Australian Wine and Drinks Review

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…
What have you been buying and drinking this September 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…
The mercurial 2023 Curly Flat Pinot Noir range

Typically, the Curly site at Lancefield is the warmer end of the Ranges and produces what are often lush wines (for a chilly region). But these ’23s aren’t lush – there’s…
Some old, some new at the 2025 Coonawarra Tutorial

That was what I was thinking about as I bounced into the 2025 Coonawarra Tutorial last week. This national tasting series, put on by the Coonawarra Vignerons for media and sommeliers,…
Stepping back in with 12 of the better Shiraz of September 2025

And we’re back. After a month where life and other projects filled up every other waking hour, I’ve finally got a few quieter nights to devote to this website. It’s probably…
20 wines of August 2025’s better wines under $25

Curiously enough, as a wine reviewer, you don’t really get to regularly taste many ‘value’ wines. Yes, some producers send the whole range in for review, but on the whole, it’s…
Compare the pair: Top dog Australian Chardonnay from Southern Light Vineyards & Tapanappa

There’s a slot in the Australian Wine and Drinks Review fridge where I always like to keep a classic white wine. Something for drinking, not tasting, that I’m going to enjoy…
The Almost Club July 2025 edition: 20 wines that almost made it this month

Not all wines can be great. Plenty are just ‘ok drinks’, and some are just bad… Here are 11 wines that almost made the silver medal, Australian Wine and Drinks Review…
What have you been buying and drinking this July 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…