Chris Shanahan

UK demand prompts Southcorp to develop a 100 hectare certified organic vineyard in the Clare Valley

The wine export boom is fuelling an unprecedented expansion in vineyards and winemaking capacity. This article looks at several aspects and covers the emergence of what later became ‘Wrattonbully’ in some detail

This article examines in detail what tax Australian consumers pay on their favourite tipples

This article commemorates Grange creator, Max Schubert, using Max’s own words recorded by David Farmer and Chris Shanahan in Max’s office at Magill, South Australia on February 18th, 1992

‘Wynnsday’ seemed a dumb idea at the outset, but it’s become an important day for Australia’s wine trade and consumers. It also marks the birth of brand marketing in Australian wine and heralds the rise of supermarkets and decline of independents in Australia’s fine wine market.

An examination what’s planted and where in Australia and a few glimpses of what’s on the way

A snapshot of Australia’s wine industry, with a strong focus on the shift from independents to supermarkets in the retail sector

A ridge too far. St Marys vineyard sits on a fossilised sand dune 15 kilometres west of and one ice age younger than Coonawarra. What regional appellation can proprietor Barry Mulligan apply to his wine?

Penfolds has released its new red vintages just as export led demand creates shortage and pushes prices up. The wines stil represent terrific value.

A Les Amis du Vin, Chicago, tasting of 1982 Cabernets, including Medoc’s five first growths, threw up an amazing winner: Penfolds Grange Hermitage 1982 — a shiraz!

A detailed look at the bringing together of brands, vineyards, winemaking and managment cultures that created Southcorp wines

A sceptc’sl approach to Riedel glassware

Padthaway has emerged as one of Australia’s most important broadacre grape sources

Bruce Kemp, Southcorp boss, says Seppelt’s brightly repackaged table wines will soon all be sourced from Victoria

1990 and 1991 were both outstanding vintages in Coonawarra. This article compares the two vintages by quizzing leading Cooanwarra makers on their views.

Canberra’s restaurant wine lists tend to be lazy or defensive. But there is one bright light on the horizon as Fringe Benefits introduces aged wines stored in an air conditioned cellar

Italian winemaker, Carlo Corino, planted the Italian varieties nebbiolo,barbera and sangiovese at Montrose Winery’s Mudgee vineyards. Whether or not they survive as individual wines is in the lap of Orlando-Wyndham’s marketers

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

Impressions of ten vintages of Grange served from magnum at Michael Hill-Smith’s Universal Wine Bar, Adelaide, on the occasion of Penfolds’ 150th anniversary

Large wineries that make outstanding top end wines tend to make outstanding commercial wines, too. This is a look at this trickly down effect at Hardys winery under winemaker David O’Leary

It seems a paradox that the warm, humid Hunter Valley produces such delicate, low-alcohol, long lived semillon. Phil Ryan makes some of the greatest at McWilliams Mount Pleasant Winery

Two Dogs, a new alcoholic, brewed lemonade from Adelaide is all the rage and may endure. But it appears to have many of the hallmarks of the cooler craze of the mid eighties

A long piece arguing that Australia’s successful mass production of many wine varieties won’t be replicated with pinot noir. This variety presents far more challenges and its successes are likely to be limited to the cooler southern extremities of the mainland and Tasmania

A discussion of 23 years’ winemaking in the Canberra region

Ray Kidd, former head of Lindemans Wines, established a vast maturation cellar in Sydney and established a network of Classic Wine Stockist to retail the mature wines from it.

As Australia stands on the edge on an unprecedented wine export explosion profits from domestic sales will be reinvested in vineyards and wineries to feed demand. This will spell the end of undervalue wine in the local market and marks the beginning of a massive expansion.

Ken Helm looks and sounds bigger than he is. But at least people know that his micro winery exists and where it is

Results from the National Wine Show of Australia 1994 poses questions for those arguing that shows are more for improving the breed than they are for informing the consumer

A quick look at the emergence of Jeir Creek Winery