“It’s the best chardonnay on the Mornington Peninsula” he decreed as he pressed his thumb into the punt at its base and forcefully thrust a bottle in my direction. “You won’t find better” my mate promised, as if the acceptance of his gift was accompanied by the clatter of a gauntlet hitting the tiled floor.…
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School holidays. Gotta love the break from routine and the chance to travel, relax or just bond with your kids. But we all know that the gap between school terms isn’t all beer and skittles. After all, the traffic can be horrendous, the house looks like a warzone, and all too often “those” relatives want to come and stay.
Chardonnay was one of the varietals to arrive in the James Busby collection in 1832 but initially the grape was mostly cultivated in the Mudgee region in New South Wales before it eventually spread across the wine producing regions of Australia. And despite being a long time favourite in the Burgundy Region of France, it…
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For reasons that I struggle to understand, the Marlborough wine region has become synonymous with sauvignon blanc. The region dominates in sales of the varietal not just in New Zealand but in Australasia for that matter. Since about 2009, the Kiwis’ sauvignon blanc has been the biggest selling wine in Australia; at one point accounting…
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The Mornington Peninsula was once a fertile agricultural and grazing region, but in more recent years has become a playground for Melbourne’s bizzoids and socialites. It’s as picturesque as it is conveniently located – being only an hour and a half from the city centre. There are literally hundreds of boutique wineries on the promontory…
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For as long as I can remember, Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula has been revered for its stunning coastline, pristine beaches, rugged clifftops and golf courses – but not least of all, its pinot noir. If you’re a lover of wine, the district would be well and truly on your radar when searching for an affordable alternative…
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No one wants to pay more than they need to but the bitterness of poor quality lingers well after the sweetness of low price is forgotten. In these troubled economic times, most of us are constantly on the hunt for value; that Goldilocks balance that’s “just right” in the tension between quality and price. After…
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They say, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”, but when you’re an oenophile in Japan, it’s unlikely that you’ll succumb to the wiles of the local sake, but can one take the local wines seriously? The Land of the Rising Sun is highly regarded for its local beer (especially Sapporo and Asahi) and…
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The Australian wine industry is increasingly focusing its attention on overseas markets, and for good reason. A low Aussie dollar, improving economic conditions abroad and a perception that Australian wines are of high quality makes it almost inevitable that domestic wineries are looking abroad to market their wares. And amongst our most important trading partners…
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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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