A lesson in wine at the old schoolhouse
Wine writer RICHARD CALVER sits up straight and pays attention as he gets a lesson from master winemaker Ken Helm in a former schoolhouse, a tiny wooden structure, built in 1888.
Wine
"We tried a large array of table wines on the day, as well as a delightful fortified, a muscat, that was intense and went very well with coffee." Wine writer RICHARD CALVER visits Gundog Estate.
"In 2026, just as in 2024, frost and hail have completely wiped out the harvest. It’s tough," Yarrh winemaker Caleb Wearne tells wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
'It went very well with the lamb and, in order to keep the half bottle left over, I’ve stored it in the fridge.' Wine writer RICHARD CALVER has no qualms about keeping red wine cool.
Wine
Managing the shock of the Paris Syndrome
"The gap between the reality of Paris and the romantic notions that people around the world have been fed about the place leads to many people seeking medical treatment," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
Wine
A book to beat those post-vacation blues
RICHARD CALVER becomes imbued with a book dedicated to the French ways of drinking, "full of inventive recipes for café drinks, aperitifs, cocktails and singularly French snacks, as well as many charming stories that enliven the recipes."
Wine
Tasting nostalgia in every sip
"At one stage in the '70s, every third bottle of wine sold in Australia was Ben Ean Moselle," writes nostalgic wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
"There was none of the expected crispness or fruit characteristics. Unfortunately, it had hints of wet cardboard and something that was akin to mouthwash." Wine writer RICHARD CALVER gets a taste of cork taint.
"Waiheke Island is magic, a mere 20 kilometres from Auckland by ferry, but a world away in terms of atmosphere and charm." Wine writer RICHARD CALVER shares a holiday highlight.
Australians are drinking less; alcohol consumption is decreasing. This is especially the case with young people, writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
Wine writer RICHARD CALVER takes to his notes and his nose to line up his top five wines for 2025.
"I believe it's important to harness the buying power of larger groups... but nothing should subsume appropriate privacy protection," says wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
"The Tahbilk winery is renowned for its marsanne. Despite origins in the Northern Rhone district of France, Tahbilk has the world’s largest single holding of marsanne, which was first planted in 1927," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
Marina and John Sekoranja are the beneficiaries of a dream that was built from the desire to produce good wine in beautiful surroundings. Wine columnist RICHARD CALVER has been out to McKellar Ridge.
"The Grand Assemblage finished beautifully, medium bodied with a silky smooth ending. This is a wine that will keep for the next five to 10 years, if well cellared," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
"A massive 90 per cent of NZ’s wine production is exported, at a value of more than $2.10 billion a year, a testament to the industry’s success, writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
Hall winemaker Michael Anderson has claimed the Champion Wine of Show award at the Canberra and Region Wine Show, for his 2025 Brindabella Hills Riesling.
"The wine was extraordinary in the way it changed so much in the glass… and the wine bottle was emptied with a grateful nod to the Apple Isle," says wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
"As the wines came up to room temperature, strangely both developed secondary fermentation, with bubbles of carbon dioxide evident, more so in the riesling," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
