Category: Wine Blogs & Reviews

Vines & Vinaigrettes: A Gruner Veltliner Journey

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…
Read more

Grape embrace.  The comforting qualities of pinot noir

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…
Read more

Rutherglen Estate and its Unlikely “Marriage” to Durif

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…
Read more

Cellar Stories: Geoff Merrill’s Pursuit of Authenticity in Australian Winemaking

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…
Read more

Yalumba’s Legendary Link Between Wine and Test Cricket

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…
Read more

Embracing Low-Alcohol Wines this Festive Season

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…
Read more

The Chilling Secrets of Red and White Wines

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…
Read more

The Stockman’s Ridge Grüner Veltliner

When it comes to white wine varietals, Gruner Veltliner is not one that sits on the tip of Australians’ tongues. But this Austrian grape has found a new home in the vineyards of cool climate Australia where it is experiencing a remarkable surge in popularity. In recent years, Gruner Veltliner has captivated wine boffins and…
Read more

A surge in demand for Biodynamic Wines?

Wine aficionados across the globe are becoming increasingly conscious of the methods used in winemaking leading to a surge in demand for sustainably produced wines. It seems that consumers don’t just want their food to be organically produced and sustainable, they care about the way their wine is made as well. Australia, known for its…
Read more

McWilliam’s Chardonnay- A Taste of Burgundy in Australia?

Burgundy is indisputably the best known pinot noir and chardonnay region in the world and undeniably sets the benchmark for other regions to reach.  And if there’s an Australian wine region that most closely emulates the climate of Burgundy, it’s arguably the Tumbarumba district in the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains.  The famed “High Country” is…
Read more