Australia
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‘Tenacity Old Vine’ Cabernet Sauvignon
Two Hands ‘Tenacity Old Vine’ Cabernet Sauvignon comes from old vines in McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley, Australia. This is the 2024 vintage, produced by Two Hands, with the aim of making wines that feel softer and more approachable. The name Tenacity reflects the determination and perseverance of old vines that have become such an enduring part of the Australian landscape. A good tip here is to let it breathe for at least half an hour. In the glass, you get blackcurrant, bay leaf, cedar and leather aromas. On the taste, it leans into fruity black cherry. It is dry,…
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Bleasdale The Wild Fig
Bleasdale The Wild Fig comes from what was the first winery in the relatively cool-climate Langhorne Creek, founded way back in 1850 and it is still owned by the Potts family. This is a Rhône-style GSM blend, Shiraz 67%, Grenache 26%, Mourvèdre 7%, spends six months ageing in large oak casks. It is 13.5% ABV and is from the 2022 vintage. It has picked up a slew of Australian wine awards. In the glass you get blueberry aroma alongside clove and pepper and a savoury nuance to it all, with the colour showing a slightly browning edge. It drinks dry…
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Great Western Shiraz
This wine first caught my attention at the Asda Autumn/Winter press tasting, where I made a mental note to revisit it off the supermarket shelf. When it recently appeared on promotion, I didn’t hesitate to pick up a bottle. This is mix of 97% Shiraz with small amounts of Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Viognier, from the 2023 vintage, with a moderate 13.5% abv. It comes from Victoria, Australia, a cooler climate region that lends a very different expression compared to the usual jammy examples of this grape. It matured for 12 months in large and small French oak barrels.…
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Australia and New Zealand Trade Tasting 2026
This was the second ever joint New Zealand and Australia tasting, bringing together more than 1,000 wines from 240 producers. The line-up spanned 57 regions across Australia and New Zealand and covered 30 different grape varieties, offering a broad snapshot of what the two countries are doing right now. New “Sommelier Selections” feature tables added a useful shortcut through the ubiquity, showcasing wines nominated by working sommeliers. There was also a notable contingent of producers actively looking for a route into the UK, with 130 new wines poured by wineries seeking distribution. At the last tasting I went in search…
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Our Fathers ‘There is a Light’ McLaren Vale Shiraz-Grenache
From McLaren Vale, Australia, this red comes with a great endorsement. Jancis Robinson asked, “Surely wines like this would normally be much more expensive?”, which made it impossible not to investigate. It also forms part of The Wine Society’s Wine Champion selection, a curated collection of wines rigorously blind-tasted by their expert buying team and judged to be among the finest in quality and immediate drinkability. But before getting into the wine itself, the story behind it deserves attention. The Our Fathers Project was founded by British Master of Wine Giles Cooke MW, who already carries a strong reputation for…
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Wilson Gunn Bellum Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz
Wilson Gunn is a label under the RedHeads Wine umbrella, part of a wider Laithwaites family venture. RedHeads itself began life in the 1990s in McLaren Vale, launched by a band of winemakers with a rebellious streak and a mission to produce honest, small-batch wines outside the commercial mould. Henry Laithwaite, the eldest son of Tony and Barbara Laithwaite, began his winemaking journey in McLaren Vale. Around 2005, he found himself at RedHeads, working on this blend in its earlier form, building his experience with this bold style. The name Bellum draws from the Latin phrase “Aut pax aut bellum”…
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Australian Wine Tasting
In early November 2025, I attended an Australian wine tasting event in London, organised by the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade). The tasting brought together a mix of producers and importers, showcasing a wide range of wines from across Australia. It was a busy and, at times, crowded event, with over 25 wineries represented and close to 300 wines available to taste. As expected, there was no shortage of Shiraz, but I focused on seeking out wines that offered something a bit different. Below are the highlights of what I discovered. Prices weren’t provided at the event, so I’ve…
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Barossa Blood Ink Shiraz
Barossa Blood Ink Shiraz is making a bold show this Halloween with a limited-edition makeover, featuring striking new front and back labels designed to catch the eye and chill the spine. While the look is for Halloween, what’s inside the bottle remains the same as the usual Barossa Ink Shiraz, the UK’s top-selling premium Shiraz. This 2024 vintage comes in at 14% ABV and continues to ride a wave of popularity, with Barossa Ink Shiraz growing at an impressive 9.8%, outpacing the wider wine category. It’s part of the broader Grant Burge label, which now stands as the second fastest-growing…
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Waitrose No.1 Barossa Shiraz
This wine is part of Waitrose’s premium No.1 range, aimed at those seeking standout quality. Having been impressed by the No.1 La Val Albariño and Margaux, I had high hopes for this Shiraz, which boasts a 2025 IWC Silver medal and a 93-point rating. It’s produced by the seventh-generation Lindner family and aged in a mix of French and American oak. The 2021 vintage comes in at 15% ABV. As soon as the cap is opened, the aroma escapes from the neck of the bottle, full of ripe red fruit. In the glass, there’s a slightly browning edge to the…
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Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon
I first came across and liked this wine at the Asda Spring Summer Wine Showcase and just to be sure, I tried it again more recently. It’s an Australian red made by Complexity, a producer sourcing grapes from family-owned vineyards spread across South Australia’s premium wine regions. While Australia is far better known for Shiraz, my search at this year’s trade tasting suggested that other varietals are certainly worth exploring. This particular wine is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, with a touch of Merlot and Petit Verdot in the blend. It’s been matured in French oak for a year and the 2023…
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Marks & Spencer Classics No. 37 Shiraz
This wine is part of the M&S Classics range, a line that draws on trusted wine styles from celebrated regions, with an eye on quality and accessibility. This 2024 vintage is from South Australia and comes with a strong showing in this year’s awards, having earned a Silver from the IWC and a Bronze from the IWSC. Produced by Complexity Wines, it’s a blend dominated by Syrah (88%), with Petite Sirah (11%) and a small touch of Cabernet Sauvignon (3%), sitting at 14.5% ABV and matured in oak. This wine works straight from the bottle without decanting. At first glance,…
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Australian Wine Report
A new report provides insights into Australian wine exports for the year ending December 2024. A significant theme was the surge in exports to mainland China following the removal of import tariffs in March 2024, which drove a 34% increase in export value to AUD 2.55 billion and a 7% rise in volume to 649 million litres. Exports to China alone accounted for AUD 902 million in value and 83 million litres in volume. However, exports to other global markets, including the UK, declined. Focusing on the UK, Australian wine exports showed relative stability after previous disruptions caused by Brexit…
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Australia and New Zealand Trade Tasting 2025
For the first time, Australia and New Zealand combined their annual trade tastings in London, an event that historically has been held separately, New Zealand’s since 1982 and Wine Australia’s since 1986. The decision to merge the two was likely influenced by lower attendance in 2023, though it’s worth noting that train strikes in 2023 may have contributed to those numbers. This year’s event featured more than 1,000 wines from 200 wineries, a vast selection that posed the difficult question: how do I approach a tasting with so many wines? In previous years, when Australia and New Zealand held their…
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De Bortoli Botrytis Semillon
De Bortoli’s Botrytis Semillon Family Reserve is a great example of Australia’s ‘stickies’, a colloquial term for their sweet, dessert-style wines. Made exclusively from 100% Sémillon grapes, the wine is made under the influence of the Botrytis Cinerea fungus, also known as ‘noble rot’. This beneficial fungus, thriving under the right climatic conditions, concentrates the sugars and flavours in the grapes, resulting in an opulent and richly complex wine. The 2020 vintage, 9% ABV, offers a luxurious aromatic profile, dominated by notes of apricot and citrus. Its texture is exceptionally syrupy, delivering a luscious mouthfeel. The taste reveals a great…
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Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz
I often revisit wines I’ve enjoyed at press tastings. Spending days with a bottle rather than seconds gives a fuller picture of its character, especially when comparing with similar wines. This applies to the Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz 2022 (£9, 14.5%) that caught my attention at a recent Asda press tasting and I promised to explore in more detail. To recap, the Asda Extra Special Barossa Shiraz has already gained a Bronze Medal at the IWSC 2024 and the IWC 2024, along with a Silver Medal from the Decanter World Wine Awards in 2023. Its made from 3% Cabernet…
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UK is Australia’s Largest Wine Market By Volume
Wine Australia has a new report on the period 12 months to 30 September 2024. The report on Australian wine exports highlights a 34% growth in export value to AUD 2.39 billion in the 12 months ending September 2024, reaching its highest levels since 2021. Exports surged particularly due to the lifting of tariffs on Australian wine exports to China, which saw a marked increase. Export volume to other destinations, however, fell slightly by 3%, with notable declines in the United States. For the UK, Australia’s largest market by volume and second by value, exports rebounded with a 3% increase…
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Hancock & Hancock Tempranillo
I decided to try Hancock & Hancock’s 2021 Tempranillo because Tempranillo is more commonly associated with Spain’s Rioja region, not Australia in this case. However, the grape is increasingly thriving in Australia’s warm climates, including McLaren Vale. The Hancock brothers, Chris and John, established this label in 2015, with Chris bringing decades of experience from his work at Rosemount Estate and Robert Oatley who distribute this wine into the UK. The wine is made up of 85.3% Tempranillo, with the remaining 14.7% comprised of other varietals. After fermentation, it was aged for 12 months in old oak barrels The wine…
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Australian Wine Industry Faces New Challenges
The Financial Times newspaper is reporting (might have gone behind paywall by the time you read this) how, in the 1980s, the Australian wine industry faced severe challenges, with some family businesses, like the Calabria family, resorting to washing bottles for others to stay afloat. Today, the industry faces even greater difficulties, particularly as global consumers move away from lower-priced commercial wines. The situation has led to a significant restructuring, with major players like Treasury Wine Estates and Accolade Wines selling off parts of their businesses. A major blow came in 2020 when China imposed tariffs on Australian wine, collapsing…
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Rosemount Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Having initially enjoyed the Rosemount Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 during a press tasting at the Asda Spring Summer Showcase, I decided to purchase a bottle to, spend more time with it and see how it fares in a different setting. To test it further, I paired it with beef and compared it side by side with another value Cabernet Sauvignon I know better. While I still like this wine, I should say it diverges from the typical Cabernet Sauvignon profile. Usually, a Cabernet Sauvignon is characterised by notes of blackcurrant, spice, tobacco, wood and vanilla. However, the Rosemount offers a…
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Australia’s Battle Against Overproduction
The Independent Newspaper is reporting that Australia’s wine industry is facing severe challenges due to a significant oversupply of wine, driven by declining global demand, especially for lower-priced red wines which are a major product of the country. Australia, the world’s fifth largest wine exporter, found itself with over two billion litres of wine in storage by mid-2023, leading to some of the stock spoiling. The crisis has hit hard in areas like Griffith, known for its wine grape cultivation, where millions of vines, some planted by Italian migrants in the 1950s, are being uprooted to combat the overproduction that…
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Did You Know?
Nearly a third (32%) of UK consumers say they have already used AI for alcoholic drinks advice. More
Among socially active wine buyers, 37% have bought a wine recommended online. More
In 2026, 72% of consumers now think wine knowledge is essential to appreciation, up 20 percentage points on 2025. More
Rías Baixas wines reached more than 107 countries in 2025 and exports represented 31 per cent of the denomination’s total sales. More
Light Strike Can Cause Wine Degradation in Just One Day. More
People actively adjust their wine choices depending on who might see them. More
In the UK, 73% of Alcohol is Bought From Retail Rather Than Hospitality. More
UK wine production reached 124,377 hectolitres that year, meaning the UK accounted for roughly 0.05 per cent of world output. More
For Crémant, grapes must be harvested by hand and the wines must undergo at least nine months’ ageing before release. More
In 2024, the UK was the second-largest export market for Champagne globally, after the United States. More
Local UK bottling of wine represents about 40% of imported wine. More
Around 1% of people, typically severe asthmatics, have a sulphite sensitivity. More
A large 80% of Australian wine arrives in the UK in bulk. More
Only about 0.02% of Australia’s landmass is dedicated to vineyards. More
In 2024, New Zealand produced only 1% of the World’s wine. More
In 2024, the US imported 37% of World production of Pinot Grigio and the UK was is in second place at 27%. More
In 2024, the UK was South Africa’s largest export market, with 40% of total exports. More
In 2024, the United Kingdom imported 22.3 million bottles of Champagne, a decline of 12.7% compared to the previous year. More
Larger Champagne producers source grapes from as many as 80 different vineyards throughout Champagne. More
Champagne houses and growers collectively produce around 300 million bottles annually. More
In 2025, the Champagne region was home to about 2,124 Champagne houses and approximately 19,000 growers. More
Provence is one of the leaders in the conversion to organic viticulture, with 61% of vineyards certified. More
8% of the South Africa’s grape production is Fairtrade-certified. More
Up to 80% of wine aroma compounds come from grape skins. More
Glycerol is the third-largest component of most dry wines after water and alcohol which is why they so often feel ‘smooth’ or ‘silky’ in the mouth. More
Humans are more than 400 times more sensitive to bitter than sweet. More
Humans can detect the earthy molecule geosmin at about 100 parts per trillion and camels are so sensitive to it they can locate damp ground from roughly 50 miles away. More
During the phylloxera crisis of the nineteenth century, 90% of Europe’s vineyards were destroyed. More
In 2025, for La Vieille Ferme, also known as “The Chicken Wine”, sales surged by 49.4% to £110.8 million. More
In 2025, in the UK, Yellow Tail held the top position with sales, marking a 9.8% increase over the previous year. More
In 2024, the UK was the second-largest wine importer in volume and value. More
In 2024, the UK was the fifth-largest wine-consuming country globally. More
In 2025, global wine consumption continued its downward trend, estimated at 214.2 million hectolitres, the lowest since 1961. More
In 2025, online alcohol sales had a 20% increase in value over five years. More
In 2025, the number of UK vineyards rose to 1,104 and wineries to 238, with land under vine expanding to 4,841 hectares, a 510% increase since 2005. More
Moët Hennessy alone commands nearly 46.66% of the Champagne market, with the top three producers together holding about 61%, and the top five controlling over 72%. More
In 2024, the Champagne market was worth roughly €3.92 billion. More
In the marketing year 2023/24, white wine accounted for roughly 55% of Spain’s output, whereas red and rosé together made up about 45%. More
In the UK, 92% of wine is consumed within 48hrs of purchase. More
The majority of wines, 95%, use commercial rather than wild yeast. More
Between 0.5 and 10 litres of water, per litre of wine, are needed for cleaning during winemaking. More
Machine harvesting can achieve up to 100 tons of fruit per day vs 1 ton for a human. More
In Germany, 2025 was the smallest wine vintage since 2010. More
The majority of vineyards, 90% in 2019, are farmed with heavy chemical interventions. Only 6% are organic. More
90% of low and coastal areas in south Europe and California will no longer be able to produce good wine by the end of the century. More
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