Australia
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.
Under archive 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.
Archive of Australia
- Australia Trade Tasting 2010, Cult & Boutique Wines Monday, March 8, 2010
- Australia Trade Tasting 2010 – Pinot Noir & Chardonnay highlights Sunday, February 14, 2010
- Western Australia – 3 wonderful weeks of wine, food & travel Saturday, January 9, 2010
- McHenry Hohnen, Margaret River – a visit, September 2009 Wednesday, December 23, 2009
- Howard Park – guesting at the annual International Riesling tasting, zooming in on Pinot Noir and catching up with the range Thursday, December 17, 2009
- Clonakilla – a Shiraz Viognier vertical with Tim Kirk Wednesday, October 14, 2009
- Fraser Gallop, Margaret River – a run away success? Saturday, September 19, 2009
- Shaw & Smith 20th Anniversary tasting Tuesday, September 15, 2009
- De Bortoli Noble One 25th anniversary vertical tasting Wednesday, September 9, 2009
- Tapanappa, meeting with Brian Croser 2009 Friday, July 31, 2009
- Yalumba – 160 years of family winemaking tasting Friday, July 17, 2009
- Penfolds Grange -v- Bin 389, a masterclass with Peter Gago Wednesday, June 24, 2009
- Western Australia – The Great Wine Estates of Western Australia masterclass tasting Tuesday, May 12, 2009
- McHenry Hohnen, a tasting with David Hohnen, 2009 Sunday, April 12, 2009
- Australia Day tastings 2009 Thursday, January 29, 2009
- Yalumba – a Viognier-fest with Louisa Rose Thursday, June 26, 2008
- Crawford River Riesling – a vertical tasting Tuesday, June 17, 2008
- Riesling – well just a little soft-focused at times – off piste with some other varieties Sunday, April 27, 2008
- Riesling – a very focused trip! Saturday, April 26, 2008
- Petaluma – a vertical tasting Saturday, May 26, 2007
- Western Australia – way out west in 2007 Tuesday, March 27, 2007
- Cullen – vertical tastings of the flagship wines Monday, March 26, 2007
- Tapanappa, line in the red earth tasting, May 2006 Wednesday, May 10, 2006
- Clare Valley tutored tasting Thursday, January 26, 2006
- Australia Day tastings 2006 Thursday, January 26, 2006
- Boutique Australia Wednesday, October 26, 2005
- Langton’s – a tasting of top Aussie kit Saturday, October 1, 2005
- Wynns Coonawarra Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon 50th birthday tasting Saturday, February 26, 2005
- d’Arenberg mini-verticals & some golden oldies Wednesday, January 26, 2005
- Australia Day tastings 2005 Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Important links
- Andrew Chapman Fine Wine (retailer)
- Australian Wines Online (retailer)
- Cambridge Wine Merchants (retailer)
- Corks Out (retailer)
- Estbek House (restaurant)
- Great Western Wine (retailer)
- Hailsham Cellars (retailer)
- Liberty Wines (distributor & retailer by the case)
- Matthew Jukes (wine writer)
- Noel Young Wines (retailer)
- Oz Wines (retailer)
- Philglass & Swiggot (retailer)
- Red White & Green (wine writer Max Allen's guide to eco producers)
- Stokes Fine Wines (retailer)
- Swig (retailer)
- The Harrow at Little Bedwyn (restaurant)
- Wine Australia (regional body)
