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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.

Gill Estate Rivah Malbec 2024

Deep crimson/maroon in colour, the nose is redolent with notes of plums, chocolate, black fruits, hints of raspberries, dried herbs...

Gill Estate Rivah Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Straw/yellow in colour, this is broadly flavoured and offering notes typical of the variety. Perhaps a little simple, but it...
Gentle Giant Pinot Noir SKU

Gill Estate Gentle Giant Pinot Noir 2024

Russet in colour, with orange/brown rims, this is quite a juicy style of Pinot Noir with cherries, raspberries, hints of...
Gentle Giant Cab Sav

Gill Estate Gentle Giant Cabernet Sauvignon 2024

Crimson russet in colour, the nose gives us notes of dry herbs, tobacco leaves and warm earth, with some smoked...
Gentle Giant Shiraz

Gill Estate Gentle Giant Shiraz 2024

Deep maroon, with a russet rim, this wine opens up in the glass if you can give it some time....
Gentle Giant Chardonnay

Gill Estate Gentle Giant Chardonnay 2024

Undoubtedly designed as a good value, easy drinking, crowd pleaser, it achieves all that. Deep yellow in colour, there are...
Devils elbow

Longview Devil’s Elbow Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

Another wine from the portfolio which provides cracking value, this Cabernet has twelve months maturation in older puncheons. The colour...
Queenie

Longview Queenie Pinot Grigio 2025

The name for this vibrant style of Pinot Grigio  is a tribute to the family matriarch, Tarquina, who was affectionately...
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Longview Macclesfield Riesling 2025

The harvest for this vintage in the Adelaide Hills was a very dry one and especially early, but it is...
Longview WineImages

Longview Yakka Shiraz 2023

2022 was yet another excellent vintage in the Adelaide Hills region. The name for this wine comes not from the...
TamarRidge NV SingleBlock PinotNoir mL NV

Tamar Ridge Single Block Kayena Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024

The team refer to this particular block as Block 28. It is populated by clone D4V2. Maturation is for around...
Yalumba The Caley Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz

Yalumba The Caley Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz 2021

It might be suspicion only but one feels that our venerable old Barossa producer, Yalumba, may have felt that, as...
Yalumba The Octavius Old Vine Shiraz

Yalumba The Octavius Old Vine Shiraz 2021

The oldest vines used for this quintessential Barossa/Eden Valley Shiraz date back to the 1850s and the vines have an...
The Octavius mock

Yalumba The Octavius Old Vine Shiraz 2019

A blend of Eden Valley and Barossa Shiraz, the key to this superb wine is the old vines and careful...
Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz

Yalumba The Signature Cabernet Sauvignon & Shiraz 2023

We might be yet to learn who is to be honoured with the 2023 Signature, but whomsoever it is should...
Yalumba The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon

Yalumba The Menzies Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

The vines for this iconic Coonawarra Cabernet were planted back in 1975. The wine sees a year and a half...
Yalumba The Steeple Shiraz

Yalumba The Steeple Shiraz 2022

From a single vineyard, just 1.3 hectares in size, located in the Light Pass sub-region of the Barossa, and from...
Yalumba The Tri Centenary Grenache

Yalumba The Tri-Centenary Grenache 2024

This one is also well known for the extraordinary length of post ferment maceration.  One of the early examples of...
FarvieSyrah

Swinney Farvie Syrah 2024

Syrah, or Shiraz, from the Frankland River region has certainly established itself has one of the most exciting styles of...
FarvieMourvedre

Swinney Farvie Mourvèdre 2024

This is not simply one of the best examples of Mourvèdre from Australia, it’s one of the best in the...
FarvieGrenache

Swinney Farvie Grenache 2024

Wine critics are completely unbiased and have absolutely no favourites at all. First line of the wine writers’ creed. Unfortunately,...
Petaluma White Label Chardonnay

Petaluma Chardonnay White Label 2025

Petaluma has gone through some fairly massive changes since the days when Brian Croser and his team ran the place...
threerings

3 Rings Barossa Valley Shiraz 2023

From the Biscay Road Vineyard in the Barossa Valley, maturation is in a mix of new and older American oak....
paringa shiraz nv front

Paringa Shiraz 2023

An excellent value Shiraz from the Murray/Darling River region, maturation is for around a year and a half in French...

Stories

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...

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...
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