From the shop floor
Wine Worth Knowing
The monthly series. Bottles I've been pouring at home, producers worth knowing, and the kind of wine that earns a second glass.
The other side of Côtes du Rhône
Say Côtes du Rhône to most people and they picture a red. So would I. Across the whole Rhône Valley only about one bottle in ten is white, so if you've never had one, you haven't...
A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc I nearly missed
I nearly missed this one. I was on my way out of the annual Australia & New Zealand trade tasting when a small table caught my eye. That was my first taste of Waipara West. Waipara...
A cult Chenin from South Africa
I became a little obsessed with Chenin Blanc after a trip to South Africa a few years ago. It's one of those grapes that really lets the winemaker speak — a bit like Chardonnay, you can...
Vinho Verde, Without the Spritz
Vinho Verde produces some of Portugal's great everyday whites. The name translates as 'green wine,' in the sense that they're green and fresh — best enjoyed young while the fruit is still bright. It's a lighter...
The Greek Grape Lebanon Decided to Try
Assyrtiko is Greece's great white grape — the backbone of Santorini's famous whites: bone-dry, mineral, built to handle heat without losing its nerve. Winemakers have tried it elsewhere — Jim Barry's Australian one is well regarded...
Why Rhône Valley Whites Are Some of the Most Underrated Bottles in France
The Rhône Valley is built on red wine. Syrah in the north. Grenache in the south. These are the grapes that built the region’s reputation — warm, generous reds that are genuinely easy to love. The...
The Argentine Red You Probably Haven’t Tried (Yet)
For years Bonarda was treated as a workhorse grape — often blended into simple table wines rather than given the spotlight. But in the right hands, from the right vineyard, it can be something seriously impressive....
Monte Antico — a modern Tuscan red that overdelivers
Monte Antico sits in the world of Super Tuscan–style wines — modern Tuscan reds that move beyond the old rules, where only traditional local grapes were allowed. Instead, they often blend Sangiovese with grapes like Cabernet...