Still around the corner there may waitA new road or a secret gate;And though I oft have passed them by,A day will come at last when IShall take the hidden paths that runWest of the Moon, East of the Sun.JRR Tolkien It is September, 2021 and Sydney is starting to come out of its longest …
Smellosophy: What the nose tells the mind
written by A.S. Barwich published by Harvard University Press Have you ever wanted to know why wine smells the way it does? How do all those aromas get into the glass from something as humble as a grape? I did and still do. This book goes a long way to summarise the situation at hand, …
2012 Pittnauer Rosenberg St Laurent
The wine in my glass tonight is showing beautifully, with only a hint of it's 9 years on earth with a little orange hue on the edges. The nose is bewildering to start with, there's this exuberance of red fruits, white pepper, herbs and tar, cola and with a hint of darker fruit if I …
On tannins
The other day I got an email asking me about tannins. What did I mean by different types?
Mount Majura ‘Rock Block’ Tempranillo 2016
I've had a run in with single vineyard wines here before. This is one of them. In fact it's one of three single vineyard examples that Mount Majura produces.Mount Majura is a suburb in Canberra, Australia. Also name of the vineyard, so here we have a Mount Majura Vineyard red wine. The estate tempranillo, normally …
The Science of Wine: from vine to glass
by Jamie Goode 2nd editionTimeline: April - June 2019 I've been toying with the idea of going for the MW… the Master of Wine certification. A few people have prodded me in the direction, others have asked me if I'm certifiable. All I know, is that I am intrigued. And also, after a couple of …
Friday night magic
When life gives you lemons... I've had a rough couple of weeks with a head cold that only got worse, some terrible news and lack of pizzazz generally has been a bit of a downer. So to take a break and stop feeling sorry for myself, especially now that the sinus is all clear and the …
Foot Trodden: Portugal and the wines that time forgot
Authors: Simon J Woolf & Ryan Opaz I've yet to go to Portugal but it has been in and out of my consciousness for years. When I was first starting in wine, and in the previous iteration of this blog, I did a series of of "Travel by Glass" and the first country I tackled …
Continue reading Foot Trodden: Portugal and the wines that time forgot
Challenge accepted: 12 days of tasting
I recently got challenged to open a bottle of wine, taste a little every day, leave the wine resting in the bottle and do this for at least a week. Unrefrigerated. A white table wine, made from the goddess of all whites - Riesling. Now, I've done similar things before however, never really from the …
WMC19: 3 weeks to go
In about 3 weeks I’m heading up to the Hunter Valley. I am excited about this. Why am I excited? Well, it’s the first proper trip to the Hunter in years (almost a decade, really) and there will be wine. Secondly, it’s my first proper get away holiday in over 2 years, so that’s always …
Pinot Noir, part two
Recently, I had the pleasure of trying 14 examples from around the world, tasted blind with a group of like minded pinofiles. (Yes, those who love Pinot even have a nickname. It’s that serious of a hobby for some.) It’s moments and events like that continue to capture my imagination, drive my curiosity and also …
Pinot Noir, part one
Often branded a fickle grape. The difficult one. The mercurial or mysterious one. The seductive wine. Pinot Noir has beguiled people for generations. With over 1,000 registered clones it’s one of the most diverse families of grapes and has given us a range of wines we love and enjoy around the world. The ultimate Pinot …
2002 Oliver’s Taranga Shiraz
An amazing 17yo red from McLaren Vale to delight the senses, opened with trepidation. Enjoyed leisurely.
