It’s an ironic if not cruel twist of fate, but when our viticulturists do it tough through the drought, it’s the consumers who benefit from the struggles in the vineyard. In drought-stricken regions when a lack of water smashes the crop, the lower yields and stressed vines can mean a higher quality of fruit as…
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It’s been more than a few years since I’ve made the sojourn across our continent to visit the wineries of the west. We are blessed in Australia to have so many wine districts around the country that offer 5-star cellar doors and also turn out world-class wines. It’s a shame that for those of us…
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When a good mate of mine emailed me to let me know that our 2020 boys wine appreciation trip was a visit to Hahndorf in South Australia, I smiled from ear to ear. I’ve visited the German hamlet in the Adelaide Hills a few times before and I’ve always thought that it’s up there with…
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The Languedoc-Roussillon region in southern France has long been the poor cousin of the French wine industry. Grape growing in the area dates back to the Pliocene period yet despite being one of the oldest wine-producing regions in Europe, the district has never been highly regarded by the French as a premier wine-producing region. Such…
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Turns out a good chardonnay runs in the family genes It could be a case of unconscious bias, but I’ve never been keen on writing about the Dan Murphy’s or BWS stable of highly promoted and often, overhyped reds and whites. Leaving aside the big brands like Tyrells, Penfolds, McGuigan, Taylors and De Bortoli, many…
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Sunshine Coast surfer Sam Coverdale paid his wine-making dues to head up a vineyard of exceptional quality. The Sunshine Coast is hardly a region that is considered synonymous with the wine industry, nor does it have many reasons to claim ties to viticulture or oenology in general. So when a local of the region makes…
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Australia’s take on a French classic is best found in the South It may seem counter-intuitive to many of us, but the famous French red blend Châteauneuf-du-Pape from the Northern Rhone region is not made entirely from red fruits; it, in fact, has six white varietals which may be used by winemakers to craft their…
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Refresh, reinvent and reinvigorate are terms often thrown around by marketeers and business consultants and we well know that the alcohol sector is not immune from their self-proclaimed wisdom. It may be a statement of the obvious, but it’s probably fair to say that these days, consumers are looking to try something new and different…
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It was 1878 when Ned Kelly and his band of bushrangers were drawn to the Strathboogie region in country Victoria by the prosperity of the area from wool production. Our most infamous bushranger and his henchmen successfully robbed the Euroa Bank of $2000 pounds in cash and a stash of gold. Fast forward 100 years…
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At last we have a suitable white for Asian-fusion dishes The rise of Asian fusion style restaurants and our penchant for dishes with a hint of spice has seemingly caught Australian winemakers a little by surprise; is it just me or is there a dearth of wine lists with a wide selection of whites with…
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