This rich sweetish white from a German distributor is very French in style and taste. The rich gold colour may have indicated that it was a little past its prime when consumed recently, although it was still quite drinkable. It is a rather typical European white and I do prefer our own Australian whites which seem a little less sweet and lighter in body.

This inexpensive wine specially made for the Aldi Stores in Minchinbury NSW, was a delightful surprise when opened for dinner and allowed to stand for an hour. A strong dark purple colour, it had a good nose and rich palate of berries and slight touch of pepper and cloves that blended well with a hint of oak. It is drinking well now and may continue to develop in the bottle for a few years but should probably not be left too much longer.

This wine won a gold medal at the 2008 Rutherglen Wine Show in the Class 213 dry red Shiraz. A very deep black purple colour promised a strong and full bodied red and we were not disappointed.   While not overly strong on the palate there were hints of cherry flavour and pepper with a touch of oak. A very drinkable dry red for any occasion and with most meals. Would probably benefit from a few more years in the bottle.

This was a fairly light Sauvignon Blanc which went very well with a feed of oysters natural before dinner. From the Marlborough district of NZ, this wine seemed quite typical of the fine whites produced in that area. It was very light in colour with a delicate palate and pleasing taste.  I would buy it again.

This bottle was opened for dinner with family and although it was not decanted and allowed to sit for the recommended 3 hours, after just 1 hour it was eagerly consumed by some self declared red drinkers. It did not disappoint.  The deep dark plum colour and good nose gave way to a fine array of tastes on the palette, which were strong but enjoyable with some soft tannin finish. It may have seemed too heavy a wine to accompany a main course of crusted salmon fillets but it actually worked... [More]

  Last month we opened a bottle of the 1999 D’Arenberg Ironstone Pressings.  We’ve actually been    storing the ‘99 for about five years (or so) and it was with some anticipation that we decanted it for   a special dinner.   The ‘99 was a fine drop, with a very delicate and sweet bouquet.  The smooth finish was   complimented by a tannin and current taste, accentuated with subtle fruits.  We really, really love   the way D’Arenberg... [More]

On New Year’s Eve, 2009, Aussie Wine Guy and company were celebrating the start of a new decade in Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province) in China. We were partying down at a wine bar, counting down the New Year and finishing a bottle of Yarra Valley’s Train Trak (2004) Pinot Noir. The ‘04 is typical of Yarra Valley Pinot with a sweet and pleasing aftertaste and a subtle, light texture.  The bouquet is soft, lingering you have to admire the craftsmanship. Pinot Noir is a tough red to grow an... [More]

As far as Western Australia goes, Margaret River is the queen of wine producing regions, however this means we sometimes neglect some of the other regions in this beautiful state.  West Cape Howe comes to us from the Great Southern region, and is not to be missed.  From their website: “West Cape Howe Winesis located approximately 3.5km east of Denmark, a small coastal town located within Western Australia’s Great Southern region. Situated 450 kilometres south of Perth, the coastli... [More]

An easy to drink light red French wine [More]

Riddoch Coonawarra 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon is an excellent smooth red drinking extermely well now. [More]