Over a glass of wine last night my wife and I started discussing which dozen wines we would put together to showcase the best of the Hunter Valley to somebody who has never tried anything from the area before. Never and easy task and it is limited to wines we are quite familiar with andContinue reading "My Hunter Valley Top 12"
Vintage and harvesting quick FAQs
The 2013 vintage is already in full swing in the Hunter Valley of Australia and the nerves and tension of every winemaker and vineyard manager are palpable. This is the time when you can feel that a random 2 days of bad weather can make or break the whole year' s work and how theContinue reading "Vintage and harvesting quick FAQs"
Wine Shopping Tips for Christmas
That time of the year is upon us again with Christmas lights all around and last minute presents still to be worried about. It is also now the time to buckle down and get ready for the Xmas catering and pick some wines for the celebrations. Many wine afficionados will have already picked out a listContinue reading "Wine Shopping Tips for Christmas"
Cellar Door Etiquette Short Course- Part 1 For Visitors
PART 1: For Cellar Door Visitors Winery Cellar Doors can be one of the most exciting wine experiences a lot of people may ever have,,,or leave a bitter taste, even turning people off a winery, region or off wine in general. After many years of visiting cellar doors all around Australia andContinue reading "Cellar Door Etiquette Short Course- Part 1 For Visitors"
General Wine and Health Stuff…
Just wanted to share a link to a very good and reliable source for some quick FAQs on wine and health.The Australian Wine Research Institute is the official body in Australia for scientific research into all facets of wine production and wine in general, definitiely a higher authority than any guy writing a blog!http://www.awri.com.au/industry_support/wine_and_health/faqs/
SO2Go and such – Sulphur Removal compounds…do they work?
Sulphur use in wines is a very sensitive little topic. We all know somebody who has said "I like wines, I just cant handle the sulphur, it gives me headaches" You may have said this yourself, I know I have.And true: some people do have a sensitivity to the common preservative 'sulphur dioxide' which mayContinue reading "SO2Go and such – Sulphur Removal compounds…do they work?"
What’s the go with Pinot?
Pinot Noir is the new black.It seems that it doesnt matter who you speak to or what you read in the world of wine at the moment, any self-respecting lover of wine is obliged to declare their love for it. Just as with artlovers with post-modernism or literature students with Kafka, or music lovers withContinue reading "What’s the go with Pinot?"
European wines and New World (i.e. Australian) equivalents
In France, Italy and Spain wines are traditionally labelled by region, and not specifically by which grape varieties are in those wine as in Australian wines. This leads to some confusion when looking at rows of bottles with names of places on them, especially if you come from a country where the labels have rowsContinue reading "European wines and New World (i.e. Australian) equivalents"
Some points after living in a wine region for 6 months (Part 1)
There has been some time since my last post due mainly to the fact that a lot of free time has been absorbed by my move into working the wine industry living in the Hunter Valley. Despite my new affiliation to companies in the industry, this blog will remain objective however with some more insideContinue reading "Some points after living in a wine region for 6 months (Part 1)"
Wine Trip: Yarra Valley August 2011
Melbourne is a great place if you like wine. There is a multitude of places to drink wine (eg Jimmy Watsons in Carlton) , top wine shops (eg Prince Wine Store in South Melbourne) and the wine regions of the Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula, Geelong, Sunbury are all within 70 Minutes by car. Many othersContinue reading "Wine Trip: Yarra Valley August 2011"