In August, 2010, a geological map of the McLaren Vale wine region was published. This is the final version of a preliminary map from 2000. I love maps and to me both are works of art though the full blown 2010 version is a thing of beauty. This map shows in great detail the many geological formations from very young to old which underlie this famous vineyard region. more...

The corporate kings destroyed a once great brand through their marketing and financial shenanigans so perhaps it's appropriate that the old Rosemount winery in the Hunter Valley becomes wa storage depot for ammonium nitrate. Chemical company Orica has lodged a development application stating its intention to store up to 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate at the winery site. more...

A couple of years back the owners of Chateau Lafite started playing the game of fleecing unsuspecting Chinese by announcing that they would be putting the Chinese symbol for the lucky number eight on the label of bottles from the 2010 vintage. The price duly shot up, according to the London International Vintners Exchange, by 20 percent. more...

Oh to find that exact place where the vines will produce the finest grapes and the whole world will then come to taste the wine. Those who have followed my explorations of a wines 'sense of place' or its terroir, will be well aware that finding this perfect location is far from simple. more...

A decent new year's resolution would be to drink more Champagne because when the mood is right it's the only drink. So it was that I opened the Agrapart Fils 'Blanc de Blanc' Brut Grand Cru 12.0% and what a delight it was with delicate, soft flavours and a fine texture though lacks the seriousness, bread notes and the like, that reserve wines add to Champagne so is inherently simpler that a grand de-luxe wine. Incidentally the Agrapart is another of the so-called artisanal Champagnes, made by owner-growers-makers, which I have commented on over the last year. more...

The Journal of Women's Health has just published a study suggesting that red wine might be the next big thing in breast cancer prevention. The study has found that women who drank just under two servings of red wine daily experienced hormonal changes that mimic the effects of a drug used to prevent malignant breast tumors from coming back. Consuming the same amount of white wine did not have the same effect in premenopausal women participating in the study. more...

In the wine business I am very cautious about using phrases like; 'best suited to the advanced drinker who understands older wines', or 'not recommended for those who like a sweeter fruiter taste'; as you are drawing a line between customers. Also any form of negative may also throw a doubt into those to whom you are appealing. I guess the term is, "it may back-fire". more...

When we wished in 2006 to illustrate the beauties of Barossa Valley Mataro we obtained permission from the New York artist, David C.J. Gassaway to use his vision of the rare and beautiful or Rara Avis. Recently David, or Daupo as he is known, with Howard Phillips Lovecraft released the Cthulhu Mythos 2012 calendar. Apparently 2012 will mean the end of the world or a radical new beginning. Depicted is the month of August.