The Top 20 Shiraz of August 2020
August 28, 2020
As the name suggests, these are the Top 20 Shiraz of August 2020. There was more Shiraz this month, there always is. But these are the wines I want to …
Review: Meerea Park Hell Hole Semillon 2019
August 19, 2020
Very well priced Hunter Semillon from Meerea Park. Again. This Meerea Park Hell Hole Semillon 2019 comes off the Lochleven Vineyard in Pokolbin and is very much built in a …
The Almost Club Lockdown edition: 68 wines that almost made it over the past 3 months
July 8, 2020
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 …
Review: Dalwood Estate Shiraz 2018. A grand name returns
July 3, 2020
Dalwood Estate is the longest running commercial vineyard in Australia, with a history that dates back to 1828 when it was first established by George Wyndham. But for years now Dalwood …
Review: Meerea Park Casuarina Vineyard Semillon 2018
May 4, 2020
It's always a surprise to see generosity in taut, early picked Hunter Valley Semillon. It shouldn't be that way. The best wines are often ferociously acidic drinks for later. The …
Review: Gundog Estate The Chase Semillon 2019
May 1, 2020
Chalk this Gundog Estate The Chase Semillon 2019 as another winner. I can't keep up with how big Gundog's d'Arenberg-esque sized range is now (let alone all the Canberra and …
Review: Meerea Park Terracotta Semillon 2015
April 27, 2020
Hunter Valley Semillon, but in a Riesling bottle. Blasphemous, maybe, but do you really care? Will it stop you from buying this Meerea Park Terracotta Semillon 2015? My take - I …
On Hunter Pinot & Tyrrell’s Vat 6 Pinot Noir 2017
April 6, 2020
Hunter Valley Pinot Noir - aka the missing component that has helped make some of the most famous Australian wines of all, the Maurice O'Shea era Mount Pleasant reds. As a …
Next, Shiraz: Top 20 Shiraz of February 2020
March 4, 2020
Following closely on the Top 20 Chardonnay comes the Top 20 Shiraz of February 2020. For this lineup I dug deeper into the sample pile, searching - perhaps blindly - for …
$27 well spent on the Meerea Park Hell Hole Semillon 2018
January 24, 2020
Meerea Park seemed lost in the wilderness for a bit there, with inconsistent wines a signal of internal challenges. The Eather boys have righted the ship with these '18 vintage …
24 top white wines (and a few rosé) to drink right now
December 10, 2019
Here are 24 tasty white and pink wines for your immediate drinking pleasure. Wines that, to my tastes at least, are in the prime of their lives and should be consumed …
11-44 of October 2019’s best Shiraz
October 22, 2019
Why stop at just 10 great Shiraz for the month? Here is the follow on list of the best 11-34 Shiraz to pass the desk in October 2019. Terre à Terre …
Top 10 Shiraz of October 2019 – Thomas Wines, Balgownie, Shaw + Smith et al.
October 21, 2019
As it says on the tin, here are ten of the best Shiraz to pass the tasting bench this October. A special note to the breadth of Hunter Shiraz from …
Almost Club October 2019 edition – more than 45 wines that almost made it this month.
October 16, 2019
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 …
23 bloody good Australian Chardonnay. Highlights from Shaw + Smith, Curly Flat, Oakridge etc
September 2, 2019
Sure, Shiraz gets all the attention, but for my money, Australia's most consistently drinkable premium variety is Chardonnay. That's simply a result of style. So much top tier Australian Shiraz - …
2019 Sydney Royal Wine Show – I tasted the trophy winners (so you don’t need to)
September 1, 2019
In what has become something of a tradition (posts here, here, here, here and here for starters), I went to this year's 2019 Sydney Royal Wine Show exhibitor event tasting …
Almost Club July 2019 Edition: 23 wines that almost made it this month
July 29, 2019
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 July 2019. I like plenty …
Another benchmark release: Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 2014
July 10, 2019
Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 2014 There is more Tyrrell's Semillon, under various labels, in my cellar than any other white wine. Maybe that colours my views, and shout out if you …
Tasting the new Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz 2017 (and a day out for the family)
May 28, 2019
On Saturday, the (newly expanded) Team Graham made it to Brokenwood's annual Graveyard lunch. There was 3 outfit changes (after multiple poonamis), and we were the only ones there with …
A collection of quality Hunter Shiraz + Semillon from Meerea Park, Vinden Estate, Gundog Estate & Andevine
April 5, 2019
Let's check in with some recent Shiraz and Semillon releases from the Hunter Valley (and beyond). A pleasure to see more experimentation with traditional Hunter styles too. Making the same wine …
About me – Andrew Graham
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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
