SHIRAZ IS AUSTRALIA’S MOST IMPORTANT GRAPE VARIETY – AND HAS BEEN FOR OVER 180 YEARS. The key to its success is mainly shiraz’s versatility and willingness to reside in a wide variety of climates, from cool sites like the Great Southern, Grampian and Canberra districts to the temperate climes of the Clare Valley, Heathcote and […]

SO CLOSE TO THE BAROSSA… BUT SO DIFFERENT IN STYLE! The Eden Valley is an amazing region, capable of producing perfect cool climate wines from Chardonnay to Zinfandel, but is also recognised for its beautiful Shiraz and Riesling. Bordering the Barossa Valley, the Eden Valley’s altitude, cooler temperatures and cool nights produce wines with elegance […]

Regional Wine Shows While capital city shows accept entries from all over the county, the (smaller) regional shows are limited to the wines from their region. For instance the Royal Hobart Wine Show is a national show, while the Tasmanian Wine Show is limited to the Island’s wines. The Royal Adelaide Wine Show is national, […]

What is this 100 point system I keep hearing about in the wine world?? Robert Parker Junior published the subscription-based Wine Advocate for over 30 years, predicated on his ability to pick winners. The great 1982 Bordeaux reds were overlooked by the traditional English wine critics, but Parker trumpeted their virtues. He was right, and […]

From Run-Down Dairy Country to International Limelight in just 50 years… The universal awareness of the Margaret River Wine Region is such that it’s hard to believe that winegrowing on this pristine coastline began just over 50 years ago. Dr Tom Cullity planted experimental vines at Vasse Felix in 1967, making his first (disastrous) vintage […]

Why the Rhône region in France is commonly compared to Australia’s Barossa Valley… James Busby kick-started the Australian wine industry with a collection of 570 grape varieties shopped from France in 1831. His catalogue listed: No 1 Carignan No 2 Grenache No 3 Mataro No 9 Hermitage. … the latter now known as Shiraz/Syrah, the original […]

What are the ideal storage and serving temperatures for my wine? STORAGE TEMPERATURE All wine should be stored at around 13 degrees, and avoid temperatures over 18 degrees. FOR SERVING REDS A little under room temperature, ideally 16-18 degrees. Served to cold it will be tight and the flavours will not develop, but served too warm […]

WHAT DIFFERENTIATES ORANGE FROM OTHER WINE REGIONS? Wines from Orange and the Central ranges region are known to be light to medium bodied, elegant, aromatic and very fine. This is due to the uniquely harsh terroir and also the result of the heat summation. Orange Terroir: being nestled on the side of a mountain, means […]

Tim Smith Wines is a 5 RED STAR Halliday winery. And now head winemaker Tim has been awarded the highly respected title of Barossa Winemaker of the Year by the Barons of Barossa. So, who is Tim? Tim started his career in wine by working as a cellar hand for Yalumba in 1987 – 15 […]

Heading south from Bendigo through harsh country side towards brooding Mount Alexander, I can’t help but be amazed by how far removed the reality of the wine growing and making industry is from the perceived romance of wine – and the beautifully presented bottles of hard labour and heartache that grace the shelves of bottle […]