Despite living in the shadows of South Australia’s high profile wine regions, Langhorne Creek boasts a remarkable history and has been a prolific contributor to the development of the Australian wine industry. The region is thought to have first been settled by cattle drover, Alfred Langhorne in about 1840 and by 1981, the first Shiraz…
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It’s a wine that can be difficult to pronounce and challenging to find in local bottle shops, but the Spanish Red Rioja (pronounced Ree-Oh-hah) is an old world wine that you can buy even if you don’t have the bank balance of a real estate tycoon! In northern Spain on the banks of the Oja…
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IT’S been a while (perhaps 15 years or so) since Wynns released a single vineyard “Harold” Cabernet. But after a lengthy hiatus, the 2013 iteration is bottled, labelled and soon to hit the shelves. And it seems that winemaker Sue Hodder is taking a new direction with the fruit from this premium parcel of Coonawarra vines. Where…
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Australian wine consumers are a fortunate bunch. Not only do we have a wide range of varietals to choose from, but we are blessed with remarkable quality for the prices we are asked to pay. And no more so than amongst our vigneron’s Shiraz offerings where the Brockenchack Zip Line Shiraz 2014 is one of…
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I’d normally expect to pick a Pinot Noir wine simply from its (lighter) rufescent colour in the glass, but even by Central Otago standards, the Two Sisters Pinot Noir 2011 is more than just a little beguiling. From a distance, there’s a definite dark ruby depth in the glass and only the slightest garnet tinges…
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Cabernet Franc is not a style that we often see vinified as a single varietal, but when it’s done well, it can be at least the equal of its better-known cousin, Cabernet Sauvignon. Most frequently, Cabernet Franc is used in the classic Bordeaux blends to provide charm, aromatics and fragrance to what is my all-time…
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What was once a small apple and cherry orchard near Seville in Victoria’s Yarra Valley is now Seville Hill Estate; a six-hectare vineyard producing low volumes of high-quality pinot gris, chardonnay, cabernet and shiraz grapes. Agriculturalists John and Josie D’Alosio removed the fruit trees and planted cabernet sauvignon vines in 1991, then expanded their range…
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Whilst wines stored in your cellar need constant, if not coolish temperatures, it’s an entirely different rule for winemakers applying their viticultural skills to the developing fruit in the vineyard. Around the world, growing regions with the greatest variation in daily and seasonal temperatures tend to produce the best fruit for winemaking purposes and there’s…
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The Wrattonbully wine region is sandwiched between Coonawarra and Padthaway in South Eastern South Australia and, just like its neighbouring districts, enjoys regionally distinctive terroir and abundant underground water. The Terra Rossa soils and limestone ridges have proven to be an ideal environment for growing Cabernet and Shiraz, but also Merlot wines of unusual power…
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Penfolds Cabernet Sauvignon, like the Shiraz and red wine blends, is renowned for its high quality, but notorious for its exorbitant price tag. Their Bin 407 retails at close to $100.00 a bottle while its big brother, the Bin 707 sits in a Grange-esque range of around $300 to $500, depending on the vintage. Against…
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