Jacob’s Creek is a wine brand in transition. As the team behind growing, making and marketing it looks ten, twenty and thirty years into the future, they see – and have laid the foundations for –- a brand with a sense of place and history. And it’ll be led, in future, by benchmark regional varietals … Continue reading Jacob’s Creek goes upmarket as it eyes the future
A quick look at the emergence of Jeir Creek Winery
The globally successful Jacob’s Creek brand recently won the Maurice O’Shea Award — an accolade reserved, until now, for individuals. This piece studies the origin and development of Jacob’s Creek
As Canberra wine celebrates its fiftieth anniversary, it’s fair to ask why, in 1971, two smart CSIRO scientists planted grape vines in sheep paddocks? Could the same soils and climate that produced fine wool also ripen wine grapes? Following different paths, and unknown to one another, Dr Edgar Riek and Dr John Kirk concluded that … Continue reading Celebrating 50 years of Canberra wine
Despite delays caused by heat, drought, smoke and Covid-19, one of the most significant developments in Canberra’s wine history is planned for a site south of Murrumbateman. In July 2019 Jason and Alicia Brown bought land at Spring Range (including the two-hectare Kerralee vineyard) straddling Jeir Creek and fronting the eastern side of the Barton … Continue reading Hilltops and Tumbarumba come to Canberra
An insider’s view of the Australian wine industry and the Jacob’s Creek brand Transcription of an interview with Phil Laffer, Canberra, 16 March 2006 Jacob’s Creek people The winemakers If you’re going to be a good winemaker you have to be passionate about it. And that means passion about wine, food, people vines and a … Continue reading The Phil Laffer tapes – part 2
An insider’s view of the Australian wine industry and one of its successful brands The following is a transcript of my interview with Phil Laffer at Roland Flat, Barossa Valley, 14 March 2006. The interview was one of two I conducted with Phil for the production of The view from our place, a booklet released in … Continue reading The Phil Laffer tapes
The tasting notes in this post represent a wide range of wine styles from regions sprinkled along the Great Dividing Range in southern New South Wales: Tumbarumba, Orange, Gundagai, Hilltops and the Canberra District. I wrote the notes for Jugiong Wine Cellar website. The cellar (located at Jugiong, between Yass and Gundagai) lies at the centre … Continue reading Wine reviews – the high country of southern New South Wales
Ata Rangi Martinborough Pinot Noir 2015 $75 Coriole McLaren Vale Sangiovese 2016 $27 Earlier this year I organised a masked tasting for a group at Burrawang Coastal Club on the NSW south coast. After a mood-lifting Champagne Bollinger Special Cuvée Brut we settled into dinner and a bracket of three contrasting dry rieslings – Dr Loosen … Continue reading Savoury reds from Ata Rangi, Coriole and Ravensworth
In 2017, Lonely Planet rated Canberra third best city in the world. But in keeping with a decidedly riesling mood enveloping the Capital’s winemakers, Gallagher Canberra Riesling 2017 topped 519 wines from seven countries in the Canberra International Riesling Challenge. Murrumbateman winemaker Ken Helm founded the challenge 17 years ago. At the time, Canberra riesling, … Continue reading The Canberra wine region 2017 wrap