Falling in love with Ribera del Duero (again)
March 5, 2026
About fifteen years ago, a good mate of mine came into a stash of iconic wine. It was an odd situation, where he was given the run of a top-end …
Tempranillo blends
Alll the ridicously great wines I loved at Barcelona Wine Week 2026
February 13, 2026
Spain = good value Tempranillo. Just as Australia gets typecast as the land of Shiraz and big reds, Spain suffers the same fate, often consigned as the country of budget Tempranillo/Garnacha …
14 more wines worth a glass this May 2025
May 29, 2025
Forget scores, my favourite way to classify a wine is how many glasses I could drink. Faulty junk? Tip it down the sink. An overly sweet, but fascinating, fortified? A …
Riojan deliciousness: Jose Gil Rioja Vino de Pueblo San Vicente 2021
April 16, 2024
This Jose Gil Rioja Vino de Pueblo San Vicente 2021 is a wonderful wine, but also one to remind that Rioja is a strange region. Here's a famed Spanish area, with …
24 wines that did make it this February 2024 (with plenty for $30 or less)
February 29, 2024
Now that we've got yesterday's dive into a few wines that didn't float my boat this February, let's look at some good drinks. The pleasure zone. In particular, for this …
15 for $35 or less: A bunch of reds worth your 2023 Christmas drinking dollars
December 22, 2023
Amex bill looking ginormous this December? Mine is, and It only got paid off last week. So, rather than whinging about it, here is something to help with the 'where …
Review: Faustino I Rioja Gran Reserva Rioja 2011
November 16, 2023
Rioja is a fascinating treasure trove for aged wines. All around the region, there are these huge cellars overflowing with multiple vintages of wine in barrel or bottle, almost like …
In Canberra for the best wine show of the year
March 30, 2023
Within the first eight minutes out on the streets of Canberra, I saw a dude on an e-scooter almost cleanup a pedestrian on the footpath. Welcome back to Australia's capital city! These …
Almost Club November 2022 edition: 15 wines that almost made it this month
November 25, 2022
Not all wines can be great. Plenty are just ‘ok drinks’, and some are just bad… Here is a collectin of 15 wines that almost made it in November 2022. Notably, many …
Almost Club August 2022 edition: 48 wines that almost made it this month
August 22, 2022
Not all wines can be great. Plenty are just ‘ok drinks’, and some are just bad… Here is a selection of 48 wines that almost made it in August 2022. With this …
Sydney Royal Wine Show 2022 – I taste the winners (and a few that should have won)
August 12, 2022
I never miss this tasting. Every year, the Sydney Royal Wine Show throws open the doors for a trade/exhibitor tasting of all everything entered into what is one of Australia's famous, …
Review: Hungerford Hill Tempranillo Graciano 2021
June 14, 2022
There is so much promise in the Hilltops that I'm always surprised we don't see more focus on the region. Plenty of mature alternative plantings in the ground too, as …
