Orange’s climate elevation and diurnal temperature range is perfect for a number of grape varieties It’s always struck me as a bit of an oddity, but the blossoming region called Orange in mid-western New South Wales doesn’t grow citrus, let alone oranges. In fact, the staple crop of the region has historically been apples –…
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Nick Spencer Gruner Veltliner 2018 Back in the 1920’s when Jack O’Hagan penned his famed Australian folk song, there was an old-fashioned shack on the track, winding back along the Road to Gundagai. But if you take a journey to the rural town these days, you’ll find that the track is sealed, the shacks are…
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Rediscover a love for a style of wine that is often overlooked by the modern-day consumer I’ve never understood why riesling, as a style, isn’t more popular, but the fact remains that it accounts for only around 1.4% of the national grape crush. And to put that sad statistic in perspective, according to the 2018…
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Wine Tourism is growing and the Gippsland Region should be top of your list Wine tourism is a burgeoning industry in Australia and with a falling Aussie dollar that trend seems destined to continue; especially for regions that are blessed with ideal terroir, temperate climate and close proximity to a large airport. One of the…
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Riesling is on the rise as versatility adds to her attraction. Move over Fonz, after years of being courted by sauvignon blanc, there’s a new cool kid in town and her name is Riesling! It seems that what started out as just a small group of friends and family lip-syncing the chorus, has become a…
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Are ‘organic’ wines really worth the hype? Probably not. I’d rather take it on a case-by-case basis. Biodynamics, Organics and “least intervention” agriculture are buzzwords that are seemingly taking the world by storm. Not only do manufacturers and retailers espouse the virtues of these uber-hip products but now, organic labels even have their own aisle…
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As the mercury climbs a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling usually becomes a Sunday afternoon staple, but a rise in the temperature doesn’t have to mean that the red varietals have to be banished to the back of the cellar. In fact, there are plenty of reds that are well suited to the…
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According to the well known Charles Caleb Colton aphorism, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Or for the Oscar Wilde disciples, “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness”. So when winemakers leave their regional heartland to source fruit from a competitor district, it must surely be taken by…
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They were long, hot and often dry summers, but some of my fondest childhood memories are of spending the Christmas school holidays going to the beach, swimming in my friends’ pools, and spending countless hours with eyes glued to a static-ridden tv screen listening to Richie Benaud calling the Ashes. I loved watching Dennis Lillee…
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There’s naturally a degree of hesitation in expressing an opinion about wine, wine regions and winemakers. After all, opinions are rather self-indulgent and often, ill-considered, half-baked and formed in ignorance of the facts. So when I was recently asked for my view as to which region produces the best Shiraz in Australia, I baulked! How…
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