The $15 to $20 price point is a crowded and competitive space amongst Australian wines. And our iconic Aussie varietal, Shiraz, is no exception. At least in my house, it is normally the Barossa and McLaren Vale Shiraz that dominate the quaffing space in the cellar, but having recently sampled the Heartland 2012 Shiraz, all…
Read more
I am not normally an advocate of Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc, but if the style floats your boat, you may as well drink one that is made by Australians and in a palate-friendly form. The Niche Regional Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is made by a boutique winery based in Tanunda in South Australia’s Barossa Valley but is,…
Read more
Australia’s most widely recognized wine brand, Penfolds, have generally made their wines in three different styles. There’s the single vineyard approach (like the Magill Estate Shiraz), the single region (aka Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz) and the multi-region blends such as their iconic Grange and Bin 707. But since 2008, winemaker Peter Gago has also been…
Read more
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,…
Read more
The Barossa Valley is synonymous with Shiraz and while there are any number of sub-regions around the townships of Lyndoch, Tanunda, Williamstown and Nuriootpa, it’s impossible to fault any of them for the quality of their vineous produce. So, when I recently visited the Langmeil Estate near Tanunda, the reasoning behind the creation of the…
Read more
When I threw together a prawn and avocado risotto for last Sunday night’s dinner, my recipe needed a cup and a half of a dry style of white wine. While it’s not difficult to find an ingredient of that description, I wanted one that was aromatic enough to give flavour to this delicate dish, yet…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more
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…
Read more