to add to the list. Livewire is the label of Anthony Brain, a former chef who has spent time as winemaker for Bellarine Estate and De Bortoli (amongst …
Now this is a fun concept. Austins & Co. have decided to explore just how much impact the 'hand of man' can be, have by inviting two winemakers to do what …
Lethbridge Allegra Geelong Chardonnay 2012 This sits on the cusp of greatness. Sourced from the ultra low yielding Rebenburg vineyard at Mount Duneen, this was produced from handpicked grapes, whole bunch pressed …
Between Five Bells Geelong White 2013 'For no other reason than to be delicious'. That's the catchtag on David Fesq and team's Between Five Bells wines, but that's selling things very short. …
Lethbridge Pinot Gris 2014 (Geelong, Vic) Apparently there are now more Pinot Gris than Riesling vines in Australia (and more in Australia than France) according to this Lethbridge label. Sad state …
Lethbridge Indra Shiraz 2012 (Geelong, Vic)14%, Screwcap, $95 I'll never grow tired of the little thought piece on the front of the Lethbridge labels. The font is small, which may put …
Between Five Bells Red 2013 (Geelong, Vic) 14.5%, Cork, $32 The Between Five Bells label is the only wine label that I've ever got lost in. Like a Where's Wally of the wine …
Lethbridge Pinot Noir 2012 (Geelong, Vic) 12.5%, Screwcap, $42 This is a triumphant wine, from a winery doing very good things. The eternal challenge with Pinot Noir is to balance ripeness with delicacy, …
Lethbridge Que Syrah Syrah 2012 (Geelong, Vic)12.5%, Screwcap, $30 A divisive wine this, really pushing the cool clime Shiraz/Syrah wagon. I like, but not for all. Mulchy and suggestively whole-bunch yet 100% …
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