I love textured white wines. Alsace field blends? Gimme. Barrel fermented Margaret River Sauv? Yes please. But every year, the 'textural white' segment disappoints. I get that it's a balancing act to …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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, 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.
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.