This didn't feel like a normal NYE. But with a toddler, what counts a 'normal' NYE anyway? More importantly, who cares about New Years? Regardless, I opened plenty of tasty drinks …
This is just a taste of the finest big reds that passed the desk this November. Background notes in italics. Oakridge Original Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2017 Spends 3 weeks on skins post …
Biennially, Australian wine importer and distributor Negociants Australia put on what is arguably the greatest wine education/seminar series in the country, the Working With Wine Program. Today is the first day, …
From near misses to faulty junk. Here is a collection of the wines that almost won me over in October 2018. A special, frustrating mention to the two Leasingham wines. I …
The Masters of Wine (MW) bandwagon rolled through town on the weekend, with local students (not me) diving in for another round of intensive wine study. Personally, I look on in …
It always surprises me how much interesting Italian wine come to Australia. Loads of it. The only problem is that much of the best doesn't leave the 'on-premise' (restaurants and bars) …
I'm fighting through one of those nasty hangovers that just attacks your stomach today, the sort of morning after where you just feel like someone has punched you in the …
2013 Craggy Range Prestige Collection 'We set out to make the finest wines from the start.' Terry Peabody A noble sentiment, no doubt, but making fine wines from scratch takes some cash. Indeed …
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 …
Church Road Merlot Malbec Cabernet 2012 (Hawke's Bay, NZ) 13%, Screwcap, $25.99 The Church Road style has always been rather old school, with much of the wine still fermented slowly in some …
A question of scoring and barrel samples + some smart 2013 Craggy Range Sophia components Where do you stand on the scoring of unfinished wines (barrel and tank samples)? Personally, I've always …
New releases from Picardy It is not hard to appreciate the wines of Picardy - rich with structure, acidity, character - the lot. The Pinot Noir, in particular, easily amongst the …
A little Picardy action: Picardy Tete de Cuvée 2010 and Merlimont 2011 Bill Pannell, founder of Moss Wood and Picardy, dropped by today, bringing with him these two new super-premium Picardy …
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