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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.
Wild Folk Nouveau Shiraz

Wild Folk Nouveau Shiraz 2023

Shiraz from the Padthaway region, it is intriguingly packaged and as the name possibly infers, the wine is from the...
Take it to the Grave Pinot Noir

Take it to the Grave Pinot Noir 2023

Great value Pinot, the ‘Take it to the Grave’ label is a collaboration between Nicholas Cramption from Fourth Wave and...
Winebasket Sangiovese

Winebasket Sangiovese 2023

Pick up one of these two-litre flagons, neatly presented with their covering, and one can imagine hiking up into the...
Maretti Langhe Rosso

Maretti Langhe Rosso 2021

From Piedmont, and a terrific vintage there, the wine is a blend of 75% Barbera and 25% Nebbiolo. Fermentation is...
Love not War Pinot Grigio

Love not War Pinot Grigio 2022

A somewhat curiously named label, but I guess, whatever works. The concept sees winemakers from around the world, united by...
Maretti Pinot Grigio

Maretti Pinot Grigio 2022

Pinot Grigio from the Friuli Grave region (Grave del Friuli), near Austria and Slovenia, the wine sees whole bunch pressing...
Maretti Langhe Nebbiolo

Maretti Langhe Nebbiolo 2021

From Piedmont, this is a delicious Nebb. The fruit is sourced from the commune of Castiglione Falletto. Open fermenters, daily...
Little Giant Barossa Shiraz

Little Giant Barossa Shiraz 2022

Love the squat bottles for the Little Giant range, although they may not fit all cellar wine racks (you’ll just...
Maurice Grumier Ô Ma Vallee Blanc de Noirs NV

Maurice Grumier Ô Ma Vallée Blanc de Noirs NV

From family estates in the Vallée de la Marne, the blend is dominated by Pinot Meunier, supported by Pinot Noir....
Paddington Lane Savoury Rosé No

Paddington Lane Savoury Rosé No 2 2023

The aim here is a savoury style of Rosé, coming from a blend of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, which have been...
Maurice Grumier Blanc de Venteuil Blanc de Blancs NV

Maurice Grumier Blanc de Venteuil Blanc de Blancs NV

Made from 100% Chardonnay from vineyards in Venteuil, 60% of the wine is based on the wonderful 2018 vintage –...
Winebasket Nero d’Avola

Winebasket Nero d’Avola 2023

A fine example of this emerging Italian variety, Nero d’Avola, from McLaren Vale, niftily presented in this covered two-litre flagon....
Maretti Barolo

Maretti Barolo 2019

Good Barolo, and this is certainly a fine example, is a thing of beauty. This is cracking value as well....
Syrah HR

Gioiello Estate Syrah 2019

A wine with a dark maroon hue, the nose offers chocolate, spices, cassis, dry herbs, cold tea, aniseed and black...
Mt Concord Syrah HR

Gioiello Mt Concord Syrah 2019

The grapes here hail from the lower slopes of Mt Concord, around an elevation of 651 metres in the Yea...
Old House Merlot HR

Gioiello Old House Merlot 2019

Always encouraging to see a straight Merlot stand up and reveal just what the grape can do on its own,...
Wallcliffe Sauvignon Blanc

Cape Mentelle Wallcliffe Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Another fine vintage in Margaret River has provided us with an excellent release of this elite Savvy, with fruit sourced...
Heritage Cabernet Savignon LR PNG

Cape Mentelle Heritage Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

The descendent, for want of a better term, of the very wine that did so much to put Margaret River...
Cape mentelle Explorers blend High reso

Cape Mentelle Explorers Blend 2017

Each parcel that made the final blend spent two years in new oak, before incorporation and bottling. The blend is...
Cape Mentelle Chardonnay

Cape Mentelle Chardonnay 2022

As with the Heritage, this was fully barrel fermented, before maturing in barrel for another ten months, with 35% new....
strawberry

Hewitson Strawberry Hill Shiraz 2022

Named after an old strawberry patch which is next to the vineyard providing this Shiraz. Maturation is for a year...
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Pepperjack Single Vineyard Series Barossa Shiraz 2022

Pepperjack is perhaps best known for their cracking value, delicious reds, so this is somewhat of a departure, but a...
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Claymore God is a DJ Riesling 2023

You have to love the name of this wine, almost as much as the wine itself. So I guess that...
Losing My Religion Montepulciano NV Square

Claymore Losing my Religion Montepulciano 2022

 First up, we have a Riesling called ‘God is a DJ’, and then this red dubbed ‘Losing my Religion’. Not...

Stories

PEN NV SpeRel CabShiraz SouthAus Superblend B Duo Cork

Penfolds Superblend

Every Australian winelover will surely be aware of just how much Penfolds love to release special wines, whether they have...
PEN La Chapelle Grange winemakers barrels

La Chapelle Grange 2022

The second release of this extraordinary Rhone/Aussie blend, crafted by two of the world’s great wineries, Jaboulet and Penfolds, has...
AMW Collection

Appellation Marlborough Wine Announces 2025 Annual Collection

A benchmark selection of certified Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) has announced its highly anticipated Annual Collection for...
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The Barossa Wine Guide 2026

By Ken Gargett, Andrew Caillard MW and Tony Love The Barossa is unquestionably Australia’s most famous wine region. Certainly not...
Penfolds Collection Credit Marten Ascenzo

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...
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