Avatar photo

Jeni Port

Jeni Port is one of Australia’s top wine communicators. Based in Melbourne, Jeni created the first wine column in the (then) Sun News-Pictorial before moving over to The Age and becoming that paper’s longest-serving wine writer. Over the years she has written for most Australian wine magazines and these days calls WinePilot home. She is also a Tasting Panel member on the Halliday Wine Companion. She was named Wine Communicator of the Year and Legend of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival in 2014 and in 2018 Legend of the Vine. She is a founding board member of Australian Women In Wine and is the co-deputy chair of Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards and China’s Wine List of the Year Awards.
Thompson Estate Cab Sauv

Thompson Estate Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Taking in the aroma of a top Margaret River Cabernet is one of life’s little treats. Thompson Estate 2020 Cabernet...
Thompson The Specialist Cabernet Sauvignon

Thompson Estate The Specialist Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

The Specialist? Well, it might refer to a Margaret River wine producer specialising in the region’s top red grape, but...
Thompson The Specialist Chardonnay

Thompson Estate The Specialist Margaret River Chardonnay 2021

On a number of levels, it’s hard not to be impressed by this Margaret River reserve-style Chardonnay. The 2021 vintage...
Thompson Estate Chardonnay

Thompson Estate Margaret River Chardonnay 2022

Wine writers use lots of fancy words to describe wine. Some words fail miserably to impart a wine’s taste, some...
Sauvignon Blanc

The Lane Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc often walks a tightrope between über fresh, and herbal, and edging into the world of tropical...
Pinot Gris

The Lane Vineyard Pinot Gris 2023

Style-wise, The Lane 2023 Gris sits on the cusp between Grigio and Gris. Combines the two vinous personalities – Grigio’s...
Parishes Shiraz NV

Parishes Shiraz 2021

Smart wine, smart price. Brings two complimentary Shiraz areas, Langhorne Creek and the Barossa, together in the glass and the...
Cowra Malbec

Cowra Estate Malbec 2020

Malbec is slowly moving out from behind multi-varietal blends and going solo. This is a good thing. Here, we see...
Parishes chardonnay limestone coast

Parishes Chardonnay 2022

Hails from the Limestone Coast which, naturally enough, boasts limestone soils and a maritime-influenced climate. Both these factors work well...
NFSPRU NV Bottle Shot

Rustico Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG NV

A Prosecco that fits the aperitif style to a T. Brings the kind of super fresh snap that gets the...
MESPXX NV Bottle Shot

Mezza di Mezzacorona Italian Glacial Bubbly Rosé NV

Glacial? It’s a reference to the northern Alto Adige wine region of Italy which resides in the Dolomite Alps. Grapes...
JQSPMO NV Bottle Shot

Champagne Jacquart Mosaique Brut NV

A relatively young Champagne house founded in 1964, Jacquart is a grower-producer with a traditionally strong focus on Chardonnay. This...
Henschke Julius Riesling EV S over yrs shadow

Henschke Julius Riesling 2023

Not the easiest of Eden Valley vintages, 2023 was the kind of harvest that sets the experienced and astute wine...
Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon

Leconfield Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

The 2020 vintage in Coonawarra was a good one. It shows even though, at 14.5% alcohol, it might be considered...
Leconfield The Sydney Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Leconfield The Sydney Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

A wine named in honour of Leconfield founder, Sydney Hamilton. It does the man justice. Fermentation in new French oak...
Richard Hamilton Burton's Vineyard Old Vine Grenache

Richard Hamilton Burton’s Vineyard Old Vine Grenache 2022

Richard Hamilton’s father, Burton, a viticulturist, was well-known throughout the McLaren Vale wine region. He would have tended the vines...
VERDTDwebrgb

Briar Ridge The Dam Hunter Valley Verdelho 2023

This Portuguese white grape via the Hunter Valley shows plenty of exuberant oomph in the glass. Takes no time to...
SEMEHwebrgb

Briar Ridge Early Harvest Hunter Valley Semillon 2023

This is Semillon au naturel. Picked early, no additions, with an engaging, zesty simplicity to start, it will ever so...
FIANOwebrgb

Briar Ridge Limited Release Hunter Valley Fiano 2023

The time will be coming very soon when we no longer describe Fiano as a new, alternative grape variety. Acceptance...
PolishNV

O’Leary Walker Polish Hill River Riesling 2023

Oh my. How good is this? This is the essence of Polish Hill River Riesling: the concentration of fruit, the...
WatervaleNV

O’Leary Walker Watervale Riesling 2023

Beautiful, arresting aromatics and a rare delicacy; you just know you are in Watervale territory when you set upon that...
Bottle photography as refined as your wine by CSP Creative

Curator Wine Company Marananga Vineyard Shiraz 2021

The sub-region of Marananga now graces many a bottle of Barossa Valley Shiraz. Situated close to the centre of the...
The Chase Semillon

Gundog Estate The Chase Hunter Valley Semillon 2023

This take no time, maybe a nano-second, to reveal its varietal personality. That scent: green apple, chamomile, lime, lime zest....
Hunter's Shiraz

Gundog Estate Hunter’s Shiraz 2022

Hunter Valley watchers often refer to a modern winemaking take on the region’s two great varieties: Semillon and Shiraz. It’s...

Stories

Drone

Greek jewels from Alpha Estate and the emerging regions of PGI Florina (ΠΓΕ Φλώρινα) and PDO Amyndeon (ΠΟΠ Αμύνταιο)

Indigenous grape varieties – those multi-syllable ones that often trip the tongue and hail from ancient varieties off ancient lands...
Webicon

The Clare Valley Wine Guide 2026

By Jeni Port Clare Valley old vines dating back to the 1800s now share land and retail shelf space with...
Barrique Year image Viv Tom

Grampians Winemakers Shiraz The Barrique 2024

Each year, the Grampians winemakers pool together and blend their best Shiraz to send to auction at their annual Grampians...
n

Out of the fires

The tragic Central Victorian fires have had a devastating effect on many small wineries with ongoing financial and personal challenges...
IMG

Vasse Felix Tom Cullity Vertical

The Vasse Felix Tom Cullity project was impressive from day 1 with aspirations to make one of Margaret River’s greatest...
Tread Softly

Calling All Budding Next Gen Women Winemakers

Glass ceilings are made to be smashed. In the Australian wine industry, women know a thing or two about glass...
winepilot