I’ve often heard self-deprecating winemakers profess that 90% of the quality of a wine is derived from what happens in the vineyard. Having recently sampled the Brockenchack Jack Harrison 2016 Shiraz ($60), and with all due respect to the winemaker, Shaun Kalleske, I suspect they might be right! After another ideal growing season in the…
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When we think of pinot noir, I suspect that most of us drift towards wines from Burgundy in France, Oregon in the USA or Central Otago in New Zealand’s southern isle, but there are a number of Australian districts that are producing stunning examples of the style and creating what is almost a cult following…
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If you’ve ever been to a wine appreciation night or wine club meeting, you’d be well familiar with the “blind wine” or “wine options” challenges that entertain, beguile and often confuse those sampling the vino on offer. These games, in which a bottle of wine is wrapped in alfoil to conceal its identity and then…
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When our Easter long weekend trip to the Adelaide Hills had to be cancelled due to a global pandemic, so too were my plans to write up an array of the best wineries from the region – places like Bird in Hand, Nepenthe and Shaw and Smith. The anticipation of the Hills’s best chardonnays, sauvignon…
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Chardonnay was one of the varietals to arrive in the James Busby collection in 1832 but initially the grape was mostly cultivated in the Mudgee region in New South Wales before it eventually spread across the wine producing regions of Australia. And despite being a long time favourite in the Burgundy Region of France, it…
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The Orange region in the Central Ranges of New South Wales is undoubtedly one of the up and coming vinicultural districts of the Australian mainland. Blessed with the ideal geology of Mount Canabolas, a coolish climate and 600 plus metres of elevation, the area surrounding the township of Orange has blossomed since vines were first…
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For reasons that I struggle to understand, the Marlborough wine region has become synonymous with sauvignon blanc. The region dominates in sales of the varietal not just in New Zealand but in Australasia for that matter. Since about 2009, the Kiwis’ sauvignon blanc has been the biggest selling wine in Australia; at one point accounting…
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The Mornington Peninsula was once a fertile agricultural and grazing region, but in more recent years has become a playground for Melbourne’s bizzoids and socialites. It’s as picturesque as it is conveniently located – being only an hour and a half from the city centre. There are literally hundreds of boutique wineries on the promontory…
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Dear Mum You may have already realised, but I won’t be coming to visit you for Mother’s Day this year, so I’m penning a note instead. I did think of baking you a cake to drop off during a socially-distanced doorstop drive-by, but when I went to my local supermarket, it seemed a horde of…
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For as long as I can remember, Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula has been revered for its stunning coastline, pristine beaches, rugged clifftops and golf courses – but not least of all, its pinot noir. If you’re a lover of wine, the district would be well and truly on your radar when searching for an affordable alternative…
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