Blessed by a Mediterranean style climate and some of the oldest root-stock in the world, the Barossa Valley is undeniably a world leader when it comes to shiraz production, but there’s a sting in the tail of that enviable reputation. Such is the power of the “Barossa Shiraz” brand that uninformed consumers often miss out…
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“It’s the best chardonnay on the Mornington Peninsula” he decreed as he pressed his thumb into the punt at its base and forcefully thrust a bottle in my direction. “You won’t find better” my mate promised, as if the acceptance of his gift was accompanied by the clatter of a gauntlet hitting the tiled floor.…
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School holidays. Gotta love the break from routine and the chance to travel, relax or just bond with your kids. But we all know that the gap between school terms isn’t all beer and skittles. After all, the traffic can be horrendous, the house looks like a warzone, and all too often “those” relatives want to come and stay.
Arguably the Sunshine Coast’s most likable larrikin, Mix FM host and media personality, Todd Widdicombe is to wine what a bread-roll is to a coeliac. A self – proclaimed “ beer bloke”, Todd denies any knowledge of grape types let alone any enthusiasm for the products of fermented berries. So in my eyes, there’s no…
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Business leader, entrepreneur and “locavore”, Roz White is undeniably one of the movers and shakers of the wider Sunshine Coast community. She wore the badge of Sunshine Coast Business Women’s Network outstanding business leader in 2015 and was named regional owner/ entrepreneur leader of the year in 2016 by the Australian Institute of Management. Such…
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With the Spring Racing Carnival just around the corner, it’s only a matter of time before champagne is on almost everyone’s lips. And not just as a topic of conversation. So in that context, my recent catch-up with Australia’s pre-eminent champagne guru, Tyson Stelzer, was rather timely. Although he’s a Brissie boy, this one time…
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She may be renowned for her ability to design recipes that simplify life in the kitchen, but Australian author Kim McCosker’s taste in wine is anything but uncomplicated. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, McCosker’s career didn’t start out in either the restaurant industry or as a wordsmith. Initially studying a Bachelor of International Finance at Griffith University,…
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My fascination with Italian wines is not of recent creation. It was probably 15 years ago that I found myself in the country shaped like a boot in order to attend a legal conference, yet still found time to taste my way through a decent cross section of their local varietals. Some of their whites…
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Wine is many different things to individuals. To some, it’s a social lubricant while to others it’s a digestive served with a meal or even just an end of the week anaesthetic! But whatever it is, there’s no doubt that is used accompanies a conversation or a story – and sometimes the wine can be…
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There’s no doubt that gold medals, wine show trophies and high ratings from wine critics and judges are worth big dollars to wine makers and wineries. And it’s not just in Australia that producers scramble to attract the attention of the influential critics and “experts”. Around the world, wine companies compete, jostle and hustle for…
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