It's been a long month here at Graham HQ, and the next few weeks promise to be just as intense. I can't wait for that glorious period in between Christmas and New Year where life …
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 big disappointments of note: The …
It's impressive to see the volume of Rhone whites in this lineup of Yarra Wines tasted recently. A reminder that the Yarra Valley is more than just Chard/Pinot/Cab/Shiraz and makes some of the best Viognier/Marsanne/Roussanne …
It’s that time of the month again – time to collate a range of wines that didn’t quite make the grade. Plenty opened this month, which is why this list is longer than usual… Bremerton Langhorne Creek …
It's that time again. These wines haven't quite made a full write up this month. Odds and ends... Sunshine Creek Yarra Valley Cabernets 2013 No back label. Feel the mystery! Not quite in the same realm as the …
Fifty year old Marsanne vines! Wow. People often forget that we have some serious old vine resources of less mainstream varieties (like century old Trebbiano vines in the Hunter). This comes off the All Saints family …
What a disappointment this lineup was. So many boring wines, with too many edging towards flavourless, acidic water territory. Obviously price plays an important part here, but that doesn't excuse the boredom factor... Ninth Island Tasmanian …
Handpicked Highbow Hill Vineyard Yarra Valley Marsanne 2014 Current release Marsanne, from a little known producer, for $60/bottle? Jousting sticks... Yet this is not shit. Not at all. Rather, it's a pretty clever textural wine that borrows …
Tahbilk 1927 Vines Marsanne 2004 (Nagambie, Goulburn Valley, Vic) 11%, Screwcap, $46.50 This is the most brilliant awkward wine I know. Brilliant on one hand, with a wondrous combination of fruit power and sprightly acidity, the edges honeyed …
Tahbilk Marsanne 2013 (Goulburn Valley, Vic) 12.5%, Screwcap, $18.80 'As Tahbilk's fourth generation winemaker, I would love to share the Estate's story' That's Alister Purbrick, in the release notes of this wine, Hard to tell a Tahbilk story …
From the notebook treasure-trove: Tahbilk verticals I've been doing a bit of cleaning this weekend and, in typical form, have turned up a whole treasure-trove of old tasting notes from last year that have never seen …
Movements from Wine Australia + some fine wines to match This week marked our first big WCA committee meeting for 2011 (WCA - Wine Communicators of Australia, the national committee of which I'm a part of) …
Tallarook Marsanne 2005 (Goulburn Valley, Vic)$30, Screwcap, 14.5%Wild yeast ferment in small french oak. Unusually long growing season made for a strong structure.I'm not winning on the alternate white varietals front of late, with two …
Held at two hatted wine hotbed Bentley Restaurant & Bar, this dinner pitched Australia's own Rhone inspired superstar Clonakilla against contemporary Northern Rhone wonderkind Yves Cuilleron, in a fittingly modern, new school Rhone battle.Besides the …
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.