I missed December's Almost Club edition (holidays), so this is a huge crop of almostness... As the name suggests, here are the wines that almost hit the mark for me in January. Some are just nice …
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 (like non GSM from Grant …
On Thursday, a squad of Hunter Valley winemakers came to Sydney to show off some new releases at the new Brix Distillery. While I couldn't hang around and drink beer with the lads, they had in …
From solid drinks to faulty train wrecks (and everything in between), the Almost Club is for wines that didn't hit the Australian Wine Review 'recommended' mark (17/20, 90/100) in August 2018. Note that there is friendly …
Following on from last month's focus on other reds and Shiraz, this May I'm all about red blends. It's always frustrating that we seem so singularly focused on mono-varietal wines in Australia, as it often makes for less …
Hither & Yon Old Jarvie The Enforcer Shiraz Mataro Malbec 2016 From Hither & Yon's newish label that pays homage to Admiral John Jervis. There's character about the wines too. This is a bold, fruity and luscious …
Here's a selection of wines that were almost great. Some are just good, solid wines that are occasionally unready, through to slightly underwhelming/unexciting, and rounded out with a few wines that miss the mark completely. Why post …
I feel like I'm on an 'icon wine' streak after yesterday's Dom Perignon note. So heck, why not carry that forward. Here are two very different wines that both have Grange in their name. In the Aussie …
2014 Yarra Yering releases Although things are about to pause for vintage (which is half over in the Hunter), a few winemakers have been in town recently, and Yarra Yering's Sarah Crowe was one of those …
I've been engrossed in moving house this month so less wine than usual. Will be rectifying that this week. Eden Road The Long Road Canberra Pinot Gris 2016 A 'ramato' style skin contact Pinot Gris from Team Eden …
Henschke Henry's Seven 2015 This is easily the tastiest vintage of this Henschke red I've tried. So Henry's Seven is named after Henry Evans who planted seven acres of vineyard at Keyneton in 1853. Apparently, Evans enjoyed quite a …
Inkwell Dub Style No. 5 Remix Shiraz Grenache 2014 I've not been well over the past week, and typically after a few days off I always get excited about that first wine. Overexcited, even. I thought …
Historically, much of the attention for Torbreck has been focused upon Shiraz. Laird, Runrig, Factor. That sort of thing. Big wines. Old vines. Serious prices. Yet personally, I've often been more impressed by the 'other' wines in …
Thommo's homage to the old-school Hunter 'Burgundy' wines that often included a little early picked Semillon (or Trebbiano for that matter - Tyrrell's have some century-old Treb vines), this Thomas Wines Deja Vu Shiraz 2014 …
'Albarino - potentially Australia's great white hope' With influencers like Dr Richard Smart pumping up Albarino, is it any wonder that so many Aussie producers got excited by the variety? Of course, that all blew up in …
Ah the frustration of the acute accent on the e in rosé! So often missing in action, leaving you to wonder why someone is talking about how delicious it is to drink a flower. I only …
For this week's sample pile raid I've focused on premium red wines from McLaren Vale, including a whole swathe of new '13 reds. Always interesting to look at a horizontal like this. Of particular note is …
Just like that, we arrived at Wendouree. For years, I've been waiting to get to this almost mythical Clare Valley winery, never making it further than the gnarled old vines at the end of the driveway. But …
Thomas Wines DJV Hunter Valley Shiraz 2013 I've been critical of DJV previously, but this seems the best balanced release in some time. A blend of Hunter Shiraz (from the alluvial soils of the Trevena vineyard) with …
Schwarz Wine Co. Barossa Shiraz 2013 'I see your Schwarz is as big as mine!' Ah Spaceballs, you never grow old (with apologies to Jason Schwarz).Speaking of, this Schwarz Shiraz is a youthful number too. All 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.