Have you heard about the trans-Tasman sauvignon blanc pipeline to Bondi? Neither have I. But we’re swimming in the stuff and the tap’s not about to be turned off. In 2009 New Zealand exported 43.8 million litres (equivalent to 4.9 million dozen bottles) of wine to Australia. About ninety per cent of that was white … Continue reading Pinot set to join trans-Tasman sauvignon pipeline
Late last year Byron Bay Brewery released its Premium Ale in PET plastic bottles – targeted at NSW venues now obliged by law to keep glass out of the hands of violent drunks. But protecting people from drunks and drunks from themselves is only one motive in the growing search for glass alternatives. While public … Continue reading Beer in plastic bottles — it’s coming
At a recent series of pinot noir tastings at Mornington, the opening brackets showed just how variable styles can be. Were these style differences, we were asked, a result of human intervention or attributable to ‘terroir’ – the French the French term, for which there is no English equivalent, meaning roughly ‘the sum of the … Continue reading Mornington pinot celebration part 3
Domain Day Mount Crawford – One Serious Riesling 2007 $20; Garganega 2007 $20; Viognier 2007 $20; One Serious Merlot 2005 $27 These are new releases from Robin Day’s vineyard at Mount Crawford, at the elevated, cool southeastern edge of the Barossa. The riesling is bone dry and strongly varietal in the ripe citrus end of … Continue reading Wine review — Domain Day, Angoves & Tim Adams
As we move towards vintage 2008 Australia’s wine industry is in dramatically different shape than it was last year. In spring 2006 as vines budded for the 2007 vintage, I was in the Barossa and Langhorne Creek hearing daily of cancelled grape contracts as large winemakers, with storage tanks full, anticipated a third consecutive bumper … Continue reading Snapshot of the Aussie wine industry
Regional wine shows, says leading Australian wine man Brian Croser, can be marketing springboards. With the international fine wine market so focused on what grows best where, he argues, regional shows can highlight what varieties best suit a region and the results used to take that message to the world. Croser was in Canberra last … Continue reading Croser in Canberra — on regional wine shows
The old adage that the only thing we learn from history is that we don’t learn anything from history is bunk. At Wynns Coonawarra Estate, a close study of historic wines taught Sue Hodder and her winemaking team plenty about Coonawarra wines. A decade on from two retrospective Wynns shiraz and cabernet tastings — stretching … Continue reading How Sue Hodder’s history lesson improved Wynns’ Coonawarra reds
The quality and style of several great Australian wine brands owned by Foster’s remain intact despite the wine division’s ten per cent sales decline in the first half 2006–07. But will great brands like Penfolds, Wynns and Wolf Blass flourish long term under the Foster’s banner? Will Foster’s remain in the wine business in the … Continue reading Will Foster’s stay in the wine business
Few people drive the cars that win motor races. Yet motor sports contribute considerably to safety and performance developments in motor vehicles – improvements that finally trickle down to the family sedan. Similarly, relatively few drinkers enjoy the Ferraris of the wine world – the great and enduring names that excite drinkers, inspire winemakers and … Continue reading Driving the Ferraris of the wine world
A long, thoughtful email from a reader, Maureen Hickman, raised many interesting wine points including the role of additives in wine. Maureen wrote of a much-enjoyed tipple, “… looking at the label recently I was shocked to see that it contains ‘egg, milk and fish products’ along with sulphites. I wonder, is it really wine … Continue reading Waiter, there’s a fish in my wine