There aren't a lot of vineyards in Ballarat, so it's always a treat to taste one I haven't tried before. Nintingbool Vineyard is about 10km south-west of Ballarat, on the way to the little town of Smythesdale, where I grew up. Their 2017 Pinot Noir is a beautiful example of Victorian Pinot Noir. Quite savoury
In the sea of wine, beer and spirits at today's Drink Victorian trade tasting, one of the standouts was the Soma Vermouth from Stappa Wines. Fabulously aromatic, with a wheelbarrow load of Australian native botanicals on a base of mediterranean grape varieties, this is a beautifully crafted vermouth that I am very much looking forward
The practical side of wine study is definitely the most pleasurable part.
There's a special joy in the first afternoon of holidays. You've had time to wind down and your brain has almost accepted that can now relax and settle into holiday mode. A wine mid-afternoon wine feels like the perfect marker of the transition into the new state. It has hint of naughty and good dash
What better way to spend a couple of hours on a Sunday afternoon than tasting an interesting line up of wines and talking about the wines, winemaking and life in general. Some new, some old, all tasty and with a story. Such a pleasure to nerd out about wines in good company. Tasty wines, with
I love wine, that's no secret. And I really love sharing wine with people who are interested in wine. I hosted a lovely wine tasting afternoon today - great people, good wines, delicious food and lots of interesting conversation. The fun started for me when I was choosing the six wines to taste. We ended
For anyone who knows even a little, this is really a no-brainer - wine tasting makes me very happy. Where to start with all the things I love about it? First there's the sensory pleasure, lighting up my flavour, aroma and texture receptors. Then there's the joy of learning new things, both sensory and intellectually
