January
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Life & Leisure
Barossa winemaker proves busy people can have it all. Well, sort of
With two vineyards, a winery and a two-year-old, “Life’s a bit ... saturated,” says Brett Grock. Still, he’s found the time to put his artwork on his labels.
- Max Allen
A beginner’s guide to perpetual champagne
A growing number of producers are blending significant portions of their reserve wines together, creating what they call a perpetual reserve.
- Eric Asimov
December 2024
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
November 2024
Is this Australia’s best shiraz?
These wine show judges certainly think so: the Great Australian Shiraz Challenge turns 30, and it’s needed now more than ever.
- Max Allen
October 2024
This Australian winemaker has just won a global award for his sparkling
Ed Carr is more than happy to pick up the international awards and bring them home to a smaller, local wine company.
- Max Allen
- Exclusive
- Pubs
Ed Peter’s Duxton Pubs dangles 2025 IPO as it seeks $35m
Some parts of Peter’s South Australian business empire have come under pressure as investors get cold feet.
- Primrose Riordan and Sarah Thompson
A 62ha development site in Tweed Shire hits market with $182m hopes
The family-owned former fruit farm in part of northern NSW that has been rezoned for development is just a 13-minute drive from the Gold Coast.
- Michael Bleby
September 2024
Melbourne dining powerhouse wins award for country’s best wine list
Gimlet’s head sommelier says the key to success is paying the same level of attention to someone drinking by the glass as to a high-roller ordering a $12,000 bottle.
- Gus McCubbing
August 2024
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Life & Leisure
How a dinner conversation led to a vineyard purchase
Novice owners are writing the next chapter at a top Mornington Peninsula estate.
- Max Allen
July 2024
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Life & Leisure
Five top examples of a hot new red-wine grape
For too many years, gamay has been overshadowed by pinot. But that’s changing as growers experiment more to enhance its unique characters.
- Max Allen
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Life & Leisure
The six best wines from this year’s Penfolds collection
Wondering what to buy, what to drink and what to stash away? Here are six bottles we especially loved.
- Max Allen
June 2024
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Life & Leisure
‘This is an exceptional pinot noir’
John Nagorcky moved to biodynamic viticulture in 1999 and these three wines from his Hochkirch label in southwest Victoria are a testament to his methods.
- Max Allen
McGuigan owner Australian Vintage seeks $20m lifeline to tackle wine glut
The acting CEO says a merger is still logical for the ailing wine group as it battles an industry wine oversupply after being spurned by bigger rival Accolade Wines.
- Simon Evans
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Life & Leisure
The new rock stars of the wine industry might surprise you
Marco Simonit and Pierpaolo Sirch, founders of the “gentle pruning” method, are sought after by leading winemakers the world over for their skills and advice.
- Max Allen
May 2024
Max Allen reviews three top drops from a shiraz-obsessed former chef
Syrahmi winemaker Adam Foster has launched the first release from his own close-planted vineyard in Heathcote.
- Max Allen
- Exclusive
- Tourism
On Hamilton, a family dynasty bets there’s more money in islands
After showing potential buyers around last year, Sandy Oatley and his family are instead developing a new resort as they double down on the island.
- Primrose Riordan
Uncorked: Accolade Wines locked in negotiations with Pernod Ricard
In short, if Pernod moves into the ‘trop difficile’ basket, Australian Vintage is waiting in the wings.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Life & Leisure
Drinking alone? Here’s how to keep it interesting
Finishing the same bottle off over a few evenings can get a little dull. An Australian company has come up with an innovative alternative.
- Max Allen
April 2024
BHP goes big game hunting on the African savannah
BHP and Anglo American are undisputed industrial champions in their home countries. The vast gap between them says a lot about Australia and South Africa.
- Peter Ker
- Drinks With Max Allen
- Life & Leisure
Gang member turned investigative reporter launches his first wine
Twelve months after his first vintage, Mahmood Fazal is selling a shiraz inspired by a cult label in Spain, Persian poetry and the land of his ancestors.
- Max Allen