Wine shows cop a lot of flack. You need only read the feedback to my post on the 2018 Sydney Royal Wine Show exhibitors tasting to see that. But is it justified? And indeed do …
A few of the wines to have passed the tasting bench this month that didn't quite make it onto the full site. La Bise Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris 2016 From the Kozned Vineyard in Gumeracha. Light pear …
It's that time again - time to roundup a selection of wines that didn't quite make it onto the site. Some because of time and space, others because they failed the grade, this January 2017 …
Boree Lane Orange Cabernet Sauvignon + Franc 2012 A blend of 50/50 Cab and Cab Franc. This is a more traditional Orange Cab blend from the Boree Lane Vineyard, which sits in the lower, slightly warmer …
It's that time again! These wines haven't quite made it into full review status this month. I'm a bit behind (living out of a suitcase does that), hence why this list is longer than normal. Ten Minutes …
So I accidentally froze this Ross Hill Pinnacle Series Chardonnay 2015. It was completely my fault as I stuck it in there to chill it fast and then forgot. The next day I opened the freezer and …
di Lusso - great pizza and solid, varietally correct, Italian inspired wines. Now there's a good recipe for a cellar door experience, and Mudgee's di Lusso do it well. Only challenge really is finding the wines …
Carrying on in my series of posts covering my recent visit to Orange (these ones here, here and here), today I'm looking at the wines of Brangayne, the wine business of the Hoskins family. Brangayne, the property, first came into …
So now that I'm back in Sydney, at the desk, it's time to start writing up a few of the producers I visited over the weekend in Orange. And what better way to start off than …
Darragh Orange Chardonnay 2013 Aside from Cabernet Franc, there was another 'hero variety' that shone through during my weekend in Orange. Chardonnay. That's hardly revelatory, but the best Orange Chardonnay present as what I think are near-perfect modern …
So today was my second and last day of vineyard touring here in Orange (start here for day one) and while I've got a ridiculously early 5:40am cab booked to get a ridiculously early flight …
As mooted here, I'm in Orange at the moment as part of the 20th birthday of the region. While it has been less than three years since my last visit, plenty has changed, with a whole host …
So I'm off to Orange this weekend, with a media 'famil' on the cards tied in with the 20th anniversary of Orange being declared a wine region. Given that its been nearly three years since my …
Pepper Tree Venus Block Orange Chardonnay 2014 From a vineyard at 800m altitude and a very cool year in Orange. Straw green in colour, there is biscuity barrel ferment richness on the nose, over a surprisingly plump …
Pepper Tree Limited Release Orange Chardonnay 2014 The entry level wine in Pepper Tree's Orange range. Orange the NSW wine region of course. Don't mention orange wine amongst Orange winemakers. Or even the colour orange. They …
Angullong Orange Pinot Grigio 2014 The only real average wine amongst these recent Angullong releases. Water clear, this looks to show some mixed ripeness - both sweet and sour, with a suggestion of residual sweetness confronting some …
Angullong Orange Sauvignon Blanc 2014 There's an extra level of quality about these '14 Angullong whites. Almost as if winemaker Jon Reynolds has gained a new grasp of how to use the fruit. Green straw in colour …
Angullong Fossil Hill Vermentino 2014 Good to see Vermentino being planted in areas beyond our warmer bits (this is Central Ranges/Orange sourced). Unconventional for the grape, but good to see. There is promise here. It's a fragrant …
Angullong Fossil Hill Orange Shiraz Viognier 2013 The biggest challenge with Orange Shiraz, from where I sit at least, is nailing the ripeness balance. Too ripe and it can look weirdly confected, underripe and its horrible …
Bimbadgen MCA Series Fume Blanc 2014 (Orange, NSW)12.3%, Screwcap Great label on this - the artwork is Grant Stevens' In The Beyond. As for the wine - well its Orange fume. Half spends five months in new …
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.