The Wine Blokes

Reviews of wines from around the world.

As is usual on a Friday night, my parnter and I like to try something a little different, something a little unique, maybe even something a little botique.  We hadn’t organised any wine for tonight so I rumuged around in the cellar and found a bottle of 2005 Panis Sparkling. I know that almost none […]

By The Casual Observer
Penfolds Grange has always illuminated the imagination of many avid wine consumers in Australia, and indeed around the world, especially in the US. Year after year it’s still considerd the icon Aussie wine that epitomises what Australia is all about, and continues to build on the legacy left by Max Shubert way […]

Have you ever woken up with Rose coloured glasses?
I did this morning, after tasting a number of bright, fresh, inspiring Rose wines from both Australia and abroad. The perception of Rose has always been of a poor second cousin to other stable varieties such Shiraz, Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Pinot Noir. Rose was always considered, […]

Region: Eden Valley - South Australia
Alcohol: 14.5%.
Blokes Notes: The Irvine Merlot has become the premiere wine of its type in Australia, and probably for good reason. Interestingly, many Merlot producers in Australia seem to find it difficult to gain that extra edge that Irvine seems to do consistently year in, year out.  Merlot can be quite a […]

Region: New Zealand - Kumeu - 20km north west of Auckland
Alcohol: 13%
Blokes Notes: We had heard alot about Kumeu River but never had the chance to have a look at it. Ryan (my partners brother), while studying winemaking at Adelaide University, is also working at Melbourne Stree cellars, one of Adelaides most famous independent wine […]

I was given a bottle of a very inconspicuous Chardonnay the other night by a mate and told to try it and report back. I knew there was something going on when he handed it to me with a broad smirk. Anyway I took it home and tried it over dinner.
Romney Park is an extremely […]

Last night was another where a couple of friends turned up unexpected with a few bottles of wine to taste, along with some great bread and cheese. One of the wines they had was a label I had been wanting to try for a while. I ordered it the other night when out for […]

Last Sunday I was finishing up my Sunday chores when I recieved a phone call from Paul at Maximilians Restaurant in the Adelaide Hills.  He told me to get around to the restaurant quick smart as they had spontanesouly decided to have a tasting of the some of the wines that had just come in.  […]

We had some friends over for dinner the other night and and we tasted some nice Australian wines from the Adelaide Hills, but everyone has tasted them before and someone asked me if I had something a little unique or different in the cellar. I rember tasting some weird and wonderful wines from the Cornas […]

Jon F.
This is indeed one of those posts where I get a little gushy. For 7 years I put my heart and soul into creating and developing the potential of the Smithbrook vineyard.  Along with my boss and mentor Michael Symons, we inherited an over managed, over cropped vineyard and successfully transformed it into one […]