Sorry everyone, I failed. Last week, I said that I'd try to post some tidbits from my time judging at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in Beijing, China. Except I didn't …
It's great to be home. Great, in particular, to be back on my own pillow. Italian pillows fall into one of two camps - a) stunted lumps or b) shapeless fluff …
Australian Wine Review on Tour 2017 It's been a long time coming, but today I'm off for my first decent European trip in a good 18 months. For the next 3 odd …
So now that I'm back in Sydney, at the desk, it's time to start writing up a few of the producers I visited over the weekend in Orange. And what better …
I liked Verona. There's something beautifully romantic about this northern Italian city, the sentiment extending well beyond the tourists and tacky selfies in front of Juliet's Balcony. Romance, great food, and vines …
I came home to this. Not bad at all Sydney After 9 weeks, 10 countries, 35 hotel rooms (including the odd Airbnb apartment and such) and many many airports, it's genuinely …
I'm in Santorini at the moment, a Greek island that is seriously stunning. Yet despite the magic of the famous sunsets over the caldera, and indeed the quality of the local …
I've just landed in Porto, a city which seems even cooler than expected (if heaving with tourists). It was the detour here via Ribeira Sacra that was the most intriguing though. The …
Airport beers. They taste much better on holidays I know it's a given, but have you ever tried to use a full sized laptop in a cattle class airline seat? It's bloody …
I'm back at the desk today, successfully managing to make the second half of my Queenstown trip as much of a holiday as possible. Mostly (sorry family if I went too …
The late postcard: Etna Ever arrive home after a holiday and find that you beat your postcards home? Well that's me, except this postcard I never quite got around to sending. Now that …
Postcard: Sicilia Grapevines. Olive trees. Brown hills. Blue skies. The Med. That about sums up the vista on the southern Sicily coast this week, where the relentlessly warm 'bluebird' days roll on …
Postcard: London While the English summer has finished a few weeks early this year (damn), it is a pleasure to be back in the UK. Yesterday I fought the throngs of kids …
A break in transmission + new Hardys William Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 Several William Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon in therenatural habitat You may notice that the volume of posts will be a little …
Orange - Part 2: The tasting notes For context, it's best you start here. The Swinging Bridge Cellar Door If I have to pick but one variety that most impressed me on last …
Orange: Time to rethink its hero red wine? 'The region is planted to 60% red wine varieties and 40% white wine varieties - which says something about the region but also …
The Jacobs Creek Files: On Coonawarra My hand + Coonawarra Cabernet grapes. These were picked minutes later. Destined for 2013 St Hugo apparently Today's update is a short one, all because of how far …
The Jacobs Creek Files: Why the Reserve Chardonnay is so goodSam Virgara's Piccadilly vineyard as seen from his verandah. The whole green swathe through the middle goes to JC ReserveI've often …
The original Jacob homestakd The Jacobs Creek Files: The Barossa As I outlined yesterday, I'll be spending much of this week in the world Australian mega brand Jacobs Creek, touring vineyards, tasting …
The Label Project - my week of Jacobs Creek Tying in nicely with the end of last week's Budget Wine Week, I'll be spending the next few days ensconced in the …
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