NewsBite

Wine & spirits

January

The slanted roofs and simple lines of  Kavillo villas recall to mind structures like shearing sheds and lean-tos.

The architect inspired by shearing sheds and tents

Mudgee-based Cameron Anderson honours the beauty of humble rural structures and rustic materials in his designs.

  • Stephen Todd

At $3000 a bottle, grenache is hitting new heights

The renaissance of this red variety is a worldwide phenomenon, including in France where it’s been firmly reappraised.

  • Max Allen

Harmony in a glass: How this venerable wine estate recognises Country

Connection to culture is crucial to the fifth-generation family custodians of this must-visit Victorian vineyard.

  • Max Allen
Inkwell’s owners, Dudley Brown and Irina Santiago-Brown.

Six winemakers start a shiraz revolution with a tonne of grapes each

Once the king of Australian reds, the variety has lost its gloss in recent years. With the results of a bold experiment in, that could be about to change.

  • Max Allen
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I quit drinking four years ago. I’m still confronting drinking culture.

People who stop drinking are constantly quizzed about why.

  • Charles M. Blow
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Fanda Group wine director Peter Marchant says Chinese-made wines offer something a little different for drinkers.

Why Chinese-made wine could be coming to a bar or restaurant near you

Top bars and restaurants in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide are selling Chinese wines produced by both major players and smaller independent outfits.

  • Gus McCubbing

December 2024

There’s something special about Tasmanian sparkling, and they know it

Move over Champagne, the Apple Isle makes some of the best sparkling wines in the world. And the Effervescence festival is where it’s on display.

  • Yolanda Redrup
Wine for sale at a store in Shanghai. Chinese consumers have cut their spending on fine wines.

Fine wine market in the red as Chinese demand dries up

The falls mark a second consecutive tough year for the industry, which was hit in 2023 by higher interest rates and dwindling sales from Asia.

  • Laurence Fletcher
New York-listed soft drinks group The Coca-Cola Company has bought the ready-to-drink spirits business of Billson’s Beverages, which collapsed in late July.

Coca-Cola buys collapsed Billson’s ready-to-drink spirits unit

The NYSE-listed soft drink giant has acquired the business from the administrator, with the Cowan family to retain the smaller cordials and soda operations.

  • Simon Evans
  • Christmas Gift Guide 2024
  • eBooks
two pages from Great Women Sculptors, Phaidon I

Books to treasure or give this holiday season

Elevate your mood and mind with our selection of new coffee table editions, ranging from spectacular photography to quirky knowledge.

  • Updated
  • Stephen Clark

38-diamond phone case: gifts for when the price doesn’t matter

Gift options are wide open when money is practically no object. Something from this gold-standard selection is sure to delight.

  • Updated
  • Eugenie Kelly

Max Allen picks the best wine books to give

One Thousand Vines will change the way the reader thinks about – and enjoys – wine. Plus, three vintages to sip along the way.

  • Updated
  • Max Allen
Chris Lucas’ new restaurant Maison Bâtard.

Hottest new places to dine around the country right now

These much-anticipated restaurants and bars have opened their doors just in time for summer.

  • Necia Wilden
Chardonnays for Christmas.

Max Allen’s 5 best chardonnays for summer drinking

The grape variety goes super well with seafood, and the quality coming out of Australia is equal to that of much pricier French whites.

  • Max Allen
Young Henry’s owner, Oscar McMahon, celebrates the festive season at a street party in Newtown on December 7.

How professional drinkers manage the silly season

Switching to mid-strength beers, adding water to your shiraz ... there are many tricks to achieving moderation.

  • Luke Benedictus
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Max Allen’s guide to stocking a bar trolley

This selection of nine ingredients – all from Australian makers – will have your cocktail cabinet ready for Christmas action.

  • Max Allen
The top five of 2024, as selected by Max Allen.

A toast to the five best champagnes of 2024

The year may be nearly over, but there’s plenty left to celebrate. Pop a bottle of our drinks editor’s favourite bubbles to do it in style.

  • Max Allen

November 2024

Sullivans Cove chief distiller Heather Tillott and managing director Adam Sable.

Cult Tasmanian whisky Sullivans Cove has a stately new home

After a $14m revamp, the Sullivans Cove distillery outside Hobart is worthy of its award as the world’s best whisky.

  • Luke Slattery
Someone’s gotta do it - our intrepid drinks editor Max Allen has chosen his top drops for the year.

Max Allen’s top 20 drinks of the year

After 12 months of tasting, our expert reveals his picks of 2024: a diverse bunch of white and red wines, and a couple of non-alcoholic stunners.

  • Max Allen
Dylan Grigg amid the vines of Vinya Vella.

How one man’s mission to save a rundown vineyard won him global renown

When viticultural expert Dylan Grigg bought his plot of old-vine grenache in the Barossa, it was a mess. Now it’s a destination for travelling winemakers.

  • Max Allen

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/wine--spirits-hzi