326 brewers go head to head Sixty-three judges at this year’s Australian International Beer Awards (AIBA) tasted 1793 beers from 326 brewers in 36 countries. They dispensed hundreds of gold, silver and bronze medals. In taste-offs of gold-medal winners, they awarded trophies to category winners. And grand taste-offs elected a champion Australian beer and champion … Continue reading AIBA gongs for Woolworths and Boston Beer Co
Attempting to deflect criticism of its market power last week, Woolworths drew attention to its fast-growing competitor, Aldi. Woolworths highlighted the 95 per cent market share of private labels in Aldi, compared to just six per cent in its own stores. Aldi remains a minnow compared to Woolies. But it’s growing rapidly and its strategy … Continue reading Aldi attracts Woolworths attention
Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Riparosso 2016 (Illuminati) $9.50–$14 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Ilico 2015 (Illuminati) $14.30–$14.99 Illuminati’s Riparosso first arrived in Australia in 1991 following a Farmer Bros buying trip to Italy. People immediately took to the savoury, medium-bodied red and it became the company’s biggest selling Italian red. When Farmer Bros collapsed in the mid nineties, importation and … Continue reading Illuminati Riparosso – enduring, satisfying Abruzzi red wine
BentSpoke Brewing Co yesterday unveiled its second brewery and a high-speed canning line, located in Mitchell, a Canberra industrial suburb. Brewer Richard Watkins says the new facility has the potential to brew six million litres a year – equivalent to 666 thousand nine-litre slabs – making it by far Canberra’s biggest brewery. Until an on-site … Continue reading Canberra’s BentSpoke brewery launches packaged beer
Gramp and Son St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 – wine of the week Coonawarra and Barossa, South Australia $55 In the fickle world of corporate wine marketing, St Hugo began life in the 1980s as a Coonawarra cabernet under the Orlando banner. Early this century, it joined cellar mate Jacob’s Creek’s portfolio in a failed … Continue reading Wine review – Gramp and Son St Hugo, Penfolds, Pikes, Ross Hill, Red Knot, Jim Barry
St Hallett Western Front Barossa Shiraz 2015 $14.30–$18 Japanese-owned Lion owns the Barossa’s St Hallett Winery and produces several outstanding regional shirazes. Western Front, made for Woolworths (Dan Murphy, BWS, Woolworths Liquor), sits in price between St Hallett Faith Shiraz ($17) and Gamekeepers Shiraz ($12) – two widely distributed St Hallett wines often discounted by … Continue reading Wine review – St Hallett, Chapel Hill, Jacob’s Creek
Eldridge Estate Pinot Noir 2014 – wine of the week Eldridge Estate vineyard, Red Hill, Mornington Peninsula, Victoria $60 David Lloyd’s wines demonstrate the power of growing grape varieties in the right climate, then mastering vineyard management and winemaking. His 3.8-hectare vineyard, at around 200-metres altitude and 38 degrees south, provides the cool growing and … Continue reading Wine review – Eldridge Estate, Bremerton, Billecart-Salmon, Murrumbateman Winery, Arrogant Frog, Sandalford
Australia’s more than 2,400 vignerons make a greater diversity and higher quality wine than ever before in a wine history dating from the first fleet. My top-15 therefore represents a wide range of Australian styles from seven distinct regions in four states, plus five multi-region blends, including one bubbly. Completing the lineup are two imports … Continue reading Top 15 wines under $15
Beck’s $US20m settlement highlights beer paradox: locally brewed version likely better than the German import A US class action over deceptive packaging of US-brewed Beck’s beer has resulted in a US$20mllion settlement. Americans who thought they were buying a German import will be able to get cash payments. Beck’s parent company, Anheuser-Busch InBev, agreed to the … Continue reading Beck’s – confusing label and a paradox
Angove Long Row Riesling 2015 $8–$11 Long Row riesling’s low price and drab label convey little of the very good wine quality. In the benign 2015 vintage the wine shows both the floral and citrus side of the riesling grape, in a delicious, round, juicy, drink-now, dry style. It comes from Angove’s Nanya vineyard on … Continue reading Wine review – Angove, Xanadu and Mount Langi Ghiran