Dinner with the best wines in Australia
"The wines served with the National Wine Show dinner showed the best of Australia, and Canberra should be proud to host this event.," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
Wine
"I never thought I’d meet a retsina that I liked. So, imagine my surprise when I tasted a wine that is subtly infused with pine flavours that actually adds to the balance and complexity of the wine," write wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
"Mainland China now represents 39 per cent of total export value, but 15 per cent of volume, which is a trend that undercuts the Chinese allegations that Australia was dumping cheap wine," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
The best arises in unexpected places. Even a homemade distillation of the marc or grape pomace in Greece was a pale shadow of the Marc de Champagne, writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
Wine
Shocking news for moderate wine drinkers
"Alas, research from the UK published in August has refuted the view that light or moderate consumption of alcohol is good for heart health," bemoans wine writer RICHARD CALVER.
Wine
So little rain, but still the grapes grow
"The iconic grape variety of Santorini is the indigenous Assyrtiko. It has an overwhelming minerality combined with a salty tang. It is a unique taste experience." Wine columnist RICHARD CALVER files from Greece.
Wine
Moppity finds its place in the Canberra sun
"Moppity has been awarded Most Successful Exhibitor at the Canberra Region Wine Show for a record eight years and won the Great Australian Shiraz Challenge twice," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
"We turned up at the rustic Tahbilk winery and settled in to taste three varietals that were the current release compared with wine bottled some time ago," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
"The Clos de los Siete is a malbec blend. Malbec is dominant at 50 per cent but it also contains merlot, shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, all grown at high altitude in Mendoza, at the base of the Andes Mountains," writes RICHARD CALVER.
"Oh dear, the American beat out the Australian, something that I hope won’t be happening at the macro-level," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER after pitting an Orange chardonnay against a Californian one.
"Rutherglen is at the heart of a region known for its big reds and fortified muscats and tokays made by esteemed wineries," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
"The WET is a tax that affects Australian wine importers, producers and wholesalers and eligible NZ winemakers. It is an historic relic, introduced in conjunction with the GST," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
RICHARD CALVER relives memories more than 30 years old sparked by a simple glass of French sauterne. Marcel Proust would be proud of him.
"Apparently a mindful drinker is aware of how much alcohol they are consuming and when they may be consuming too much. It contributes to a shift to low and no-alcohol drinks as well as to abstinence," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
Wine columnist RICHARD CALVER rounds up three mates for lunch to compare a couple of rosés, but things don't go to plan. Firstly, only two them turn up.
"The supply of wine grapes exceeds demand and this is affecting those grape growers whose economic fortunes are dire because the crop they grow is worth less than the cost of production," writes wine columnist RICHARD CALVER.
Emma Shaw, wine educator and general manager of Collector Wines, recently established the Canberra Cellar Door at the Canberra Region Visitors Centre. Wine columnist RICHARD CALVER gets a surprise when he calls by...
Riesling versus riesling when wine writer RICHARD CALVER and friends pit a prize-winning local bottle against a, old-world one from Germany.
The four-day National Wine Festival of Australia will be held in June, celebrating Australian winemaking and marking the 50th anniversary of the National Wine Show of Australia. Wine writer RICHARD CALVER reports from the launch event.
