Blog

Choosing a wine from a wine list can be difficult and I'm not just talking about what to match with what you're eating. Is there such a thing as good value from a wine list and, if so, how do you get it? Can house wines be trusted? Should I stick to the brands I...

"There was no cloud now; the heat was easing, but at every stop the merciless obbligato of the cicadas, rising clamorously as the sunset drew down, made the sudden human voices in that still seem false and unreal..." I am a born and bred Sydney boy and, alas, have had...

Egon Muller - star of the Saar. Don't miss your chance to secure some of the world's greatest wines at special pre-release pricing.   Egon Muller Scharzhof Qualitats Riesling 2018 - $80 (RRP $100) Egon Muller Scharzhofberger Riesling Kabinett 2018 - $155 (RRP...

The Sadie Family Wines are our first South African producer. I am ashamed to say my knowledge of South African history is scant, save for a boyhood interest in the Anglo-Zulu Wars of 1879. I have a first edition of the tragic masterpiece, The Washing of the Spears, by...

It is the greatest pleasure of any wine lover to taste a wine, and for it to be better than expected. Perhaps the single greatest crime of a wine taster is to have any expectations at all. To keep an open mind, and to not be influenced by what you have read or heard,...

My wife's sister Kate and her partner Sarah, have just arrived back from England. Their suitcases contained, as always, a small cache of wine bottles. The trade goes the other way too. From Australia, with love, we sent two bottles of JC's Own. The Bluebird 2018 and a...

Matching seafood and wine can be problematic. Some seafood flavours are delicate and you need a wine that will complement and not overpower the subtle flavours. Other seafood dishes are more robust, maybe with rich creamy sauces or tomato or spice. These foods need...

Shiraz and Syrah are the exact same grape. Some countries, such as Australia and South Africa, have traditionally used the name Shiraz. Other countries, such as New Zealand and the United States call the grape Syrah.   What does Syrah taste like? The Rhone Valley...

Generally, most people with some knowledge about wine would agree that decanting wine has its benefits. But there can still be many questions around the subject - Should I only decant old wine? Does decanting wine improve its taste? Does decanting wine remove...

An Australian icon, Ashton Hills is one of this country's foremost Pinot Noir producers. From the Piccadilly Valley sub region in the Adelaide Hills, this tiny 3ha vineyard was originally planted in 1982. The vineyard sits at an elevation of 570 metres and averages...

What's in a name? I've never met a shy Susan before. The Susans I've had the pleasure of knowing, including my mother in law, have all been crackers. The name Shy Susan, alas, does not derive from an encounter, amorous or otherwise. Shy Susan is a rare purple...

The words traditional and modern are thrown about so often nowadays that they no longer have any meaning. Let's face a home truth. For all lovers of wine, there is a frisson of comfort when descending into an ancient cellar. Cobwebs, barrels and the unforgettable...

It is common to make generalisations about wine regions and their wines. Grand statements like 'Hunter Valley Shiraz tastes like....' or 'this wine reminds me of a left bank Bordeaux' or 'this is very typical of Corton'. And so on. The trouble is, grand statements or...

"High alcohol, high tannins. Big colour, big flavours. A wine to offend everyone". David Anderson summing up his wines at a recent tasting of Wild Duck Creek Estate. I don't think I have ever met the proprietor of an estate who was so much fun, brimming with joy and...

American exceptionalism is an idea spawned from Revolution. Alexander Hamilton, who alongside George Washington is the most indispensable of the Founding Fathers, epitomised this belief. In the first of the Federalist Papers he wrote "it seems to have been reserved to...

The annual JJ Prum tasting is my favourite event of the year. I try to come to the tasting without prejudice. It's hard to resist reading what the critics are saying, or the views of other wine merchants. I'm curious, but by the same token, prior knowledge can be an...

Recently, we opened two different bottles of Bourgogne Blanc. Both wines shared some superficial similarities - they were a similar price, from the 2015 vintage and both made by famous producers. We were looking to have a Burgundian experience on a budget. And lovely,...

Hochkirch is one of Australia's greatest small estates. Tasting and drinking Hochkirch wines is always a study of vivid, luminous fruit, chiseled structures and luxurious texture. Too often cool climate wines can taste hollow, with hard boned structures and sour...

I get asked all the time - what is the best wine you've ever had? Or, who is your favourite producer? I always find these questions impossible to answer. There are infinite variables and, equally, infinite responses. But if I had to choose a single producer that makes...

The recent Riesling Galaxy tasting in Sydney provided an unmissable opportunity to try some of the best value Rieslings from around the world. My overwhelming impression from the tasting is that quality and value is consistent at all price points. The Riesling market...

For some time we have wondered whether Bordeaux fits into our idea of good value. The wines are in such demand and so heavily prized, which can make them unaffordable to many wine drinkers who rightly ask themselves - is it worth it? Further, many of the more famous...

From the first sniff and taste, it is clear that 2016 is a wonderful vintage for JJ Prum and tasting these wines is a special experience. Prum's wines are often described as reductive or closed when released. This is not the case with the 2016's, which all exhibit...

It is difficult to describe the pleasure we experienced tasting the wines of Garagiste. Usually within a range there would be something that marks a wine whether you like it or not. Something that makes you into a critic and you start assessing the wine a little too...

'All other creatures look down toward the earth, but man was given a face so that he might turn his eyes towards the stars and gaze upon the sky'. I could not help but ponder this thought (Ovid’s) when tasting the new releases of Koomilya. The ambition to express the...

The latest release of the Maison Leroy wines caused a stir at Waters Wine as we had never had the opportunity to taste a Leroy wine before. A legend in the wine world, Lalou Bize-Leroy was until 1992 a co director of the Domaine de la Romanee Conti. After leaving DRC...

I was lucky enough to attend the recent Taste Champagne event held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney. Known as one of the best wine events around, it featured a marvellous array of producers from small artisan growers to the largest houses. Three things in...

Much has been written in the wine press about the greatness of Riesling. According to many wine writers and Masters of Wine it’s the greatest white grape of all. So why then has it not been embraced so warmly by the Australian consumer when it’s a perfect fit for our...