Australian Wine and Drinks Review

Wrestling with the most atypical Foggy Hill Pinot Noir yet (and more Tapanappa releases)

‘Sauvignon Blanc is a B tier white grape’ I love Reddit. It’s a misinformation gold mine, but also excellent for tracking real opinions (however shitty). That quote above is from a…
Diving into the new Pewsey Vale Riesling 2025 too early

I’m on a mission to get the sample pile down to a manageable level over the next four weeks, and sometimes that entails opening things earlier than they should really be…
What have you been drinking this November 2025?

It’s that time again. Time to inspire me to spend more money on drinks, even though the WineArk cabinet can’t be closed properly, and the Amex is maxed out. So, what…
Grenaissance 2025 – aka how good is McLaren Vale Grenache?

“Grenache is as indigenous as Australia gets’. That’s a quote from David Gleave MW, the Liberty Wines chairman and Willunga 100 co-founder, getting enthused about Grenache at the recent Grenaissance tasting…
I attacked the sample pile in October. These 50 (mainly) Australian wines won me over

I have too much wine. This sounds like the most first-world plea for help in history (please, someone crack out the micro violin), but at the moment I have too much…
After 30 years, is Arras (and Ed Carr) back in a true happy place?

Making super premium fizz in Australia is a thankless task. Despite the obvious quality, there comes a tipping point in pricing where local wines are endlessly compared to Champagne (I unconsciously…
Bollinger’s new PN TX 20 + the best Champagne of 2025

World Champagne Day is today. Here’s the best Champagne I’ve tried this year to celebrate: The Bollinger La Côte aux Enfants 2013 wasn’t the reason why a pack of trade and…
What have you been buying and drinking this October 2025?

It’s that time again. Time to inspire me to spend more money on drinks, even though the WineArk cabinet can’t be closed properly, and the Amex is maxed out. So, what…
How do Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard releases look against Ornellaia & Pascal Cotat?

Brian Croser, Xavier’s father-in-law, absolutely loves putting a few global wine benchmarks in his tastings (even if it’s just an excuse to drink something delicious), so it’s entirely unsurprising that Xavier…
15 diverse Australian Shiraz and Cabernet wines

I went digging into the overflowing Australian Wine and Drinks Review sample pile this week, looking for a bit of Shiraz and Cabernet diversity. I’d already churned through a bit early…
10 classy modern Chardonnay to pass the desk this September (and a few extras)

Chardonnay was recently revealed as the second most popular wine ‘segment’ in Woollahra and Mosman LGAs (after Champagne) – arease which include some of Australia’s wealthiest suburbs and some of the…
Champagne super-cuvées with honesty – the Champagne Jacquart Triple 1 Collection

The 35th floor of a Sydney hotel feels the right place to launch a new range of super cuvées. Peering down at Darling Harbour on a super Sydney day from the…