The Italian Red Revival … Part 1 { It is not all cut and dried}
Italy has an incredible diversity of wines to offer. No wonder with the huge number of native grape varieties they have to choose from. There is something for everyone and in particular for red wine lovers. Of course, some of the better known Italian red wine regions...
Terre di Faiano Nero d’Avola
Who makes it? Terre di Faiano Nero d’Avola is an organic wine from the south Italian specialist Orion Wines. There is also a Puglian primitivo in the range. Of course, Sicilian wine lovers will know that Nero d’Avola is a much loved Sicilian black grape. It...
Yalumba Organic Viognier
Who makes it? Yalumba Organic Viognier is part of Viognier story from the Hill-Smith portfolio. Yalumba have proven themselves as the Australian specialists of this Condrieu grape. For over 35 years, Robert Hill-Smith and his passionate team have honed their...
Pasqua Romeo & Juliet Wall ‘PassionSentimento’ Bianco
Who makes it? Pasqua Romeo & Juliet Wall is produced by Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine which was founded in 1925. From there, this family led operation has gone from strength to strength. They now produce wines from Prosecco, Soave to Amarone in the North...
Piccini Strapazzamento Rosso Toscana
Who makes it? Piccini is a Castellani brand. The Castellani family own a large number of vineyards in Tuscany and make an impressive range of wines. Villa Piccini is focused on red wines, and in particular Sangiovese based wines, including a Chianti Classico. This one...
CVNE Barrel Fermented Rioja Blanca
Who makes it? CVNE Barrel Fermented is a white Rioja made by one of Rioja’s pioneer wine companies. A company that now includes wines under Imperial, Vina Real, Contino and Monopole. White Rioja is usually overshadowed by the red wines of that esteemed Spanish wine...
Jackson Estate Vintage Widow Pinot Noir
Who makes it? The Vintage Widow is one of Jackson Estate's Pinots. They have a wide range of wines, but they do have a focus on the Marlborough classics of sauvignon blanc and pinot noir. The Vintage Widows is a blend of named two vineyards – Gum Emperor and...
Santa Julia Organic Torrontes
Who makes it? Santa Julia is one of the Zuccardi family’s estates, with Julia Zuccardi at the head. The Torrontes grapes for this wines come from Mendoza vineyards at the foot of the Andes, from 600 metres above sea level. This simply means that the grapes are ripened...
Incanta Pinot Noir
Who makes it? Incanta Pinot Noir is a wine that once you have found it, you should buy more than a few. And with the price, you might be well able to afford to. It is also good to see Romanian wines appearing on our shelves. Apparently, these grapes have come from...
Four Pillars Bloody Shiraz Gin
Who makes it? Four Pillars, a specialist gin producer in Australia, is the passion of founders Stuart Gregor, Matt Jones, and distiller Cameron MacKenzie. Now, I have been lucky enough in the past to have enjoyed Four Pillars as a palate refresher on occasion, back...
Duca di Castelmonte Sicilian Zibbibo
Who makes it? Duca di Castelmonte is a wine brand under the Marsala producer Pellegrino portfolio. They have a wide range of wines as a Sicilian specialist. This is a Lidl special, so I would get in and get it while you can find it. It will be superb for this summer....
Tomfoolery Young Blood Shiraz
Who makes it? From the information I can find, Tomfoolery Wines is family owned with Ben Chipman at the winemaking helm. Their wines are Barossan, meaning the grapes are either from the Barossa Valley or from the cooler climes of the Eden Valley. In the current range...
Latest videos:
Winery Spotlight: Rathfinny Wine Estate
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Winemaker Series: Colette Bonnet Champagne
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What to drink: Bordeaux wines for Christmas
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Winemaker Series: Gavin Monery, Vagabond
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Winemaker Series: Henry Connell, The Uncommon
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Winery Spotlight: Piggs Peake
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10 wine blends from around the world that should be in your glass NOW!!!
Wine blends made from two or more grape varieties have become a lot more interesting in recent times..... Wines made from a blend of grape varieties have become a lot more interesting in recent times. There are some exciting new styles being developed as well as new...
Gadget review: Kelvin K2 Wine Monitor
There is a new wine gadget on the market vying for your attention.... According to their website, ‘The Kelvin K2 Smart wine thermometer has been designed to demystify the process of enjoying your wine with its best possible flavour.’ It does this by giving you...
English wine cellar doors that need to be on your itinerary!
English wine is now becoming a staple on good wine lists. Thankfully though, the English wine experience does not stop there. The usual tourist haunts outside of the thriving, culturally rich, metropolis of London may include visiting castles, roman ruins, quaint...
Langmeil, the Lindner family preserving Barossa history
Langmeil, one of the gems of the Barrossa Valley.... Australia’s Barossa Valley has a well-deserved reputation for some of the world’s finest wines. Amongst the producers that focus on delivering powerful red wines that tell a story of alcohol and dried fruit, there...
Winery Spotlight: Getting to know Rathfinny Estate
I had no idea what to expect when I visited Rathfinny Wine Estate by chance last Summer. It was a spur of the moment idea. The vineyard I had initially decided to visit had no time slots left and did not accept visitors without bookings. Fair enough. It was a smaller...
Getting to know: IL PALAGIO
Il Palagio estate has been owned by Sting and producer and actor, Trudie Styler after finding it in a state of decline in 1999. Not only is this is their summer home, it is a productive farm estate that produces not only this wine but also olive oil, honey...
Women in Wine:
Santa Julia Organic Torrontes
Who makes it? Santa Julia is one of the Zuccardi family’s estates, with Julia Zuccardi at the head. The Torrontes grapes for this wines come from Mendoza vineyards at the foot of the Andes, from 600 metres above sea level. This simply means that the grapes are ripened...
Nikkal Rose – doing it for Breast Cancer
Yarra based winemaker, Kate Goodman is the force behind Goodman wines and the Nikkal Wine range. She is also a winemaker for Penley Estate after chalking up time making wine in some of the other well known wineries in Australia. However, just in time for summer this...
Hunter’s MiruMiru NV Sparkling Rosé
MiruMiru is Moari for 'bubbles'! Behind this rather unassuming looking label, the MiruMiru is one of New Zealand’s finest sparkling Rosés made by Jane Hunter. The MiruMiru range delivers exactly what it promises on that label. It literally means ‘bubbles’ in...