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Ken Gargett

Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
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Vinaceous Snake Charmer Frankland River Shiraz 2023

From the Russell Road Vineyard in Frankland River, the wine spent ten months maturing in French oak. This is cracking...
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Vinaceous Red Right Hand Shiraz Tempranillo Grenache 2023

A variation on the usual GSM blend, with Tempranillo included here, instead of the usual Mataro. The fruit is sourced...
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Vinaceous Voodoo Moon Malbec Frankland River 2023

Solo Malbec is always an intriguing style. Malbec is more common as a blender, this example from the Frankland River...
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Risky Business King Valley Pinot Gris 2025

From the King Valley in Victoria, fermentation was in stainless steel. The wine did spend time on lees prior to...
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Risky Business Mt Barker Luxe Riesling 2025

From a single vineyard in the Mount Barker region in WA, this is the ultimate small batch winemaking with only...
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Risky Business King Valley Prosecco NV

Prosecco has flourished in the King Valley in Victoria, very much a home away from its Italian home. It seems...
NV Ashmead Family Reserve ()

Elderton Ashmead Family Reserve #3 Shiraz 2024

Made from ancestor vines from Block 19 of the family vineyards at Nuriootpa, the wine spent fourteen months maturing in...
Cox Family Wines Tumbarumba Pinot Grigio

Cox Family Wines Tumbarumba Pinot Grigio 2025

Young and fresh, obviously, but from an excellent vintage for the Tumbarumba region. From a single, high altitude vineyard sitting...
Cox Family Wines Tumbarumba Pinot Gris

Cox Family Wines Tumbarumba Pinot Gris 2025

A straw hue for this pleasing style of Pinot Gris. As with the Grigio, notes of spicy stewed pears are...
Anna Spinato Valdobbiadene

Anna Spinato Valdobbiadene Superior Prosecco 2023

A wild ferment was followed by a month on lees before a further four weeks in tanks for the second...
Faustino Rivero Ulecia Organic Tempranillo

Faustino Rivero Ulecia Rioja Organic Tempranillo 2024

Organic Tempranillo from its home territory in Spain, this is fresh and young and bursting with flavour. Purple/maroon in colour,...
Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay

Anvers Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir Chardonnay Sparkling NV

A sparkler from the Adelaide Hills, this is a blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, made by the...
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Anvers Razorback Road Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2025

An appealing Adelaide Hills Savvy, just 1,580 six-packs made. A very pale straw hue, this is extremely aromatic. No need...
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Anvers Razorback Road Adelaide Hills Rosé 2025

From the estate’s Razorback Road vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, 995 six-packs made. The fruit used here is Shiraz. The...
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Clonakilla Riesling 2025

There are two types of wine lovers. Those who understand and appreciate the glory of Australian Riesling, and those who...
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Rosily Estate Merlot 2023

As always, this is a winery providing cracking value, as well as excellent drinking. This Margaret River Merlot has a...
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Rosily Estate Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2025

A traditional West Aussie Sem Savvy blend, but there is a dollop of Muscadelle as well, a la Sauternes, though...
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Brand & Sons Yates Single Vineyard Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

Superb Coonawarra Cabernet from a single vineyard. An opaque maroon hue. There is an exciting nose, which reveals lashings of...
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Vickery Polish Hill River Riesling 2024

There is no more famous name in Australian Riesling than that of John Vickery. Even though he has sadly left...
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Delatite Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2025

From a single vineyard on the estate, where the vines are between 30 and 40 years of age, 15% of...
High Ground Sauvignon blanc NV ()

Delatite High Ground Sauvignon Blanc 2024

The team have sourced fruit from northeast Victorian vineyards for 90% of this wine, along with 10% estate grown. The...
Estate 'MansField' White Blend ()

Delatite Mansfield Five White 2023

A blend of 38% Sauvignon Blanc, 26% Riesling, 14% Pinot Gris, 12% Gewurztraminer and 10% Chardonnay, all grown biodynamically, wild...
Estate 'Devils River' Cabernet Merlot NV ()

Delatite Devil’s River 2020

If memory serves, this wine used to be especially minty in character, many years ago – very much a love-it-or-hate-it...
Estate 'Dungeon Gully' Melbec Merlot NV ()

Delatite Dungeon Gully 2022

A blend of Malbec, 75%, and Merlot, 25%, this is perhaps not the most common mix of varieties we encounter,...

Stories

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Penfolds 2025 – Ken Gargett

Penfolds Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling 2025 ($45)A classic Bin 51. It might be early days but this wine suggests...
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Penfolds 2023 – ‘The Aussies’

There is no release more anticipated by winelovers in Australia than the annual Penfold’s Collection and of course, most especially...

Artisans of the Barossa (2021 Grenache Project)

One of the more interesting projects currently afloat in Aussie wine at the moment, especially appropriate given the skyrocketing interest...

Alkina – The Curious Box of Paradoxes

Alkina is a curious box of paradoxes. Seemingly unlimited resources but still tiny; a small local operation yet part of...

Cumulus and Quilty & Gransden

They say that Disneyland is the happiest place on earth. Perhaps, but I would suggest that the Australian wine industry...

Greenock Creek New Releases 2021

It was back in 1984 that the first grapes were picked for the inaugural vintage from Greenock Creek wines. Taken...
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