Margaret River Western Australia | Sarah Ahmed

Aussie Chardy: this way please

Posted Monday 31st May 2010

In the last week, I’ve presented a couple of blind tastings focused on Chardonnay and regionality in Australia. My line up, the first two unoaked, comprised: Mount Adam Chardonnay 2008 (Barossa, South Australia) Cumulus Rolling Chardonnay 2008 (Central Ranges, New South Wales) Kooyong Estate Chardonnay 2006 (Mornington Peninsula, Victoria) De Bortoli Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2006 [...]

Bordeaux blends Margaret River-style

Posted Thursday 1st April 2010

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Last week I discovered that “hair of the dog” is as applicable to holidays as hangovers. The evening after I returned from a particularly fabulous break in Western Australia (see my top 10 tips here), I presented a Western Australia tasting – a great opportunity to extend that holiday glow and flash my rapidly receding [...]

Going my own WA – my top 10 Western Australia travel tips

Posted Thursday 1st April 2010

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It’s often said that a wine writer’s life is one long holiday. Last September’s trip to Western Australia in which I combined wine and travel assignments did nothing to dispel this myth. Much as I loved it, I’ve been dying to get back to WA under my own steam with my other half for some [...]

Frivolous on Friday – music & wine playlists

Posted Friday 22nd January 2010

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Last year, I had great fun meeting opera singer Bryn Terfel when I contributed to a Radio 4 programme about Terfel’s alternative dream career – being a master sommelier. I teed up Terfel on wine tasting skills and Berry Brothers & Rudd’s Alun Griffiths MW put the singer through his paces at High Timber restaurant. [...]

Cullen Wines – a Penguin coup!

Posted Tuesday 24th November 2009

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Here’s some bright and breezy, flag-waving news about Cullen Wines of Margaret River (Cullen restaurant pictured). Cullen Kevin John Chardonnay 2007 was one of my recent Wines of the Month (click here for my September review). This morning news has winged its way from Down Under that it’s been named the ‘Wine of the Year [...]