I seem to be flooded with whites wines at Graham HQ at the moment. Not a bad thing when it's 29C outside (like it was yesterday) of course... Here then is …
This is where I was for the past week: Well, not right there, but just a few clicks off to the right on the beautiful NSW South Coast. Would you look …
Apparently, 40 is the new 30. Or such. I hit the big 40 on Friday and to celebrate; I've been digging deep into the cellar (and beyond) and using it …
January is a little slower for wine deliveries to the Australian Wine Review PO Box, as most local vignerons are either on holidays, preparing for vintage, or picking grapes. That means …
Always like Tim's Mataro, and this Tim Smith Wines Mataro 2019 is smart (again). Sourced from two vineyards 70+ yrs old. Luscious blackberry fruit, it’s plush, deep, varietal and yet with …
'I want to make the vineyards the story, and not the winemaker'. That's not your usual Barossan winemaker line. Not in a region where the mantra is about blending, and often …
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 …
The evolution of Angove's premium wine push continues. This McLaren Vale red comes off the now certified organic, circa 90yo Warboys vineyard and it looks every bit the artisan Vale …
Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays. Joyous Festivus (take your pick of chosen intro). This has been a very weird Christmas for us. Here, situated in the only part of Australia in lockdown, Christmas …
What a track record the recent M3 vintages have enjoyed. Every egg has been a bird. More importantly, this Shaw + Smith M3 Chardonnay 2019 is just a really tasty …
Deep in the portfolio of our largest winemakers is a trove of overlooked quality. Just like this Hardys HRB D688 Riesling 2020. In the proud HRB tradition, this is a blend …
After such a shit year, surely it's time you spoilt yourself this Christmas? An excuse to open something even more special? Something, like the exceptional Hickinbotham The Peake Cabernet Shiraz …
Trophy winning wine, vindicated. This Soumah Equilibrio Chardonnay 2018 took out the award for Chardonnay 'Best In Show' at the Decanter Wine Awards. Now I'm always sceptical about any wine that wins …
Let's call it the grand vin culture. For decades, the push has been for ever-more premiumisation (hate that word) in wine. More super cuvée releases, more barrel selections, more single block, …
Fun fact: Shiraz makes up over 25% of all winegrapes crushed in Australia, and South Australia has the largest vineyard area with 76,292ha (Wine Australia figures 19/20). But what I want …
After cracking the lid on this resoundingly good Grenache, I was tempted to text Juxtaposed winemaker Wes Pearson and tell him to put his prices up. Which I've done for …
Allan Varney's Grenache-based reds are uniformly good. All of them. Let's call it a talent. This Varney GSM 2018 is my pick of the lot. Handling-wise it ticks all the boxes. …
The first-ever 'serious' red wine I bought was a 1998 St Hallett Faith Shiraz back in 2000. I had just turned 19 and was working in a bottle shop where …
Australian Chardonnay is in the midst of a purple patch, with quality - and value - as good as it has ever been, as this collection of the 16 best …
Packaged up in a huge bottle, with its own presentation case, this Taltarni The Patron 2016 is unashamedly ambitious wine. But is it delicious? Let's get some background bits out of …
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