If you’re motoring through Gippsland, Victoria, chances are you’ll be on the Princes Highway – just a skip over the mountains from Cooma via the Snowy Mountains and Cann River Highways.
Continue west past Lakes Entrance and Bairnsdale and it’s not far to Morwell – and from there it’s only half an hour south, on the […]
McKellar Ridge Canberra District Shiraz Viognier 2006 $22-$24
Brian and Janet Johnston’s McKellar Ridge is a tiny operation focusing on small parcels of high quality Canberra district fruit. The wines have always been good. But this latest release, to my taste, does away with a few little blemishes that kept earlier vintages out of the top […]
‘Plonk’ is a postage-stamp-sized liquor store squished into the southern end of Palmerston Lane, Manuka. When I first saw it, thirty years’ liquor retailing experience rated it too small to be viable.
But it’s still going. And the racks of bottle-your-own liqueurs seem to be giving way to an expanding, carefully chosen selection – driven, I’m […]
Two Hands ‘Brilliant Disguise’ Barossa Moscato 2007 500ml $18
The Moscato d’Asti wines of Piedmont, Italy, have inspired a new use for white frontignac, one of the old workhorses of the Australian wine industry. The keynotes of those from Asti, and neighbouring provinces Cuneo and Alessandria (which also use the Asti appellation) is delicacy, freshness, low-alcohol […]
Howard Park: Riesling 2007 $25; Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $25; Scotsdale/Leston Park Shirazes 2005 $40 and Cabernet Sauvignons 2005 $40; Cabernet Merlot 2004 $90
Behind Madfish, Howard Park’s wildly successful (and excellent) $15-$20-a-bottle second label, lies a rich winemaking culture, built on top-quality fruit from a number of Western Australian regions. Proprietor Jeff Burch showed the latest […]
Snowy Mountains Brewery Crackenback Pale Ale 330ml $3.50
This a toned-down but attractive version of the American pale ale style – ie, not quite as malty or hoppy as the originals but still with enough oomph to lift it above the pack. There’s an appealing citrus note to the hops aroma but a little more body […]
Since humans developed language tens of thousands of years ago, we’ve found expression for phenomena only now being explained on many levels, right down to the molecular, by scientists.
Almost instinctively, and certainly by experience, we understand that one man’s meat is another’s poison – an adage that applies in spades to the world of wine.
When […]
Kevin and Alison O’Neill created the Snowy Mountains Brewery brand in 2004 and had their first beer – Snowy Mountains Pale Ale – brewed under contract, to Kevin’s specification, by Hunter-based Blue Tongue Brewery in 2005.
In 2006 the O’Neill’s shifted production to contract brewer AIB, near Camden on Sydney’s southwestern outskirts, a move that marked […]
Shelmerdine Heathcote Shiraz 2005 $34; Heathcote Merindoc Vineyard Shiraz 2005 $65 and Heathcote Merlot $28
The Shelmerdine family sources fruit from Victoria’s climatically diverse Heathcote region – from the cool south to the warmer north. The beautifully ripe, supple Heathcote Shiraz 2005 combines northern and southern shiraz with a dab of viognier; and the flagship shiraz […]
Grand Ridge Brewery Natural Blonde Wheat Beer 330ml $3.50
Grand Ridge natural blonde has an advantage over the original Belgian coriander and orange-peel infused wheat ales. Being locally brewed it’s fresher – especially from tap at the Gippsland brewery. It’s a delight — from the pale lemon, cloudy colour to the stiff, fine head to the […]
Kamberra’s state-of-the-art winery, abandoned by Hardy Wine Company a year ago, might have become a white elephant. Instead, both the winery and the Kamberra wine brand are to live on under Canberra’s Elvin Group.
The group bought the Watson winery and tourism complex and 83-hectare Holt vineyard last year. But speculation about the fate of the […]
Nicholson River Gippsland Pinot Noir 2004 $15
Thirty years ago science teacher-turned social worker, Ken Eckersley, planted vines at Nicholson River, East Gippsland, Victoria. It was pioneering stuff at the time. And today Ken and wife Juliet produce a range of wines, including their specialties, pinot noir and chardonnay. Ken says they built their reputation on […]
Grand Ridge Brewery Brewer’s Pilsner 330m $3.50
Grand Ridge’s original beer remains one of its most popular over the brewery bar at Mirboo North, Gippsland Victoria. It’s an assertive Czech inspired brew, big on malt, with a caramel-like richness, and cut through with the bracing, pungent aroma, flavour and lingering bitterness of Saaz hops – a […]
Pinot noir is but a blip in Australia’s wine consumption statistics. But it’s one of the most satisfying varieties to drink when winemakers get it right, as they increasingly do. And though style and quality vary enormously, my experience is that those at the top mercilessly test their own wine against global peers, especially the […]
Who is James Boag? Well you might ask. Until recently, this much-loved Aussie beer belonged to Philippines-based San Miguel Corporation. But under a deal announced last November, ownership of J Boag & Sons Pty Ltd, and with it James Boag Premium Lager, passed to Lion Nathan Limited in January.
Lion also negotiated in January the termination […]
Nuragus di Cagliari (Argiolas S’elegas) 2006 $21
Melbourne’s Da Noi restaurant offers delicious Italian food, prepared by Sardinian owner Pietro Porcu. It’s a restaurant where you leave the food selection to the chef then enjoy it with Italian wine from an extensive list that included, on our visit, this Sardinian white, made from the nuragus grape. […]
If I had to make one prediction about Australia’s beer future, it’s that Coca Cola Amatil will hit its target of being our number three brewer within five years, if not earlier.
They say you can tell a lot about people by the company they keep. And it applies to corporations, too. So, when dominant Australian […]
In a sense, the Australian pinot noir story is a small one. The variety represents only about four per cent of our annual red grape crush – and much of that goes to sparkling wine production. But, in another sense, it’s a big story because it’s one of the great varieties and provides succulent drinking […]
Grand Ridge Brewery Black & Tan 330ml $3.50
This is a blend of the mid-amber-coloured Gippsland Gold reviewed last week and Hat Lifter Stout, below. It is, as the label says, both ‘ale and stout’. The components are brewed separately, then blended and matured together, producing this deep brown, vibrant beer. It’s malty and chocolaty with […]
My late and great mate Len Evans used to talk of ‘studied mediocrity’ – not in beer, but in wine. And it applies just as well to the world of beer – not to our honest, everyday lagers – but to the beers that, in a studied, deliberate way, tone down the very characteristics that […]
Gage Roads New World Wheat Beer 330ml-6 pack $17.99
Most Aussie wheat beers emulate either the Belgian or Southern German style. This one starts like a German, with its distinctive banana-like fruity aroma. But on the palate a citrus-like hops flavour, and light bitterness, slightly outweigh the fruitiness. It’s a fine, albeit unusual, balancing act that […]
In 1975, a Neilsen poll, or even a straw poll, would’ve found few, if any, Australian takers for a $50-equivalent pinot noir. Then, as now, wine pioneers, like Main Ridge Estate’s Nat and Rosalie White, seem to be driven by a vision – and a faith that there’ll be buyers if they can make the […]
Bourgogne Pinot Noir (Maison Champy) 2005 $20-$25
This is good, affordable real Burgundy, imported by Coles for its Vintage Cellars and 1st Choice outlets. London-based Burgundy specialist, Anthony Hanson MW, introduced Coles to Maison Champy in 1999 – just as the old firm (founded 1720) found new life under Henri and Pierre Meurgey. The wines are […]
Louis Roederer Brut Premier Champagne $85
Some of Australia’s top bubblies provide better value drinking, in my view, than some of the French non-vintage styles. But Louis Roederer, still in family hands, shows why real Champagne remains the benchmark. It has the assertive pinot flavour and structure more typical of a vintage Champagne, with a […]
Helm Canberra District Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $45
Balnaves Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $31
As Canberra’s shiraz reputation soars, Ken Helm remains a cabernet true believer. And his latest release certainly has merit. It’s riper, fuller and more youthfully coloured than earlier vintages – attributes of the warm vintage and modified winemaking and viticultural practice. But measured against […]
The Greeks, Phoenicians and Romans loved the muscat grape and spread it around southern Europe. From there it colonised the continent, and later the new world. Two millennia on, drinkers everywhere enjoy muscat in still, semi-sparkling, sparkling and fortified wines.
Its full name is muscat-a-petits-grains and its colour ranges from white to pink to brown. Its […]
Redmans Coonawarra Shiraz 2004 $15-$22
Redmans Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 $30-$35
Redmans wines stand out as distinct, finer examples of Coonawarra. There’s a deliberate philosophy behind them, based on a clear understanding of what the alternative styles might be and a long family familiarity with Coonawarra and its wines. Bruce and Malcolm Redman intentionally make the ‘elegant’ […]
Penfolds Bin 311 Orange Chardonnay 2007 $38–$43
Penfolds Bin 138 Barossa Valley Shiraz Grenache Mourvedre 2006 $20.80–$34
From long personal experience the Penfolds reds provide reliable, sometimes exciting cellaring, especially at the discount prices accompanying each new release. They’ve become somewhat finer in recent years without losing the essential Penfolds layered, complex, tannic style. The whites seem […]
Brewer Brad Rogers recently headed for Byron Bay, New South Wales, after years behind the Matilda Bay brew kettles, making some of the best, most interesting beers in Australia.
Brad studied winemaking. But after a vintage or two he switched to brewing for Fosters in the mid nineties. He started at the old Tooth’s Kent Brewery, […]
Coonawarra’s prolonged, and at times bitter, boundary dispute of the nineties pales in comparison to what’s being unleashed in France’s Champagne district. For the first time since the 33,500-hectare growing area was defined in 1908, there’s to be a major expansion of the number of communes permitted to grow Champagne grapes. With two communes sacked […]
This is a press release issued by the Champagne Information Bureau, Sydney, on 26 March 2008
Press Release: The Revision of the Champagne Appellation
The INAO has reviewed and unanimously approved the report concerning the development of the geographic area of the Champagne AOC. The proposed new geographic area will now be subject to a public enquiry, […]
Constable Hershon Hunter Valley Semillon 2004 $14.80-$18.50
On a recent trip to Newcastle I found several local wines available by the glass at Terminal One Bar + Dine, on the harbour foreshore. The locals apparently know Constable Hershon well. But as this tiny Pokolbin-based winery sells most of its wine at cellar door, and the balance […]
Wirra Wirra McLaren Vale Church Block $18–$22
We won’t hold it against Church Block that it’s named for a particular vineyard but not sourced from it. Its saving grace is the rich flavour that it delivers and the smooth, soft finish. We’re also in a forgiving mood because that richness and smoothness really does come from […]
Hopidemic Autumn Seasonal Ale 285ml glass $4.20
The Wig & Pen, Civic, currently offers three seasonal brews celebrating the recent hop harvest. ‘Hopidemic’ (the hoppiest beer in Australia claims brewer, Richard Watkins) comes from the hand pump. It’s a soft, fresh and aromatic real ale with piquant hops fragrance in harmony with the rich pleasing malt […]
At forty-five degrees latitude, the locals claim Central Otago to be the world’s southernmost wine region. It’s a rugged, largely dry landscape with small vineyards dotted around four sub-regions: the Kawarau Gorge/Gibbston Valley immediately to the east of Queenstown; the Cromwell basin further to the east and trending north easterly; Clyde/Alexandria forty kilometres south east […]
Giesen Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $14–$20
Giesen sources its fruit from a diversity of vineyards across the Marlborough district. This has an impact on flavour as the area is far from homogenous and produces a spectrum of sauvignon flavours, ranging from cat’s-pee pungent to sweet, tropical-fruit. The 2007 leans more to a ripe, highly aromatic passionfruit-like […]
Visiting Canberra last Wednesday, Chris Hatcher, chief winemaker for Foster’s, Australia’s largest wine producer, said the 2008 vintage produced better than anticipated grape quantities and considerable quality variations.
A warm start to the season boosted the vines out of the blocks before milder weather set in, providing what looked to be ideal conditions for ripening and […]
Murray Street Vineyards Barossa Valley Shiraz 2005 $30 and Barossa Valley Shiraz Grenache Cinsault Mataro 2005 $30
From a distance the Barossa might seem like one, big, homogenous region, churning out rich, warm, soft shiraz. There’s a grain of truth in the generalisation. But it’s a complex valley of varying landscapes, producing a diversity of styles […]
Last month without any fanfare Canberra’s Theo Karelas and family, owners of Lake George Winery, acquired Madew Wines, on their northern boundary. The purchase brightens the outlook for this unique and historic stretch of vineyards.
Yet two years ago the future of Lake George as a Canberra sub-region appeared to be defaulting to Lerida Estate and […]
Wolf Blass Grey Label McLaren Vale Shiraz 2006 $30–$40
Wolf Blass Grey Label Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $30–$40
They’re not quite peas from the same pod, but there’s a strong family resemblance across the new-release Wolf Blass reds. They’ve a pure, rich fruit flavour and a juicy, silky texture and softness that contrasts, for example, with […]
Behind the papered-over windows at 225 Kembla Street, Fyshwick, Christoph Zierholz is fitting out a beer café, due to open in May.
Christoph began brewing at this site two years ago and now has Zierholz beers on tap at about eighteen outlets in and around Canberra – including University House, Debacle Bar at Braddon and Grazing […]
The Cooper Coffman Wine Co leased the Kamberra winery at Watson shortly before vintage this year. By mid April, winemaker Martin Cooper and his young cellar team, mainly Kiwis, had crushed 2,800 tonnes of grapes – equivalent to about 210 thousand dozen bottles of wine.
They’re by far the biggest producer in Canberra and almost certainly […]
Centennial Vineyards Woodside Tempranillo 2006 $20.99
Centennial Vineyards Sparkling Tempranillo Rosé $24.99
Centennial Vineyards is a substantial Southern Highlands grower, maker and exporter with an impressive cellar door facility. Of its Southern-Highlands-grown wines, these two, made from the Spanish red variety, tempranillo, appeal. The red offers attractive ripe-berry aromas and a tasty, fruity palate that becomes more […]
Gage Roads Wahoo Premium Ale 330ml $15.99
‘Clean and dry with no lingering aftertaste’, says the press release – a fair summary of a brew that certainly doesn’t flood the senses. There’s a pleasant waft of aromatic hops, and a matching tang on the palate. But after that … not much, as far as I can […]
Majella, one of the great Coonawarra estates, built its reputation on rich, complex, elegant reds, built to satisfy and last. Then three years back Majella’s owners, Brian ‘Prof’ Lynn and his brother Anthony, released an early-drinking style, The Musician, a vibrant and aromatic cabernet shiraz blend from the 2004 vintage.
It was a jaw dropper at […]
Majella Coonawarra The Musician Cabernet Shiraz 2007 $17
This is a sensational red that really couldn’t have come from anywhere but Coonawarra – a blend of seventy per cent cabernet and thirty per cent shiraz from Prof and Tony Lynn’s Majella vineyard. Winemaker Bruce Gregory says the cabernet comes mainly from younger vines (a little over […]
Richard Adamson of Sydney’s Barons Brewing says that he and partner Scott Garnett wanted to “have a serious go” at the premium beer market by offering something unique.
And they kicked off in November 2005 with the release of an excellent high-alcohol (5.8 per cent) brew – Black Wattle Superior Wattle Seed Ale, seasoned with roasted […]
Ravensworth Canberra District Marsanne 2007 $22–$25
Ravensworth Canberra District Viognier 2007 $25–$28
These white Rhone Valley varieties love Canberra growing conditions. Viognier carved its niche here, both in its own right and as an adjunct to shiraz, a decade ago. But marsanne emerged only recently in a series of excellent wines from Bryan and Jocelyn Martin’s Rosehill […]
Canberra’s Wig & Pen launched this year’s first hop-harvest beers – three idiosyncratic styles described here recently. Then Foster’s Cascade First Harvest Ale arrived on retail shelves this month, albeit in limited quantities – just 4,300 cases. Max Burslem, Cascade’s brewer, says that this year’s First Harvest Ale, the seventh vintage since its release in […]
Cascade First Harvest Ale 330ml 6-pack $19.99
This is the juicy, fresh, beer equivalent of Beaujolais. It’s built on plump, sweet malt flavour that’s cut through with the fresh, bracing pungency of just-picked hops. As well, the hops provide a brisk, teasing, lingering bitterness that slightly outweighs the malt sweetness. Limited availability as Cascade produced […]
No vintage is all good or all bad. And it seems that 2008 was a mix of both extremes – from tales of woe and withered fruit in South Australia’s March heatwave to delight at a riesling vintage that may measure up to the legendary 2002.
While water shortages continued to plague growers along the Murray […]
We recently lined up a dozen top-shelf Aussie reds in a Chateau Shanahan masked tasting. There were just two of us at the bench – forming our judgments without discussion, then, at the end of each bracket comparing our impressions, and later unmasking the bottles.
In the few days following the sip-and-spit tasting, we consumed the […]
Mistletoe Hunter Valley Home Vineyard Semillon 2008 $18 & Broke Verdelho 2008 $18; Tulloch Hunter Semillon WA Sauvignon Blanc 2008 $16
These are the first three 2008 whites to hit the tasting bench. Mistletoe’s semillon, at 9.5 per cent alcohol, has the tangy, face-twisting, eye-watering impact of fresh grapefruit – an oddity at present but one […]
Shock, horror! After all the build up in this column there’s to be no James Squire Hop Thief this season. Brewer Chuck Hahn tells me we may see a new Aussie-hops version in the future, after the American and Kiwi based brews we saw in earlier brews.
Meanwhile, says Chuck, if the hopheads want hops he […]
This story came out of a bottle – Bowen Estate Coonawarra Shiraz 2006 – a fragrant, silky, delicious drop, sufficiently better than recent vintages to prompt a call to the Bowens. This was more than vintage variation, so what was going on?
“It started in 2004”, says Emma Bowen. “We decided on big changes”. For a […]
Mistletoe Hunter Valley – Reserve Semillon 2007 $22, Chardonnay 2007 $20, Reserve Chardonnay 2007 $25
When I asked Mistletoe proprietor Ken Sloan for a bottle picture, he said that since he sold wine only direct (cellar door and www.mistletoewines.com) Canberra Times readers mentioning this review could have free delivery to Canberra of 6-packs or dozens. The […]
The chic new Parlour Wine Room in the Acton Pavilion offers plenty for wine and cocktail drinkers. But it’s somewhat more limited in its beer offerings.
The list of fifteen beers and one cider is certainly well selected, if limited, and even the fussiest beer palate need not go dry. But no matter how careful the […]
They say that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Wynns Coonawarra Estate was never broken. In fact, for all but a short period in the seventies, it produced reliable, long-cellaring reds.
But by the late nineties, with winemakers restless to do better, small-scale vineyard restoration began. “From 2000 on”, says winemaker Sue Hodder, “we knew […]
Secret Stone Marlborough Pinot Noir 2007 $18–$21
Pirie ‘South’ Tasmania Pinot Noir 2007 $25
The pinot minefield exists wherever the variety grows – from Burgundy to Oregon to New Zealand to Australia. Because it’s difficult and expensive to grow and make, its starting price is higher and the failures, near misses and almost-made-its can blow your budget. […]
Deakin Estate Chardonnay 2007 $10
Deakin Estate Merlot 2006 $10
These are big-value everyday quaffers from Deakin Estate, part of the Wingara Wine Group, whose holdings include Katnook Estate, Coonawarra. The Deakin wines come predominantly from the Mildura region and offer bright, generous, pure fruit flavours. The chardonnay is in the rich warm-climate peachy style but without […]
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 the […]
Mulyan Block 7 Cowra Chardonnay 2006 $25; Block 9 Cowra Chardonnay 2005 $25; Cowra Chardonnay 2006 $20; Cowra Viognier 2006 $20
Cowra’s wine reputation was built on chardonnay. A young Brian Croser sourced his first Petaluma from here in 1977, Then in the 1980s Cowra’s ability to efficiently produce big volumes of rich, peachy chardonnay saved […]
Dominique Portet Yarra Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $24
& Heathcote Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 $42
Dominique Portet’s red and white could be from two different planets. The sauv blanc is pure, light, fruity, tangy and varietal but without the razzle dazzle, show-stopping flavour explosion of the Marlborough versions. They’re lovely, of course, but Portet’s wine offers a delicious, […]
Petaluma Coonawarra 2005 $65 (cork sealed)
The warm season produced a comparatively big, ripe Petaluma, albeit in the elegant Coonawarra mould. It’s a blend of 60 per cent cabernet sauvignon and 30 per cent Merlot with, for the first time, five per cent each of petit verdot and malbec – all from the Evans and Sharefarmers […]
Ravensworth Murrumbateman Riesling 2008 about $18
Clonakilla Canberra District Riesling 2008 $25–$30
After the frost-ravaged 2007 vintage, the prolific and good 2008 vintage brought smiles of pleasure (and relief) to our local vignerons. These are two very good examples of what’s in store from our district. While they have similarities in purity of varietal expression, they have […]
Why do airport transit lounges offer few diversions other than gotcha-priced shopping? Changi’s new terminal three shows that it doesn’t have to be that way.
To this traveller, a microbrewery tops Changi’s impressive list of comforts. Its gleaming copper brew kettles on the mezzanine level provide a siren call to bored, thirsty travellers below. Who could […]
Moo Brew Pale Ale 330ml $5.50
Today’s two beers, both purchased from the same retail outlet, show different faces of the American Pale Ale style – and critical importance of freshness. Moo Brew has this in spades. It’s an exciting, full-bodied ale cut with the brisk, resiny aroma and lingering bitterness of fresh hops. It’s a […]
Williams Crossing Macedon Pinot Noir 2006 $22–$25
Curly Flat Macedon Pinot Noir 2005 $46–$52
After a long search for a location suited to pinot noir and chardonnay growing, Phillip and Jenifer Moraghan established Curly Flat in Victoria’s elevated, cool Macedon region in 1992. They hit pay dirt pretty quickly and their wines now sit comfortably with the […]
As a wine drinker with a beer problem, I find that Germany and England make ideal destinations. Especially in the countryside — where wine selections tend to be appalling (and, in England, expensive at two Aussie dollars to the pound) — beer becomes the default option in most restaurants, cafés and pubs.
And there’s as big […]
Rochford Macedon Ranges Chardonnay 2006 $27, Pinot Noir 2005 $33, Pinot Noir 2006 $33
Rochford is one of the better signposted vineyards in the cool Macedon region. That’s a pity, because its cellar door is in the Yarra Valley. The wines show the region’s general suitability for chardonnay and pinot noir. The chardonnay is taut, […]
In Prost! The Story of German Beer, Horst D. Dornbusch argues that just as France, Italy and China gave the world its three great cuisines, no one, not even the Belgians, have ‘produced such a variety, complexity, and quality of brews as have the Germans and the English’.
Whether you accept that proposition or not – […]
Schneider Weisse Hefe-Weizen 500ml $6.69
Despite the dark colour and 5.4 per cent alcohol, this Bavarian classic is a fine and subtle example of wheat ale. It has the distinctive banana-like fruity esters of the style and a spicy, pleasantly tart palate that’s rich (but not heavy) and finishes with a gentle, bitter bite.
James Squire Limited […]
There’s plenty happening on the Canberra district wine scene at present. It’s the depth of winter, but the first of the 2008 whites are being released, along with the last of the 2006 vintage reds and what little there is of the 2007s.
New-release samples to date look good. And a tasting of the latest offerings […]
Jacob’s Creek Shiraz 2006, Grenache Shiraz 2007, Shiraz Cabernet 2007, Merlot 2007, Cabernet Merlot 2005 $9–$11
My pick of these always-reliable reds is the shiraz, described in a breathless and silly press release as ‘a great example of a big hearty red’ but more aptly, on the back label, as ‘a medium bodied wine’. That’s Jacob’s […]
Lake George Vineyard Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2008 $21.99
This is the first of the 2008 releases from Lake George vineyard. Made by Alex McKay, it’s a blend of semillon from old vines on the original vineyard and sauvignon blanc from the Hillbrook vineyard, on the escarpment, and Hall. Alex says they’re all mature vines, ten […]
Cork producer Amorim’s new, emotional appeal for us to come back to cork is unlikely to wash with consumers or the wine industry. It’s like the abusive partner seeking one more chance
Be prepared to have your heartstrings tugged by Amorim, Portugal’s leading cork producer. On 6 August they launched a campaign spruiking the virtues of […]
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Shiraz 2007 $8.50–$21
Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz 2005 $69–$76
The price range of $8.50–$21 a bottle for the 2007 Shiraz is not a mistake. You’ll find single bottles in convenience stores at the higher price. And the $8.50 was a Dan Murphy (Woolworths) reaction to a 1st Choice (Coles) advertisement at a slightly […]
Pikes Clare Valley
‘The Red Mullet’ 2006 $13–16
‘Luccio’ 2006 $15–18
‘Eastside’ Shiraz 2006 $22–27
These three reds from Pikes in the Clare Valley offer a wide spectrum of flavours. The lighter-bodied, fine, savoury and taut ‘Luccio’, a blend of sangiovese, merlot and cabernet, is the one to enjoy with roast meets and savoury dishes. The combination of bright […]
Canberra is to get a new brewery as part of Dr Jerry Schwartz’s overhaul of Olim’s Hotel, Ainslie. It’ll be Dr Schwartz’s second brewery, and it’ll be about three times the size of his original at the Macquarie Hotel, Sydney, says Olim’s Daniel Gaul.
Olim’s has been selling some of the Schwartz beers for the last […]
Platinum Blonde Premium Low Carb 24×330ml $40
Low carb beers tend to be bland as they lack body-boosting unfermented sugars. Woolies’ new contract-brewed version moves the flavour focus from the mid palate to the front with zesty fresh hops. It’s a more-ish quaffer worth four stars within the genre, but a tad less in the broader […]
Canberra’s regional wine show, judged on Monday and Tuesday this week, attracted a record 254 entries from 46 producers in Canberra and surrounding regions, including Hilltops (Young), Tumbarumba, Southern Highlands, Gundagai and the south coast.
It’s an extraordinarily varied catchment for grape growing – and hence wine flavours – with vineyards spread over a significant range […]
Montrose Mudgee Stony Creek Chardonnay 2007 $19–24
Montrose Mudgee Black Shiraz 2006 $24–29
In December 2006 Bob Oatley and family, founders of Rosemount Estate, bought Orlando’s Mudgee vineyards and its winery, founded originally as Montrose Wines by Carlo Salteri and Franco Belgiorno-Nettis in 1974. Historically, and among the new releases, the standout wine is the intense, fine […]
Fat people drink skinny milk and skinny people drink fat milk. Could we be seeing the same paradox with low carb beers– the fatter we get the more we’ll turn to it in hope? By all accounts the style’s going gangbusters under names like Classic Blonde, Pure Blonde, Bondi Blonde and Platinum Blonde.
Giving up flavour […]
Schwarz Brewery Pilsener & Pale Ale 330ml 6-pack $17.50
These are two lovely, golden beers from Olim’s Hotel, an outlet for Dr Jerry Schwartz’s Sydney brewery. They’re both full of character but easy drinking, too. The Pilsner’s crisp and fresh with delicious tang of Saaz hops. And the American-style Pale Ale is full-bodied with assertive citrus […]
In January, with a small vintage predicted, the wine glut appeared to be over. Grape growers along the Murray and Murrumbidgee feared the worst. Winemakers expected supply to fall in line with demand – good news for them. As a consequence, it seemed as if wine drinkers might have to pay a little extra for […]
Helm Canberra District Classic Dry Riesling 2008 $28
Helm Canberra District Premium Riesling 2008 $45
Jeir Creek Canberra District Riesling 2008 $22
At this year’s regional show we finally saw Canberra riesling hitting the quality level that’s been talked about but not often achieved. From 22 wines we awarded three gold, two silver and seven bronze medals – […]
There’s a delicious slice of Germany in Fyshwick, in the unlikeliest site, just near the Telstra Shop in Kembla Street. Christoph Zierholz begun brewing there about two years ago but recently opened a café next to the brew kettles.
It’s open for lunch and dinner Mondays to Fridays and under chef Cameron Harmer offers a small […]
Zierholz pale-coloured beers $5 a pint
German Ale is a very zesty, refreshingly bitter, mid-strength Cologne style made for quaffing. Hopmeister is a little stronger and a little darker with bracing, lingering hops bitterness. The German Pils starts with sweet malt and finishes dry and hoppy. And Weizen is extraordinarily all banana, cloves and crisp acidity.
Zierholz […]
This year’s regional wine show tells us more strongly than ever that Canberra’s reputation and future rests heavily on the two varieties that shine here — riesling and shiraz. Other styles play a niche role – or perhaps, in some cases, none at all in the long run – with the important caveat that we […]
Madfish range: Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008 $15–18; Moscato 2008 $17–22; Pinot Noir 2007 $16–19; Carnelian 2006 $19–24
Madfish, the second label of Jeff Birch’s Howard Park Wines, has been one of the great successes of the last decade. It works for Jeff. But more importantly it delivers tonnes of flavour and value for drinkers – especially […]
There’s a long history of adding plant flavourings to beer. Hops is the most ubiquitous example, because its aromatic, delicious, bitterness counters beer’s malty richness so perfectly.
But the endless list of plants used by brewers covers everything from the sweet and sour cherry character of Belgium’s lambic beers, to sometimes cloying banana beers, to mildly […]
Bright Brewery Raspberry Lambic 330ml glass $7.50
You’ll have to drive to the brewery in Bright, Victoria, for this one, but it’s worth it. David Cocks brewed it in the Belgian ‘lambic’ style using local wheat, raspberries and hops. The colour’s limpid ruby and the aroma and flavour are pure raspberry, with lambic’s brisk, pleasantly tart […]
There’s a buzz around the industry about the 2008 rieslings. It started during vintage and by April, many winemakers, including Chris Hatcher of the Foster’s Group (one of our leading riesling makers) rated the wines as the best since the legendary 2002 vintage.
Quantities were up, too, as nature seemingly compensated vignerons for the harsh, small-cropping […]
Mount Horrocks Watervale Riesling 2008 $27–30
Mount Horrocks Watervale Cordon Cut Riesling 375ml $35
Today’s selections are all top-end examples from the extraordinary Mount Lofty Ranges 2008 riesling crop – a vintage marked by 15 consecutive days of temperatures over 35 degrees. Fortunately, the riesling crop came in very early, ahead of the heat and looks to […]
Red Angus Pilsner 345ml $4.50
Griffith-based winemaker, De Bortoli, launched Red Angus Pilsener last December. It’s a fresh and lively European-style lager built for pleasurable, easy drinking rather than making a big statement. It leads with aromatic hops that add complexity, and then a lingering, refreshing bitterness to its generous, malty palate.
New Norcia Abbey Ale 330ml […]
Alas, this column’s deadline can’t accommodate the full breaking story. But by the time you read this, Australia’s second largest brewer, Lion Nathan, will have launched a ‘natural beer promise’ campaign.
The brewer’s embargoed press release claims that nine out of ten Aussies don’t know the ingredients used in making beer – a figure based on […]
Whatever happened to cabernet, former king of the reds? By volume it’s running a distant second to shiraz. And in the publicity stakes it struggles to a poor third behind tiny-volume pinot noir.
Yet, when Australia’s modern table wine boom began forty years ago, cabernet sauvignon was revered as one of the four ‘noble’ grape varieties, […]
Grant Burge Moscato 2008 $16–18
Grant Burge Barossa Valley Filsell Vineyard Shiraz 2006 $30–35
Formally it’s muscat-blanc-a-petite-grains, but in the Barossa they call it white frontignac, or fronti. In Italy it’s moscato, a name increasingly adopted by Aussie winemakers as they emulate the light, zesty, grapey, sweet, ‘frizzante’ style made in Asti, Piedmont. Grant Burge’s stunning new […]
Lion Nathan’s chief brewer, Bill Taylor, says that his company’s ‘natural beer promise’ campaign began as a technical project by his brewing team.
The campaign, launched two weeks ago, promises to remove some additives and to use only five natural ingredients in the company’s key beer brands.
Taylor says that Tooheys New, Tooheys Old, XXXX Gold, XXXX […]
Mildura Brewery Mallee Bull Heavy 330ml $3.95
Strong as a Mallee bull, certainly, but alas, not as fit. Too much sitting around on retail shelves fattens a beer up, taking the fresh, aggressive edge off the hops. That caveat aside, this is a robust, smooth, strong ale with appealing toffee-like malt flavour. Oh, for a fresh […]
Readers familiar with the work of Ralph Steadman might easily mistake the label cartoon on ‘The Ambassador’ Tempranillo 2007 (a new Canberra label) for an original from this great artist. I did, and was disappointed to learn that it wasn’t.
One glance at the quirky, stout, dinner-suited, moustachioed, florid-faced, red-wine toting ambassador stirred memories of Steadman’s […]
De Bortoli Windy Peak whites $12–15
Pinot Grigio 2008 and Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008
Yarra-based winemaker Steve Webber, new chair of the Melbourne wine show, seems to be on a mission with the Windy Peak range. It’s a trickle-down effect from the new depth we’ve seen recently in De Bortoli’s more expensive Yarra Valley range. The pinot […]
Having convinced drinkers that wine is best appreciated from fishbowl-sized glasses, another arm of Riedel – Spiegelau– has the beer-drinker’s psyche in its sights.
The press release arrived just before father’s day, accompanied by three very fine, elegant blown glasses – ‘the pilsner’, ‘the lager’ and ‘the wheat beer’. They’re beautiful glasses and certainly add to […]
Capital Wines, the new joint venture between Jennie and Mark Mooney of Grazing restaurant and Andrew and Marion McEwin’s Kyeema Wines, could quickly become a frontrunner among our local wineries.
It has a couple of advantages that new entrants to an industry known for its long lead times seldom enjoy. For one, Capital Wines gains immediate […]
Mitchell Clare Valley – Riesling 2008 $22, Peppertree Shiraz 2006 $25, McNicol Shiraz 2000 $40
Keep the 2008 rieslings rolling. They’re delicious. And with Andrew and Jane Mitchell’s there’s always an extra textural richness to go with the pure, delicate varietal flavour. Lap it up while you can. The reds, too, are distinctive, combining Clare richness […]
Coopers Vintage Ale 2008 375ml $4.50
Is this the best Coopers vintage ale yet? Try it for flawless, pure luxury. The warmth and fruitiness of the aroma set the scene for an opulent, silk-smooth palate that’s boosted by alcohol and cut with delicious bitter, lingering hops. Like earlier versions it’ll age, but it’s just lovely now.
Copyright […]
Ken Helm and his supporters launched Canberra’s riesling challenge in 2000, opened it to New Zealand wines in 2002 and then to the world, as the Canberra International Riesling Challenge, in 2005. The number of entries grew from 137 in 2000 to 512 from six countries this year, a record.
The results, announced on Friday 17 […]
Although it skips along the surface, Greg Duncan Powell’s new ‘Beer – a gauge for enthusiasts’ hits a need. Its release coincided with brewer Lion Nathan’s startling news that ninety per cent of people aged over eighteen years don’t know what’s in beer.
In that light Greg’s 20-odd page précis at the beginning of the book […]
Brindabella Hills Canberra District Riesling 2008 $18–$20, Shiraz 2006 $22.50–$25
Roger and Faye Harris’s delicious, lime-like riesling has at last been recognised in a top-tier wine show – the 2008 recently winning gold in Canberra’s International Riesling Challenge. The wine was also rated by the judges as one of the best ten Aussie rieslings in the […]
Increasing consumption of premium beers has been accompanied by a rise in home brewing. It’s been a major force in USA for decades. But in Australia, until recently, home brewing was probably perceived more as an underground, nerdy activity.
It might also have been seen as a neat way to save money – and easy, too, […]
Little Brewing Company Wicked Elf Witbier 330ml $4.20
Elf Witbier, from Port Macquarie’s Little Brewing Company, emulates the Belgian wheat beer style with its additions of Curacao and coriander. The colour’s drab and unappetising but the aroma captures some of the fruity and clove-like notes of the style. The palate, however, falls flat – not much […]
Like Canberra, Victoria’s Macedon region sits high on the Great Dividing Range. It stretches roughly from Gisborne in the south to Baynton in the north; and from Kyneton in the west to Kilmore in the east – very roughly 40 kilometres by 40 kilometres, about half way between Melbourne and Bendigo.
Macedon’s vineyards sit mainly at […]
Williams Crossing Macedon Pinot Noir 2006 $22–$25
Curly Flat Macedon Pinot Noir 2005 $46–$52
After several tastings, most recently as a judge at the Macedon Wine Show, I rate these amongst the best pinot noirs in Australia. They were in a field of 28 pinots, all from Macedon. Twenty of them won medals, with the only gold […]
For a bit of beer excitement check out Anthony Young’s Plonk at Fyshwick markets. With help from champion home brewer, Dan Rayner, he’s quickly assembled what is probably Canberra’s best beer offering.
It’s an impressive range already. But Anthony reckons on having 500 or more beers in stock by Christmas, including soon-to-arrive direct imports from Belgium […]
Williams Bros Grozet Premium Beer 500ml $9.90
There’s an echo of sauvignon blanc in this pale-coloured, tangy Scotch beer, as the brew contains gooseberries and a twist of bogmyrtle. But the fruit influence is subtle – meaning that what you taste is principally a high quality, traditional malt beer with refreshing fruit notes rather than hops […]
Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shed light on our wine-drinking habits and on our performance as a wine-exporting nation. And they make us think beyond the averages, reminding us, as W.I.E. Gates noted, of the man ‘who drowned crossing a stream with an average depth of six inches’.
We know, for example, that we […]
Penfolds Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling 2008 $17.99 cellar door
Penfolds have kept this delicious, retro-packaged riesling out of the retail scrum, offering it only at their cellar door outlets in Nuriootpa, Barossa Valley, and Magill, Adelaide, and in some restaurants (where it’s more like $35). They do this with a number of outstanding wines, so it’s […]
Brewer Chuck Hahn says he’s planning for two anniversaries next year. It’ll be 20 years since he launched Hahn Premium from his then independent Camperdown brewery. And it’ll be 10 year since the birth of James Squire Original Amber Ale, made in the same brewery but now owned by Lion Nathan and renamed The Malt […]
Brakspear English Pale Ale 500ml $7.80
This lovely, mid-amber coloured ale appeals for the delicious interplay of hops, malt and fruitiness. It’s a rich, but subtle, balanced style – modest in alcohol at 4.2 per cent, yet complex and though hoppy and bitter, not overwhelmingly so. It’s brewed in England using English malted barley and Fuggles […]
Fourteen-year-old Bill Redman arrived in Coonawarra in 1901with his older brother, Dick. They’d heard that work was available at John Riddoch’s cellars, says Bill’s grandson, Bruce. ‘Bill was small and they put him to work in the cellar (he could fit into barrels’, adds Bruce, ‘but his brother was bigger and was put to work […]
Joseph Perrier Cuvée Royale NV Brut Champagne $45.90–50
Saumur Brut NV (Gratien & Meyer) $18–20
Here’s a couple of lovely French bubblies imported by Woolworths (Dan Murphy) and Coles (1st Choice and Vintage Cellars) respectively. Joseph Perrier is the real thing and its flavour strongly reflects the company’s holdings of pinot meunier near its Marne River press […]
Kevin and Alison O’Neill created the Snowy Mountains Brewery brand in 2004. Although the beer has been brewed at AIB near Camden (and at Geelong and Mildura, too, following its success), the couple always planned to build a brewery in Jindabyne, connecting the ales tangibly with their alpine-inspired names – Crackenback Pale Ale, Bullocks Pilsner, […]
Otway Estate Prickly Moses Wheat Beer, Pilsner, Summer Ale 330ml $4.20
Today’s beers all come from Victoria’s Otway Ranges. The wheat beer is zesty, lemony, fresh and light but without any of the complexity of the Belgian originals (***); Pilsner starts and finishes with hops but there’s little depth to it (***); and the Summer Ale […]
What do wine shows mean? What goes on behind all those white-coated judges we’ve seen recently on TV news – in September’s Canberra Regional Show, October’s International Riesling Challenge and this month’s National Wine Show of Australia?
Who are the judges? What attracts them to serve without pay, not just in our three high-profile local events, […]
Peter Lehmann Barossa Riesling 2008 $11–14, Eden Valley Riesling $17–20
The cheaper Lehmann wines sometimes make the retail scrum, so watch for fighting prices on these, and the wines below, then leap in for terrific drinking. The Barossa riesling is beautifully floral with a zingy fresh, juicy, fruity, off-dry palate – the sort of fruitiness that […]
Hoegaarden Witbier 330ml $4.29
With so many Oz versions around it’s reassuring occasionally to taste the Belgian original, from one of the worlds’ biggest brewers. In a word it’s still the benchmark – its sumptuous head, high-toned, clove-like, fruity aroma and rich but brisk, clovey palate put it ahead of the pack.
Weihenstephaner Pilsner 500ml $5.99
This is […]
There’s something missing from Canberra’s National Wine Show of Australia. It’s touted as the grand final of Australia’s wine show season. But if you look to it as a guide to the best of the best, then you’ll be disappointed. There are gaping holes across most varieties, but particularly in the ranks of sauvignon blanc, […]
McKellar Ridge Canberra District Chardonnay 2008 $18–20
McKellar Ridge would have to be one of Canberra’s smallest wineries with production of only 400–500 dozen a bottles annually. Brian and Janet Johnson own the brand and they source fruit from Martin Susan’s Point of View vineyard, Murrumbateman – home also of the winery and cellar door, now […]
Per capita beer consumption in Australia is in decline according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics. While the apparent total consumption of beer increased marginally from 1.748 billion litres to 1.790 billion litres between 2005 and 2007, per capita consumption declined by one litre, from 107.6 litres to 106.6 litres.
But increasing consumption of mid and […]
James Squire Sundown Lager 345ml $3.20
This one-off, limited-production brew combines pale and carapils malts and a mix of Galaxy, Summer Saaz and East Kent Goldings hops. A lovely, rich maltiness underpins the flavour. But a modest 4.4 per cent alcohol and delicious, herbal, grassy hops counter the maltiness, giving it a refreshing, brisk lightness.
Young’s Special […]
Predictions are generally wrong, sometimes dramatically so, as 2008 proved for the wine industry. An expected end to the wine glut was stymied by two unrelated forces – a bumper grape crop and a dramatic decline in exports.
The bumper crop caught the industry by surprise, prompting a press release from the Winemakers Federation of Australia. […]
Dear Santa,
Thanks so much for your letter. We’re really pleased that you can make the Chateau Shanahan Boxing Day lunch. And thanks, too, for offering to bring the wine. As promised, I’ve put the wine list together, including prices and where to buy.
Thanks, especially, for offering to visit those nice Krug people in Reims on […]
Stonier Reserve Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2007 $50
Yering Station Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2007 $26
For Christmas luxury few wines match a top-notch pinot noir. The heady perfume, supple texture and luxurious flavour suit the Aussie summer and our traditional food, such as roast turkey and ham. Pinot also suits more robust seafood such as salmon […]
Seppelt Drumborg Riesling 2008 $29–32
Seppelt’s Drumborg Vineyard, located in the very cool Henty Region, near Portland in southwestern Victoria, was planted by Karl Seppelt way back in 1964. It was a prescient, if bold, move at the time, and one we can be grateful for now, almost half a century later. This rates amongst the […]