Sarah Ahmed – The Wine Detective

My wine career started at Oddbins in 2000.  I loved Oddbins’ culture of curiosity and passion about wine, and it was a context in which I thrived, as did Australian wine with a then unparalleled range of regionally distinct wines, with many from boutique producers with whom I was in regular contact. Without exception, I found them to be driven by a love of what they do and a culture of excellence, open-mindedness and “can-do-ism” that excited me.

This experience was reinforced by three weeks spent travelling to Australia’s key wine states in 2004 – a whistle-stop tour of Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales.  And, since going freelance, I’ve kept bang up to date with developments Down Under with regular press trips, vintage experience at Cullen and judging in Western Australia.

In 2010, I was one of 14  international wine opinion leaders selected for The Landmark Australia Tutorial in the Yarra Valley – an  intensive course consisting of a series of tastings and themed master classes charting the development of Australia’s fine wine credentials.  And as of 2010, I contribute about Australia for the award winning publication Wine Behind the Label.  You can read a “taster edition” and obtain a special The Wine Detective 10% discount on Wine Behind the Label by clicking here.  (I should declare that I receive a percentage of any book purchase made via this link and a royalty on future sales).

Under Archive of Australia below you’ll find the fruits of my research in the form of tastings notes and commentary.  And if these whet your appetite, contact me at sarah@thewinedetective.co.uk about tutored tastings and events I present independently and on behalf of Wine Australia, the generic marketing body for Australian wines.

Under important links you’ll find the Wine Australia site useful for information industry news and the Wine Education tab gives you tons of info about the grapes, wines, regions,  etc etc.  I’ve also listed UK retailers who focus on Australian wines.

Australian Reports

• St Hallett’s latest releases, including five taste the difference single vineyard Barossa Shiraz 06/01/2012
• A visit with First Drop & The Home of the Brave 14/11/2011
• Cullen Wines’ 40th Anniversary verticals Part 1: Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 1997-2010 20/10/2011
• Mornington Peninsula: a mini vertical & a word or two on terroir with Eldridge Estate’s David Llloyd 14/10/2011
• Torbreck: new releases, from Juveniles to the very senior, sophisticated The Laird 07/10/2011
• A visit with Tyrrells, the Hunter Valley 15/08/2011
• The road to Seppeltsfield: a visit and a comprehensive tasting 17/07/2011
• Ten Minutes by Tractor Pinot Noir vertical – the first 10 years with Martin Spedding 16/05/2011
• The Big Fortified Tasting 2011: Australian highlights 05/05/2011
• Brokenwood 40th anniversary verticals Part 3: Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz 1983-2010 26/04/2011
• Brokenwood 40th anniversary verticals Part 2: Brokenwood Semillon 1982-2010 06/04/2011
• The Landmark Tutorial 2010: Riesling, presented by Jeffrey Grosset 01/04/2011
• Brokenwood 40th anniversary verticals Part 1: ILR Semillon 1992-2010 24/03/2011
• The Landmark Tutorial 2010: Semillon 07/03/2011
• The Landmark Tutorial 2010 – Pinot Noir 03/02/2011
• The Landmark Tutorial 2010 – Fortified wines 02/12/2010
• Wendouree: a tasting bonanza, seventeen wines 23/11/2010
• d’Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz – a vertical 18/11/2010
• The Landmark Tutorial 2010: sparkling wines presented by Dr Tony Jordan and Edd Carr 10/11/2010
• Mudgee, classic and cutting edge tasting highlights 04/11/2010
• Capital: the wines of Canberra District 25/10/2010
• Striking a fine balance: Mornington Peninsula’s cool maritime climate Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs 05/10/2010
• Jacobs Creek – catching up with the range 27/08/2010
• Cobaw Ridge: a Lagrein vertical & 2 vintages of Syrah 20/08/2010
• Australia’s First Families of Wine: Tahbilk Marsanne vertical 16/08/2010
• Treasury Wine Estates: portfolio catch up 30/07/2010
• Coonawarra Cabernet – a masterclass 16/07/2010
• Semillon verticals: McWilliams Mount Pleasant Lovedale & Tyrrells Vat 1 01/07/2010
• Hewitson latest releases: some very well bred wines 22/06/2010
• Rhône Ranging – Michel Chapoutier in Australia 11/06/2010
• A game of two halves: Pewsey Vale Riesling –v- Jim Barry Riesling 24/05/2010
• Penfolds Icon & Luxury Release Tasting, 2010, including Grange 2005 & Yattarna 2007 06/05/2010
• The Big Fortified Tasting – Australian Rutherglen highlights 23/04/2010
• Going my own WA – my top 10 travels trips 01/04/2010
• Australia Trade Tasting 2010 highlights – wines from here and there 24/03/2010
• Australia Trade Tasting 2010, Cult & Boutique Wines 08/03/2010
• Australia Trade Tasting 2010 – Pinot Noir & Chardonnay highlights 14/02/2010
• Western Australia – 3 wonderful weeks of wine, food & travel 09/01/2010
• McHenry Hohnen, Margaret River – a visit, September 2009 23/12/2009
• Howard Park – guesting at the annual International Riesling tasting, zooming in on Pinot Noir and catching up with the range 17/12/2009
• Clonakilla – a Shiraz Viognier vertical with Tim Kirk 14/10/2009
• Fraser Gallop, Margaret River – a run away success? 19/09/2009
• Shaw & Smith 20th Anniversary tasting 15/09/2009
• De Bortoli Noble One 25th anniversary vertical tasting 09/09/2009
• Tapanappa, meeting with Brian Croser 2009 31/07/2009
• Yalumba – 160 years of family winemaking tasting 17/07/2009
• Penfolds Grange -v- Bin 389, a masterclass with Peter Gago 24/06/2009
• Western Australia – The Great Wine Estates of Western Australia masterclass tasting 12/05/2009
• McHenry Hohnen, a tasting with David Hohnen, 2009 12/04/2009
• Australia Day tastings 2009 29/01/2009
• Yalumba – a Viognier-fest with Louisa Rose 26/06/2008
• Crawford River Riesling – a vertical tasting 17/06/2008
• Riesling – well just a little soft-focused at times – off piste with some other varieties 27/04/2008
• Riesling – a very focused trip! 26/04/2008
• Petaluma – a vertical tasting 26/05/2007
• Western Australia – way out west in 2007 27/03/2007
• Cullen – vertical tastings of the flagship wines 26/03/2007
• Tapanappa, line in the red earth tasting, May 2006 10/05/2006
• Clare Valley tutored tasting 26/01/2006
• Australia Day tastings 2006 26/01/2006
• Boutique Australia 26/10/2005
• Langton’s – a tasting of top Aussie kit 01/10/2005
• Wynns Coonawarra Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 50th birthday tasting 26/02/2005
• d’Arenberg mini-verticals & some golden oldies 26/01/2005
• Australia Day tastings 2005 26/01/2005