We continue with an update on the state of play in the retail market. In summary the big are getting very big indeed. Coles and Woolworths now control 52% of retail liquor sales; up it is said from 32% four years ago. "Woolies now holds 279 pubs through the ALH venture. It also has 1138 bottleshops across the country, including 100 Dan Murphy stores, 610 BWS stores and 428 Woolworths/Safeway liquor stores" (this count courtesy of The Australian). more...

Catching and eating fish is the ultimate life's pleasure. I seldom use a sauce as the approach to fish is cook them when fresh and keep it simple. With that said for a number of years I have experimented with a recipe of the great Elizabeth David which was published in The Complete Imbiber, No. 6. (Vista Books, London, 1963). more...

Every two years Decanter publishes a listing of the most powerful people in the wine world. For those at the top, a list such as this often heralds difficulties ahead. Readers will recall a similar award run by the Business Review Weekly in the 1980's and 1990's which anointed Australia's top businessman. They regularly hit the jackpot with luminaries such as Christopher Skace, Alan Bond and my own favourite Brian Quinn of Coles-Myer. more...

I read in The Times, Peter Stiff, June 16th that French wine sales in the U.K. declined 12% last year and are projected to decline further this year. So its not only Australian wines that are facing a head wind. more...

A slow start with the Houghtons Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2005 made I guess from W.A. fruit including cool climate vineyards in the Great Southern. This came out of a cupboard not a cellar and was now ageing quickly. The golds from Cairns, Cowra and Griffith were not able to turn the ageing tide. A move abroad with the Three Miners Earnscleugh Valley Otago Pinot Noir 2006 which was just so-so. more...

From an article in The Telegraph, Jonathon Wynne-Jones, 13th June, 2009 titled; "Middle-class drinkers in their homes are as bad as riotous youths."

[Bishop Gladwin] Discussing the Rt Rev Tom Butler, the Bishop of Southwark, who was alleged to have been drunk after a Christmas drinks reception at the Irish embassy, he said: more...

About the worst term I can think of to explain the aroma, or is that bouquet, of a wine is 'cat's pee'. Apparently though New Zealand thinks this is a splendid term to send out in a press release explaining new advances in understanding the chemistry of sauvignon blanc. more...

New York Times, 20th May, 2009, ran an article by William Grimes on Daniel Carasso, titled a 'Pioneer of Yogurt', who died at 103. The following excerpt belongs in our annals of marketing. more...

When I first became enthralled with the power of computers decades ago I talked to a learned scientist in this field about what it meant for the future and after a few moments of reflection he looked closely at me and said; 'Remember, you put bull s..t in, you get bull s..t out'. You will be aware of similar remarks. more...

I have spent many a happy day wandering the hills and vales pondering how the Barossa landscape formed. An area of great interest is Rocky Gully that runs down from the eastern edge of the Eden Valley into the Barossa Valley. This gully makes no sense to me as it seems to be much bigger than the tiny stream that drains it could possibly have created. more...