What I really like, more than anything, about Yangarra is that it's a winery built around a great vineyard. That's somewhat unusual in the world of Australian wine, where typically labels come first, vines later (when …
Joh. Jos. Prüm Bernkasteler Johannisbrünnchen Eiswein 2004 I'm filing this in the 'great wines that I only get to taste, not drink'. J.J. Prum's wines can take a few years to come around, but even at 14 …
It seems like a big jump to go from jewellery valuer to Barossa winemaker. But that's the route Michael Hall's life has followed. From a childhood in the UK to the 'rarefied air' of record breaking …
A self explanatory title, here are 12 of the best 12 Chardonnay to pass the desk in July 2018. If anything, this list just highlights the high standard of Chardonnay in Australia. Still our most planted white …
Sometimes, you get what you pay for. In the wine industry it doesn't happen as often as you'd like, but occasionally you pay for great wine and really get it. With these new single vineyard Shaw + …
There's always questions when the founder of a famous winery leaves. Will the wine style change? Prices go up? Labels disappear? No matter how many times the new owner says that it will be 'business as …
Believe the hype, the 2014 Hunter Valley vintage really is that good. Or at least that's what I wrote back in 2015, when it was being bandied about as 'the vintage of the century'. But three years …
It's almost like Spain doesn't exist. Here in Australia we bow down at the feet of the best French and Italian red wines, willingly forking out mega dollars for Burgundy and wads of cash for Barolo. …
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 …
For the final post in my 'wines that moved me in April' series comes this final collection - that I'm calling the 'better reds that aren't Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz or Pinot Noir'. As a primer, check …
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 place. I particularly like the diversity …
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 still behind, so it's time …
Soumah Equilibrio Syrah 2015 If you've got a vineyard in the lower parts of the Yarra Valley (ie Valley foor) and you aren't grafting over to Shiraz (and Gamay for that matter) then you're missing a …
Main Ridge Half Acre Pinot Noir 2015 What will happen at Main Ridge? That's the question looming large when you pour this Pinot. Actually, there's many questions. Will the Sexton family, who bought the estate in 2015 do 'the …
Schwarz Meta Shiraz 2016 This is what great modern Barossa Shiraz tastes like, from a producer doing very good things. It's a template for how modern Barossa Shiraz can taste. The oak influence is minimal, the fruit …
Clos Saouma Chateauneuf-du-Pape Omnia 2012 Another glorious CNDP from the extended Lucien Le Moine portfolio. 80% Grenache plus a whole smorgasbord of other varieties. In a good place right now too. Delicious. It's a rather secondary style, …
There a few wines that, when they land at Graham HQ, skip any sort of 'tasting' queue and go straight to the 'drinking' department. This Tolpuddle Chardonnay 2016 is such a beast. Again, the beauty of …
Australian Montepulciano shouldn't be this good, surely? That was going through my brain when I tasted the Amadio Heritage Selection Kersbrook Montepulciano 2014. Here, you're looking at a ripe and plush, Australian take on the red grape …
I can easily see why you'd want to make wines on the Mornington Peninsula. Close enough to Melbourne but still far enough away. Great beaches. A healthy local wine community. Distinctive terroir. In fact, the only …
I'm in research mode this week, gathering information about the 2018 vintage in the Hunter (which looks pretty promising based on early accounts). The bad news for me personally is that I still can't drink - …
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.