Tag: Shiraz

Cellar Stories: Geoff Merrill’s Pursuit of Authenticity in Australian Winemaking

In a modern winemaking world of endless shows, medals and trophies, there probably isn’t an award more coveted by Australian winemakers than the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy . First awarded in 1962, the award is made at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show each year and honours the memory of the late Jimmy Watson – the…
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The Beast and The Beauty of Hentley Farm Wines

You don’t win the prestigious James Halliday Winery of the Year unless you’ve got some serious plonk! In 2024, the winner was Bleasdale Wines from Langhorne Creek, while in 2023, it was the famed Pooley Wines in Tasmania – where they make what are undoubtedly amongst the best pinot noir from Australasia. So when the…
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Maiden Tonne – a collaboration between Sanguine Estate and Australian cricketing great, Allan Border

I’ve always loved wines with personalities, and perhaps more so, when personalities love wine. So, when former Australian cricket captain Allan Border shared both a bottle of the wine and his story behind the Sanguine Estate Maiden Tonne shiraz, I was hooked (pardon the cricket pun).  As the man once known as ‘Captain Grumpy’ explains,…
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Exploring the Charm and Complexity of Cool Climate Shiraz with K1 by Geoff Hardy

Big, ripe, and juicy Australian shiraz are wines that are as popular abroad as our famous native marsupials like the koala and kangaroo. In the United Kingdom, South Australian shiraz is the biggest selling Australian varietal, while in the United States, they buy the low end sweet and sugary shiraz from “south-eastern Australia” like it’s…
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Will climate change tweak the taste of Australian wine?

Climate sceptics aside, it seems to be well accepted across the wine industry that average global temperatures are likely to rise in coming years and that there will be an unavoidable consequence for the wine industry. Regions that were once warm will need to deal with even hotter conditions, and those that have been historically…
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Clonakilla Winery

Finesse and Elegance – Clonakilla’s O’Riada Shiraz

Australian primary producers are a resilient bunch who are well accustomed to the vagaries of their trade and the wrath of mother nature. From drought to bushfires and sometimes even floods, our sunburnt country throws just about every imaginable challenge at our vignerons. Add to that lot the impact of a global pandemic and the…
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Somerled Shiraz

Cracking the Stelvin on Somerled Shiraz

As a self-confessed wine-wanker, I get a warm feeling in the pit of my stomach whenever I hear or see my friends sharing their excitement about a wine, a wine region or even just a grape varietal.  After all, happiness isn’t real until it’s shared, right? So, when a friend visiting Somerled in South Australia…
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cab sav

Cabernet Shiraz Blends – An Iconic Australian Style

Over the years, the blending of shiraz and cabernet has become something of an artform amongst Australian winemakers. Our producers certainly weren’t the first to recognise the beauty of the blend, but the style has become as Aussie as lathering white zinc on your nose or layering vegemite on your toast.  Domestically, the varietals are…
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Best Australian Shiraz for less than $100 (Kaesler)

The wine store shelves displaying Australian Shiraz are a notoriously busy space. After all, Shiraz remains the biggest selling red varietal in Australia, and for years has been the workhorse in driving sales for many domestic vigneron vintners. It’s a grape that produces regionally distinct styles of wine depending on the climate, terroir and elevation…
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Calabria Saint Petri Shiraz Carignan

4 Wines to try when you’re feeling a little adventurous

Whether we’re creatures of habit looking to break the shackles or open-minded adventurers searching for the next dose of inspiration, there are times when our palates crave something new and different when it’s time for a pre-dinner tipple. Across the globe there are over 100,000 wineries and in excess of 10,000 different types of wine,…
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