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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Australians love their wine; indeed, we are the tenth largest wine consuming country in the world with 98% of bottled wine consumed within 24 hours of purchase. Obviously, the lure of ‘instant gratification’ overrides the hidden pleasure of laying down a bottle of wine to savour the alchemy of maturity at a later date. Is…
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Blends of grenache, shiraz and mouvedre (mataro) are extremely popular amongst Australian wine consumers and wine producers are adding the style to their cellar lists in abundance. The spiritual home of these blends is the Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC in the southern parts of France’s Rhone Valley where the Mediterranean climate is ideally suited to these key…
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Traditionally, charity administration costs and wages chew up 40% of donations, bringing charities under constant and justifiable scrutiny. How reassuring to hear that every dollar raised at the 2021 Travis Schultz Winemakers Master Class will fund the expansion of the SunnyKid’s School Program. In fact, up to 600 Sunshine Coast families will immediately benefit from…
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When the management consultants decreed that “diversification is the key to risk management”, Lake’s Folly founder, Max Lake, clearly missed the memo. Since establishing the vineyard and winery in 1963, the Hunter Valley label has gone from strength to strength, making only two wines; a cabernet (yes, cabernet!) and a chardonnay. Minimalistic, perhaps, but the…
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For reasons I’ve never really understood, Grenache has long been the Nutribullet of grape varietals; not really a headline act itself, but considered really useful for blending. But in recent years, the style seems to be gaining momentum as a single varietal of note and one worthy of occupying space in the cellar. And if…
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More than 350 Sunshine Coast wine imbibers attended the Travis Schultz Winemakers Master Class backed by NAB for SunnyKids on Friday 28 May at the Maroochy RSL Events Centre, raising a record amount of $170,000 for a local charity that supports our community’s most vulnerable. This was the ninth year running for the sold-out special…
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As the mercury drops, the days shorten and the winter westerlies begin to bite, it’s time to push the white wines aside and reach for the big brooding reds that match the cold season cuisine and warm you on the inside. And typically, at least in my house, the go-to drop is normally either Cabernet…
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In these times of polished marketing, data-driven delivery and social media savviness, there’s an “International Day” for just about every product or service – no matter how dumb the idea sounds. From International Fruitcake Toss Day in January to Caramel Popcorn Day in April and Donald Duck Day in June, there’s a ridiculous reason to…
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It may at times be misunderstood as snobbery, haughtiness or the hallmark of pretention, but the practice of decanting a bottle of wine really can be an important speed bump between cork removal and pouring a glass. Sure, it can be somewhat of an inconvenience to have to find the crystal vessel you inherited from…
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