Yesterday evening I took part in a tasting at Australia house, focused on Semillon. It’s a variety that hides in the shadows, but which excels in Australia, and specifically in…
Video: tasting the 2012 Grosset Springvale and Polish Hill Rieslings
Two beautiful wines. The Grosset 2012 Polish Hill and Springvale Rieslings. Here I taste them on camera.
First Drop Mere et Fils Chardonnay, great wine, fabulous labels
Aussie wine producer First Drop are fast becoming one of the cleverest at marketing their wines – even outdoing D’Arenberg. The good news is that the content of the bottle…
Both Barrels Shiraz Durif
Pleasantly surprised by this Aussie red from Laithwaites. It’s made by their RedHeads studio winery in McLaren Vale, and winemaker Steve Grimley has cobbled together some Coonawarra Shiraz and some…
A lovely, affordable Hunter Semillon
Very nice wine, this. Hunter Valley Semillon is a unique style of wine. Pale, fresh, light in youth, yet ages brilliantly. And it comes from a very warm wine region….
Warming up with Shiraz after a freezing afternoon of rugby
Today I drove for 2 h 45 down to Somerset, stood and watched a game of rugby in the coldest conditions I can recall, and then drove back again. Even…
At the Australia Day tasting
Some great wines on show today at the Australia Day tasting in London’s Saatchi gallery. Great venue for wine tasting: lots of natural light, and big airy spaces. Couldn’t have…
Funniest label of the year, so far
Caught a glimpse of this new wine label from D’Arenberg, for a celebratory sparkling wine they are releasing. It’s very funny indeed. (For those who don’t get the joke, see…
Evoi The Satyr, a serious Margaret River red
This is a serious Bordeaux-style red from a small producer in Margaret River. ‘Evoi’ is, apparently, the ecstatic scream of joy uttered by the Maenads, who were the female followers…