Tag: Clare Valley

People with wine glasses

Two buck Chuck, or worth every buck?

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.

Taylors Jaraman Range

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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Oakvale Spring Farm Vineyard Graciano 2015

Spice up your style

Experience a taste of Spain and broaden your horizons with the Rioja wine varieties It’s cool to be different these days, and if you’re in the dining sector, you’ll be attuned to the preferences of the funky hipster types; no more is it sufficient to offer five different beers or a range of wines from…
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2016 Skillogalee Gewürztraminer Review

High Style

They’ve got in wrong in the Clare Valley! It’s easy to be critical from the sidelines, but as a spectator watching the wine industry blossom in South Australia’s Clare Valley, I can’t help but wonder if players and coaches alike might have made the wrong call. I’m probably going to be howled down for saying…
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Taylors - Reserve Parcel Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Review

Taylors, Reserve Parcel Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

I’ve always had tremendous respect for Mitchell Taylor and the wine-making team at the family-owned Taylors Wines in South Australia’s Clare Valley, but with a St Andrews Reserve Cabernet pitched at around $55, I struggle to understand the reason for recently releasing a “Reserve Parcel” Cabernet at its $25 price point! Perhaps it’s just the…
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O'Leary Walker, Polish Hill River Riesling 2014 Review

O’Leary Walker, Polish Hill River Riesling 2014

Whether you’re a wine novice, occasional tippler or even a connoisseur, we all have very different palates when it comes to the type and style of wine we find most appealing. As they say, one man’s meat is another man’s poison, and in wine, there is no more divisive style than Riesling. It’s a grape…
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Sevenhill, St Ignatius 2012 Review

Sevenhill, St Ignatious 2012

Riesling from South Australia’s Clare Valley has been putting the area on the viticultural map for years, but it wasn’t until I recently took a field trip to the region that I realised the emphasis that local winemakers place on their red wines as well. Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz do very well in the Clare,…
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Sevenhill, St Ignatius 2010 Review

Sevenhill, St Ignatius 2010

It may just be a conversation starter, but if I had a dollar for every time I’ve been asked, “So, what’s your favourite wine”, I’d almost be able to give up my day job! And while it’s a little unfair to compare premium and pricey collectible wines to their commercially produced cousins which sell at…
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Taylors Estate, Merlot 2010 Review

Taylors Estate, Merlot 2010

Although Merlot is the most common variety of grape grown in France, it’s never really hit its straps as a single varietal in the Australian wine market. Perhaps that’s because Merlot grapes tend to ripen too quickly in warm climates, or because Aussies just prefer the softness that it brings when blended with Cabernet and…
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Taylors, Eighty Acres Chardonnay Review

Taylors, Eighty Acres Chardonnay

If there’s one thing better than finding the perfectly fitting bargain at a Boxing Day sale, it’s stumbling across an exceptionally good wine at a price point that means you don’t have to wait for a special occasion to enjoy it. Australians are blessed to have so many really good wines available at budget price…
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