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THE INDEPENDENT DRINKS JOURNAL

EDITOR'S LETTER

Barolo 2015

WINE FOCUS
by nick stock

Graveyard Shift

VINEYARD FOCUS
by ken gargett

A Long Way From Home

wine Focus
by jane faulkner

Syrah Sweet Spot

Variety focus
by Simone madden-grey

Rutherglen

WINE DRIVE
by julian rifkin

Southern Rhône

Travel
by NINA CAPLAN

Pinot Central

Travel
by simone madden-grey

Top 10 Bars: Portland

Travel
by bree boskov mw

Tassie Pinot

Panel tasting
by Nick Bulleid MW

Barossan Bites

VINEYARD CHEFS
by Judy sarris

Bistro Fare

recipes and wine matches

What to Drink With

GAME
‍BY PETER BOURNE

Best Buy Wines

Top 100 New Release Wines

Travel Log

by AMY NORTHCOTT AND JUDY SARRIS

Women in Wine Dinner

Winemaker of the Year 2019

Sarah Crowe

Sarah Pidgeon

Wynns Coonawarra Estate

Jim Chatto

Rob Diletti

castle rock Estate

REGULARS

Cantina OK!

BENNIE'S BARS | MIKE BENNIE

Exotic, unusual and experimental flavours find a home in Sydney’s newest mezcal-focused bar and mark the birth of a journey of the senses for the adventurous.

Baby Steps

GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE | JANCIS ROBINSON MW

The Chinese wine industry is still in its infancy, but producers big and small are testing the waters and trying to find the best regions to literally put down roots.

Vale Warren Mason

TASTING WINE | HUON HOOKE

Warren Mason passed away on 10 April 2019 at the age of 82. He leaves a fine legacy behind as the founder of the Sydney International Wine Competition.

Poorman’s Orange

SPIRIT GUIDE | FRANZ SCHEURER

After stumbling upon an interesting citrus fruit, Peter Dryden and Elsa Payne now supply some of the country’s best restaurants and bars with fresh ingredients for dishes and cocktails.

Tall Stories

OBSERVATIONS | ANDREW CAILLARD MW

Other beverage industries are borrowing narrative ideas from wine under the guise of innovation, but the wine industry is also guilty of making up its own stories.

Rise and Rise

WINES TO WATCH | MIKE BENNIE

Beechworth is highly regarded for top performers, shiraz, cabernet and chardonnay, yet the region's cool climate begs for other tantalising varieties. Two producers are answering the call.

Repurposing Reds

ASIAN PERSPECTIVE| JEREMY OLIVER

Jeremy Oliver explains change is needed to raise Australia’s export game, restore the demand balance and give our quality red wines the chance they deserve.

Muscat

VARIETY SPOTLIGHT | MAX ALLEN

It’s highly likely that you’ve tried a wine made from one of the muscat grapes without even knowing it, such is the variety’s importance in Australia’s modern wine narrative.

Tropical Storm

CRAFT BEER | JULIAN TOMPKIN

Julian Tompkin explores the blossoming craft beer scene in Thailand, and the bars in Bangkok that are fuelling its growth.

Vintage ’19

GREEN GAUGE | MAX ALLEN

South Australia’s summer before the 2019 vintage was a scorcher, but some producers’ “climate change grapes” are looking the goods.
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Sommelier’s Choice

“In my experience, the most successful wine lists are a narrative about the symbiotic relationship between the different bottles of wine,” says Shun Eto, the Group Curator of Wine at Ovolo Hotels.

Instant Regret

MORRIS GLEITZMAN

The product of a certain confectioner wouldn’t fly in the wine world.

Popping the Cork

Nick Stock was one of the first wine critics to look at the soon-to-be-released Penfolds Champagne project with winemaker Peter Gago.

Off the Press

Compiled by Julian rifkin, Judy Sarris, Dom Sweeney

Catch up on all the latest news in the wine and food world.

Wine Dilemmas

Q&A | JANE SKILTON

Instagram

Objects

COMPILED BY
SABINE SCHMITZ
JULIAN RIFKIN

What's On

TEXT BY
JUDY SARRIS

Write About Wine

NEW WINE WRITER AWARD | SARAH BENTVELZEN

Enter the Gourmet Traveller WINE/Wine Communicators of Australia New Wine Writer Award to kickstart your career in wine journalism.

2019 Australian Vintage Report

Read the latest 2019 vintage reports from Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia.

Shaw + Smith Celebrates 30 Years

OFF THE PRESS | JUDY SARRIS

It all started three decades ago when Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith were having lunch at Willi’s Wine Bar in Paris.

Triple Tribute

OFF THE PRESS | JUDY SARRIS

It’s been 50 years since Taylors founded their winery on the banks of the Wakefield River in the Clare Valley. To mark this auspicious milestone, and with a nod to Bordeaux, the family has released what may be their finest wine yet.

Sommeliers Go-to Winter Reds

We asked some top somms to nominate their favourite reds for the winter months.

Sommeliers Shine

OFF THE PRESS | JUDY SARRIS

The Court of Master Sommeliers Oceania, established in Australia in 2008, has announced the results of its Introductory and Certified exams held in April this year.

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