As the days lengthen and Spring takes grip, red wine drinkers often find themselves shelving the heavy cabernet and shiraz that added warmth over winter in favour of lighter styles like gamay, chianti and pinot noir. At my place, any red with a degree of translucence takes priority as the mercury climbs and the humidity…
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Global warming has been prominent in the headlines and a topic of dinner table conversation for the last few years and I suspect that it won’t be long before those with pulling power in the wine industry confront the reality of climate change for viticulture and winemaking practices. With temperatures across the globe forecast to…
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Known for it’s long term cellaring potential, Cabernet Sauvignon has once again become the world’s most widely planted grape varietal. As of 2015, the grape accounted for about 314,000 hectares under vines around the globe and that number is only increasing! The success of the grape is perhaps due to its adaptability and versatility. While…
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When a good mate of mine emailed me to let me know that our 2020 boys wine appreciation trip was a visit to Hahndorf in South Australia, I smiled from ear to ear. I’ve visited the German hamlet in the Adelaide Hills a few times before and I’ve always thought that it’s up there with…
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The emerging Orange wine district in the Central Ranges of New South Wales has developed quite a name for itself as a producer of whites like chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, but it seems that there’s hope for the region as an able producer of reds, if my recent Angullong experience is any guide. The Orange…
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If you overlook Lebanon for its winemaking abilities, you are truly missing out! When we think of Lebanon, I suspect that we tend to think of historical civil war conflict, tabbouleh and hummus. And perhaps even its Roman ruins and the beaches of Beirut. But what we don’t seem to commonly appreciate is that the…
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The Great Southern wine region in Western Australia has been producing table wines since the late 1960s, but to this day remains largely underrated, if not undiscovered, by consumers. Perhaps it’s a product of the commercial success of the Margaret River that sees it stealing the Sandgroper’s limelight, or it could just be the tyranny…
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It’s always a treat to find a new wine that is unusual, quirky or different, but when its quality also surprises on the upside, it’s an absolute bonus! And so it was when I recently visited one of my favourite local haunts, Harry’s on Buderim, for a Friday night catchup with a friend when I…
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The timing of International Cabernet Day on the last Thursday of August each year is just about perfect for those of us in the Southern Hemisphere as we battle the last of the winter westerlies and prepare our palates for the return of lighter styles in Spring. And with time of our side to prepare…
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When close friends booked an Airbnb holiday house 15 kms from Swansea a couple of years ago, and then invited us to join them for a long weekend at the end of April, I was sure they’d gone bonkers. After all, who chooses to visit one of the coolest and windiest parts of Tasmania just…
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