Following on from Monday's article on blends, I thought it only fair to back it up with a selection of the better white and red blends to pass the desk …
Obviously it's July now (not June), but I did a quick trawl through the tasting book today and it revealed an interesting stat - Riesling, Chardonnay and Semillon make up …
It's impressive to see the volume of Rhone whites in this lineup of Yarra Wines tasted recently. A reminder that the Yarra Valley is more than just Chard/Pinot/Cab/Shiraz and makes …
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 …
It's that time again. The following wines didn't quite make it onto the full site this month, and I'm still living out of a suitcase to complicate matters. Yelland & Papps Devote …
It always surprises me how much interesting Italian wine come to Australia. Loads of it. The only problem is that much of the best doesn't leave the 'on-premise' (restaurants and bars) …
Following similar thoughts on the Pinot Gris, the back label talks about a wine with ripe lemon sherbet and Turkish delight and I was expecting something rich and evocative. Yet it's …
I'm in Euro trip flashback mode today, this time casting an eye back to August, and a trip to famed Douro Valley producer Quinta do Vallado. This was an estate that …
Marcel Deiss 'Alsace' 2011 (Alsace, France)13%, Cork, $28 Marcel Deiss is easily my favourite Alsace producer (along with Zind Humbrecht and Albert Mann), the estate (and particularly current vigneron Jean-Michel Deiss) credited with …
Chapel Hill Il Vescovo White 2012 (McLaren Vale, SA) 13%, Screwcap, $20 Source: Sample www.chapelhillwine.com.au A bitsa of a blend incorporating Verdelho Savagnin and Roussanne, this is, like many a bitsa dog, quite endearing - …
Ducks in a Row Pandora's Amphora 2011 (Heathcote, Vic) 14%, Cork, $80 Source: Kindly dinner companion www.pandorasamphora.com.au Amidst the recent controversy about what exactly is going to happen with the amphora used to make …
Waipara - the other Kiwi hotspot I've been digging through some old notes this week and chanced upon a file I thought I'd lost. A file of tasting notes actually, …
This was once two bottles of Between Five Bells. Hello tissue paper! Between Five Bells new releases: Even better Perhaps it is just a deep-seeded love of presents. Maybe it is just because …
Italian goodies from Mondo Imports I spotted Anthony from Mondo on the weekend, pouring a range of Italian wines to a few thirsty looking punters on a Saturday afternoon. Whilst …
Big win for the Plonk Jamsheed Le Blanc Plonk 2010 (Victoria) 12.7%, Screwcap, $20 Source: Sample www.jamsheed.com.au I'm sure that some will look at me funny for loving this as much as I do (Mr …
Some highlights from the Eurocentric range Eurocentric is the wine importing business of former journalist Neville Yates, whom threw in the whole writing-for-a-living shenanigans to travel the world to find great …
Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Vintage 2002 $120 Whilst non vintage Champagne from the bigger houses can be something of a quality gamble, the vintage versions are typically much more predictable. And predictable …
De Bortoli Windy Peak Classic Dry White 2009 (Victoria)$15, Victoria, 12%Its a bitsa blend this one, with Sauvignon Blanc & Pinot Grigio blended with Semillon and some Vermentino too, with …
These were tasted at one of Sydney's finest imported wine meccas, the Ultimo Wine Centre. If you are ever in Sydney town, don't miss out on the Saturday tastings - …
Firstly, kudos to Houghton for the packaging - the labels, the polished screwcap, the vertical arrows on the capsule, the whole lot looks fun. A graphic artist went nuts with …
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