I long for the days when Taltarni of the modern era starts tasting like Taltarni of yesteryear. Obviously that's the past and with climate change likely impossible to replicate the …
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 …
For this week's entertainment, I thought I'd pull out all the Shiraz dominant blends that aren't your usual suspects and ended up with these six wines. Some are just slightly unconventional …
Mitchell Harris Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Ever had one of the old Taltarni reds (like these)? They're Aussie classics, showing just how delicious low alcohol Australian reds can be. Pity the (often …
Mitchell Harris Sabre Rosè 2012 I still haven't been to the Mitchell Harris bar/cellar door in Ballarat and I need to go. There are many places I need to go really, …
After posting Wednesday's list of the 10 best Shiraz to pass the desk in August 2018 I had a closer look and realised that there is a whole lot of …
The title says it all, these are 10 of the best Shiraz to pass the desk this month. This isn't a comprehensive last, as I probably taste somewhere between 6000-7000 wines …
Following on from my Cabernet compilation on Monday, let me introduce you to the Shiraz/Syrah selection. Twenty of the better Shiraz to pass the desk in April, all in one handy …
As close followers would have noticed, I've been on a mission this month, trying to get the sample pile back into shape. Now we're nearing the end of April and I'm …
Here are a few wines that almost made it in February (and a day late I know). A few serious disappointments here, and a few solid, simple wines. That Ferngrove was …
After last week's feedback I'm going to be sticking to just one roundup a month on site going forward (thanks everyone for the feedback). This roundup features a kaleidoscope of Australian …
It feels like I've had a lot of premium Cabernet over the past few weeks, especially after the Voyager extravaganza and the Margaret River 50th Anniversary tastings. But no point in …
Based purely on subjective gut feel, I've presumed that Sauvignon Blanc sales in Australia have peaked and over the past year or so are on the downward slope. Turns out that …
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 …
Not many Australian wine producers take Sauvignon Blanc seriously. That sounds like a broad, lazy generalisation, but I still challenge you to name more than a handful of producers who really …
The Story Grampians Shiraz 2014 Rory Lane's latest Shiraz and it's a beauty - if in need of another 2 years minimum to show it's best. Sourced from three Grampians Shiraz …
It's always a pleasure when you spot a little inkling of greatness in a young wine. That point when it all clicks and you step back and think 'wine is …
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 …
Back Block is the more premium label for Mount Avoca, using fruit from the estate and local growers. Or at least that's the spiel. For one thing this definitely tastes like …
I've been lucky to have tasted the Mitchell Harris wines since the start, way back in 2010 when Johnno Harris was still a winemaker at Mount Avoca and the Mitchell …
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