Possibly more widely misunderstood than the Orphelia character from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Riesling is a varietal that many of us either love to hate or hate to love. But thanks to contemporary winemaking practices and artisan winemakers, Riesling is enjoying somewhat of a renaissance, with the Clare Valley in South Australia at its epicentre. It might seem…
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As the mercury rises and we shake off the doldrums of short days, cold nights, and blustery westerlies, our collective palates seem to naturally gravitate towards sparkling white wines—champagne, to be precise! Spring is, after all, the season of weddings, racing carnivals, and anniversaries. But as my CEO recently lamented, “Champers has become so bloody…
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Given that Australia is the sixth largest country in the world, it probably isn’t surprising that we are home to the world’s largest and most isolated wine region. Some might say that it’s a dubious honour, but the wine industry of the Great Southern Region in the southwest of WA wears it as a badge…
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Much to my mother’s disappointment, I’ve lived most of my adult life believing that I could never be a salad kind of guy. It’s not tomato; at least it’s a colourful fruit with flavour, body and texture. It can even be sweet. And it isn’t red onion; I do like its spicy tang and the…
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To the average wine consumer, selecting a red wine from a bottle shop shelf or a restaurant wine list can be a daunting experience. After all, it can be an expensive treat, but get it wrong and you’ll feel as though you’ve just put a lighter to a $50 or even $100 note! Some reds…
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A big part of the enchantment and allure of the Australian wine industry is the quirkiness and the nuances of our wines, regions and winemaking practices. As a nation, the quality of our wines punch well above our global weight, and there are plenty of stories about unexpected success of varietals, winemakers and sub-regions. One…
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In a modern winemaking world of endless shows, medals and trophies, there probably isn’t an award more coveted by Australian winemakers than the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy . First awarded in 1962, the award is made at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show each year and honours the memory of the late Jimmy Watson – the…
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Yalumba may be best known as Australia’s oldest family-owned winery, or for being the only one in the southern-hemisphere with its own operational cooperage, but for all its rich history and fine wine, I recently discovered that the iconic brand’s links to Australian cricket are as deep rooted as the vines that trace their origins…
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With the Christmas parties starting and the silly season in full swing, sales of Big Macs, Panadol and Berocca are set for their annual sales spike. It’s that time of year when good intentions are frequently subverted by the frivolity of the moment and before you know it, daybreak on Saturday morning is greeted by the…
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It irks, frustrates and at times, infuriates me, but my big sister insists on adding ice cubes to her wine glass no matter what the quality or price point of the wine! Cracking a quality chardonnay when she visits feels like feeding truffles to pigs when my heathen sibling desecrates the winemaker’s artistry with a…
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