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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.
Cimicky Cellar Selection Shiraz ()

Cimicky Reserve Shiraz 2021

Encouraging to see that there are still wines from the sensational 2021 vintage in the Barossa which are available. It...
Heritage Block Grenache lowres

Hentley Farm Seppeltsfield Vineyard Heritage Block Grenache 2024

The vines in what is known as C Block in this Seppeltsfield vineyard were planted in the 1990s, a heritage...
Rock Hill Shiraz

Conte Estate Rock Hill Shiraz 2022

Winery may be more familiar with this in its previous guise as the Vine Shed Shiraz. From a fine McLaren...
Arila Gardens Gardens of Moppa GSM

Arila Gardens Moppa GSM 2024

From the Moppa sub-region in the Barossa Valley, the split here is 64% Grenache, 34% Shiraz and 2% Mataro. The...
Arila Gardens Moppa Saperavi NV

Arila Gardens Moppa Saperavi 2024

The fruit used here came from the Nietschke Moppa Estate Vineyard. Fermentation was in small open top fermenters for nine...
Single Vineyard Shiraz NV

Arila Gardens Single Vineyard Shiraz 2024

This really is a bit special. From the Arila Gardens vineyard, the team include a small percentage of whole bunches...
Arila Gardens Single Vineyard Grenache

Arila Gardens Single Vineyard Grenache 2024

A single vineyard wine from the Arila Gardens property, these vines were planted in 1900. The team incorporated small percentage...
Texture Reserve Shiraz png

Paisley Texture Reserve Shiraz 2023

The team’s flagship Shiraz is sourced from three parcels in the Barossa Valley, 66% from Koonunga, 22% from Ebenezer and...
Temp

Paisley Six Strings Tempranillo 2024

The Tempranillo used for this wine is sourced from the Eden Valley. 2024 was an excellent vintage in the region....
DJshiraz

Paisley Boombox Shiraz 2023

Barossa Shiraz, including fruit from Angaston, various techniques are incorporated here, including pre-fermentation maceration, the use of whole bunches and...
GSM

Paisley Turntable GSM 2023

Celebrating a previous connection with music, the blend here is 48% Grenache, 36% Shiraz and 16% Mataro, all from the...
shiraz NV ()

Paisley Silk Shiraz 2022

Continuing the Fashionable Fabrics theme, this aptly named Shiraz is sourced from the sub-region of Ebenezer on the Barossa Valley...
fiano NV EV

Paisley Linen Fiano 2025

Part of the Fashionable Fabrics series of wines which relate back to the Scottish town of Paisley near Glasgow, the...
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Curtis Family Gladiator McLaren Vale Shiraz 2022

Definitely a wine Russell Crowe might enjoy. From 80-year-old vines, fermentation is with native yeasts over a period of three...
Curtis Pasha McLaren Vale Shiraz

Curtis Family Pasha McLaren Vale Shiraz 2022

Impressively packaged, this Shiraz, from an excellent vintage, is from 60-year-old vines. After destemming, there was a cold soak for...
enigma bottle draft copy

Curtis Family Enigma McLaren Vale Shiraz 2024

McLaren Vale Shiraz from a superb vintage, this is a cracking wine. Deep blood red, there is good freshness throughout...
Curtis Cavaliere McLaren Vale Shiraz

Curtis Family Cavaliere McLaren Vale Shiraz 2022

A wine to honour the current custodians’ great grandfather and his military service in the First World War. Fermentation was...
Curtis Small Batch South Australia Durif ()

Curtis Family Durif Small Batch 2025

The Small Batch program allows the team room for innovation and exploration. Durif is certainly not a variety we see...
Shiraz ()

Hart of the Barossa Ye Brave Shiraz 2023

A single vineyard Shiraz, this is their flagship red. It is from vines which were planted back in 1902, in...
Head Rare Tawny Batch XX

Alex Head Rare Tawny Batch 2

It has been 10 years since Alex offered his version of what we used to call a tawny port, Batch...
Head OV Shrz XX

Alex Head Old Vine Shiraz Barossa and Eden Valley 2025

For this vintage, Alex found that he had a surfeit of options. 2025 was a good year for the older...
Head The Contrarian Shz XX

Alex Head The Contrarian Shiraz 2025

Another in Alex’s Contrarian series where he likes to experiment. With this one he has taken a small portion of...
Head Red Cab Sav XX

Alex Head RED Cabernet Sauvignon 2025

This is a blend of fruit from both of the Barossa and Eden Valleys, 85/15 split. 15% Merlot is included....
Head Red GSM

Alex Head RED GSM 2022

The split for this delicious GSM blend, a tradition in both the Rhone Valley in France and regions such as...

Stories

James&Nat

Main Ridge Estate

Main Ridge Estate is a rather curious winery. Essential to the history of Mornington Peninsula and responsible for decades of...
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There is surely no wine region in this country which has more elite wineries than Margaret River. The advantage for...
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...
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