Sustainability is seemingly the catch cry of the younger generation, so I shouldn’t be surprised that in recent years, there appears to have been a resurgence of interest in organic wines. And it isn’t just Generation Z who eschew “adulterated” varieties; I recently had a professional colleague unashamedly describe her preference as “small batch, low…
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Grenache may be one of the most widely planted grape varietals in the world, but here in Australia, it sits rather low down in the pecking order in what is likely fifth position, behind Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. And for the life of me, I don’t know why we don’t make more…
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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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Riesling may be the rockstar varietal of the Clare Valley, but if you ask me, their shiraz is a well above average support act. Blessed with a moderate continental climate, the region enjoys warm days which are generally followed by afternoon breezes and cooler nights. And it’s this wide diurnal temperature range that makes for…
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These days, everyone with a social media account and a mobile phone is a food or wine critic and the power of these so-called “influencers’ increases exponentially with the increase in reach of every flippant, if not ill-considered post. And it’s a sad reality, that in the wine industry the fortunes of wineries and winemakers…
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If I had a “tenner” for every time I’ve heard people say that “the sulphites in red wine give me headaches”, I reckon I’d probably be on a plane to the Bahamas right now! Rightly or wrongly, sulphur dioxide (SO2) is often blamed as being the cause of hangovers and headaches on the morning after…
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With the worst of winter behind us and the buds and blooms of Spring poking their reluctant heads out to sun themselves in anticipation of clear blue skies, it’s a perfect time of year to put some pink (Rosé that is) on your table at your next Sunday lunch. Rosé is an obvious compromise between…
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It’s been years since I last braved the cool westerly winds and Dagwood Dog fuelled crowds of the Brisbane “Ekka”, but this year I’ll be there with bells on! And not because of sideshow alley, the 350 different show bags on offer, or the fashion and farm animals, but rather, simply to indulge my love…
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Mention McLaren Vale reds and the Pavlov Dog in me begins to salivate at the expectation of juicy ripe red berries, bold fruit and a lingering sweetness at the back. So, you can imagine my surprise when I ripped the Stelvin from a bottle of the Rosemount Estate GSM 2012 and found it nothing like…
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The 2011 vintage of the Shingleback The Davey Estate Shiraz is finally on the shelves and given the quality of the latest offering from one of McLaren Vale’s best-known producers, it may soon be in short supply. Over the last few years, I have been fortunate enough to sample the majority of the Shingleback range…
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