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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.
Bimbadgen NV Sparkling Semillon

Bimbadgen Estate Sparkling NV

A non-vintage sparkler made from Semillon, harvested from both the Upper and Lower Hunter Valleys. For the colour, imagine a...
Ghostgum Chardonnay Halliday

Ghost Gum Southern Lights Chardonnay 2023

The third release of the Ghost Gum wines from Mornington Peninsula, more specifically the legendary Main Ridge sub-region, and great...
Ghostgum Pinot Noir Halliday

Ghost Gum Southern Lights Pinot Noir 2023

Pinot Noir from the Mornington Peninsula is one of this country’s most exciting styles of red. Three blocks combined to...
Auld Family Wines Family Series Pinot Gris ()

Auld Family Wines Eden Valley Pinot Gris 2025

Their second release of this wine, it is fresh and certainly youthful. The colour here is close to water, tints...
Black Magic Women NV x

Claymore Black Magic Woman Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Dry grown vines provided the fruit for this classic Clare Cabernet, which spent two years maturing in French oak. From...
Wynns Single Vineyard Limited Edition CabFranc Coonawarra AUS FB SC

Wynns Cabernet Franc 2024

This is the first time we have seen a straight Cabernet Franc from Wynns and it is a cracker, suggesting...
Four Chambers Cabernet

Thompson Estate Four Chambers Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

The name comes from a nod to the history of cardiology with the founding family. As with all wines from...
Thompson Estate Cab Sauv

Thompson Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

The full array of the glories of Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon are on display here – take advantage. The colour...
Thompson Estate The Specialist Cab Sauv

Thompson Estate The Specialist Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

A stellar Margaret River Cabernet. 3,075 bottles. Dark cherry red with a maroon rim. The immediate impression here is of...
Thompson Estate The Specialist Chardonnay

Thompson Estate The Specialist Chardonnay 2024

Those who have not encountered this wine previously need to rectify that as soon as possible, especially if they are...
Thompson Estate Chardonnay

Thompson Estate Chardonnay 2024

Margaret River Chardonnay is one of this country’s great wine styles. These guys are relative newcomers to the pointy end...
Hobbs Gregor Shiraz

Hobbs Gregor Barossa Ranges Shiraz 2023

Always an intriguing style with Barossa Ranges Shiraz semi-dried in the manner we see in certain Italian regions, known as...
Hobbs Shiraz

Hobbs 1905 Barossa Ranges Shiraz 2023

Barossa Shiraz from a block planted back in 1905, this is fermented in 500-litre vats with wild yeasts, before two...
Head The Brunette

Head The Brunette Shiraz 2023

For grapes to make the cut for this wine, they must come from vineyards which outperform every year and which...
Head Red Shrz

Head Red Shiraz 2023

The barrels used here were largely ex-Chardonnay, which is an interesting twist. The vineyards which provided the fruit – there...
Head The Blonde

Head The Blonde Shiraz 2023

To form part of the components used for the Blonde, the grapes must again be from overperforming vineyards and they...
Head Roja Temp

Head Roja Tempranillo Grenache 2023

A wine which Alex sees as getting a head start on climate change, bringing in top Mediterranean varieties, although here,...
Head Red Gren

Head Red Grenache 2023

The fruit here comes from four old vineyards across the Barossa. The wine is designed for immediate gratification. The vineyards,...
Head Riesling

Head Riesling 2024

The fruit here is sourced from the Trial Hill Vineyard near Pewsey Vale in the Eden Valley, at the relatively...
Head Les Blancs

Head Les Blancs Barossa and Eden Valley 2024

Fascinating story behind this wine, though I suspect that more information is still to emerge. In 2023, Alex combined a...
Head Heart Home

Head Heart & Home Shiraz 2022

The old Barossa reds were not the blockbuster monsters which are so popular today but rather, sought out a path...
MadameMBlanc&BlancBottle

Hewitson Madame M Blanc & Blanc 2024

Bottled in the new lighter containers – expect to see many more of these in coming years. The aim of...
StrawberryHillShirazBottle

Hewitson Strawberry Hill Shiraz 2023

This wine only appears in the best vintages. It is named after an old strawberry patch which grows next to...
MadHatterBottle

Hewitson The Mad Hatter Shiraz 2023

Forget visions of Alice disappearing down rabbit holes, this is labelled after Dean’s nickname. A blend of the best of...

Stories

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...
MartenAscenzo Penfolds PenfoldsMediaPreview D

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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