For most tourists, a trip to Hobart means visits to arts galleries, tours of convict constructed architecture or even just days spent trawling through stalls at the famous Salamanca Markets, but for pinot-philes like me, the beckoning of the nearby Coal River Valley and its cool climate wineries is a temptation too alluring to resist. The Coal…
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Over the years, the blending of shiraz and cabernet has become something of an artform amongst Australian winemakers. Our producers certainly weren’t the first to recognise the beauty of the blend, but the style has become as Aussie as lathering white zinc on your nose or layering vegemite on your toast. Domestically, the varietals are…
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Since China imposed crippling tariffs on Australian wine imports in November last year, many Australian winemakers have been furiously re-strategising in order to find new markets for their wares. For many, the sudden imposition of punitive duties was as unexpected as it was destructive. The latest torpedo launched by the Chinese government in their spat…
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There are plenty of Australian wineries that excel at creating high-quality reserve level wines, and many that hit the mark with their consumer-friendly entry-level offerings, but rarely do wineries seem to be capable of hitting the proverbial bullseye across the spectrum of price points in their range. But the family-run Bird in Hand team in…
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Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds are one of those wines that are described as “intoxicating” as much for their delightful perfumed plummy nose as their high alcohol content. If these famous red blends from the southern Rhone region don’t make you a disciple to French wine, then I suspect that nothing will. They were undoubtedly the magic potion that turned…
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The wine store shelves displaying Australian Shiraz are a notoriously busy space. After all, Shiraz remains the biggest selling red varietal in Australia, and for years has been the workhorse in driving sales for many domestic vigneron vintners. It’s a grape that produces regionally distinct styles of wine depending on the climate, terroir and elevation…
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Australians love their wine; indeed, we are the tenth largest wine consuming country in the world with 98% of bottled wine consumed within 24 hours of purchase. Obviously, the lure of ‘instant gratification’ overrides the hidden pleasure of laying down a bottle of wine to savour the alchemy of maturity at a later date. Is…
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Blends of grenache, shiraz and mouvedre (mataro) are extremely popular amongst Australian wine consumers and wine producers are adding the style to their cellar lists in abundance. The spiritual home of these blends is the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC in the southern parts of France’s Rhone Valley where the Mediterranean climate is ideally suited to these key…
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Traditionally, charity administration costs and wages chew up 40% of donations, bringing charities under constant and justifiable scrutiny. How reassuring to hear that every dollar raised at the 2021 Travis Schultz Winemakers Master Class will fund the expansion of the SunnyKid’s School Program. In fact, up to 600 Sunshine Coast families will immediately benefit from…
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When the management consultants decreed that “diversification is the key to risk management”, Lake’s Folly founder, Max Lake, clearly missed the memo. Since establishing the vineyard and winery in 1963, the Hunter Valley label has gone from strength to strength, making only two wines; a cabernet (yes, cabernet!) and a chardonnay. Minimalistic, perhaps, but the…
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