Avatar photo

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.
WISBSK NV Website Bottle Shot

Windowrie Sakura Organic Central Ranges Sauvignon Blanc 2025

Sakura refers to the cherry blossom festival held in Cowra every year which acknowledges the links between the local community...
ONE

Heartland One Cabernet Shiraz 2019

Under cork, this Cabernet Shiraz blend, a 54/46 split, from Langhorne Creek fruit, is an inky maroon colour. Plush and...
Seven Slopes Pinot Noir Web

Southern Light Vineyards Seven Slopes of Rising Yarra Pinot Noir Nillumbik 2024

This entrancing Yarra Valley Pinot Noir was sourced from three blocks in the Seven Slopes of Rising Vineyard in the...
Lightfall Chardonnay Web

Southern Light Vineyards Healesville ‘Lightfall Vineyard’ Chardonnay 2024

The Lightfall Vineyard which provided the fruit for this Chardonnay is located at Healesville in the Yarra Valley. The vines...
Ghostgum Pinot Noir Web

Southern Light Vineyards Ghostgum Vineyard Main Ridge Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2024

The final blend for this excellent Pinot Noir from the Main Ridge sub-region in the Mornington Peninsula came from three...
Ghostgum Chardonnay Web

Southern Light Vineyards Ghostgum Vineyard Chardonnay Main Ridge Mornington Peninsula 2024

Sourced from two blocks in the Main Ridge sub-region of the Mornington Peninsula, the batches were kept separate. Whole bunch...
Seven Slopes Chardonnay Web

Southern Light Vineyards Seven Slopes of Rising Yarra Chardonnay Nillumbik 2024

The team behind those wonderful Ghostgum wines from the Mornington Peninsula have now released a series of single vineyard wines...
Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz 2023

Jacobs Creek are well known for a plethora of easy drinking, crowd pleasers, but here they show they can also...
RG Riesling Bottle

Rocky Gully Riesling 2025

The fruit for the Rocky Gully Riesling for this vintage, which comes with a new label, hails from a combination...
NVMadameMCabernetSauvignonBottle

Hewitson Madame M Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

Cabernet is rarely front of mind when we’re thinking of Barossa reds, but it has been around for a very...
BarrelBottle

Hewitson Barrel 1853 Shiraz Mourvèdre 2022

Could anywhere else on the planet provide a wine which is a blend of two varieties, both of which date...
Grenache Ungrafted

Hewitson Ungrafted Grenache 2024

As the name says, ungrafted vines, but what it does not say is that these amazing vines are a century...
TheDorrienBankCabernetSauvignonBottle

Hewitson The Dorrien Bank Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

In 2019, boundaries were realigned in the sub-region of Dorrien in the Barossa Valley, resulting in three hectares of Cabernet...
Old Garden

Hewitson Old Garden Vine Mourvèdre 2022

The Old Garden Vineyard, planted in the Barossa back in 1853, is home to the oldest Mourvèdre vines on the...
Monopole Shiraz

Hewitson Monopole Mother Vine Shiraz 2022

The team located a single Shiraz vine from 1853 in the middle of their Old Garden Vineyard. Over many years,...
MissHarry

Hewitson Miss Harry GSM 2024

The blend for this absolutely delicious GSM is 51% Grenache, 30% Shiraz and 19% Mourvèdre. The team use 70% whole...
Riposte Cutlass Shiraz NEW Bottle NV

Riposte The Cutlass Shiraz 2024

From a single vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, this wine suggests that this is another fine vintage for the region....
Shiraz NV

Welland Barossa Valley 1846 Shiraz 2024

The fruit for this thoroughly enjoyable Barossa Shiraz is sourced from vineyards across the Valley. The aim is a style...
Cape Landing Single Vineyard Chardonnay NV

Cape Landing Chardonnay 2024

The fruit sourced here comes from a range of clones, including the Gingin clone, known as the backbone for so...
Lake Doctor Shiraz WEB

Zonte’s Footsteps Lake Doctor Shiraz Langhorne Creek 2023

It seems that one of the tragedies of modernity is that the design of the new stadium in Perth prevents...
FE Shiraz NV CO xpx

Frankland Estate Shiraz 2023

An impressive red from the wonderful 2023 vintage, fermentation was achieved as slowly as possible, followed by an extended maceration...
FE Cab Sav NV x

Frankland Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

It seems that the glories of the 2023 vintage can be found in wine regions across the State. First plantings...
FE Riesling non vintage x HR

Frankland Estate Riesling 2025

Cracking value Riesling from the Great Southern in Western Australia, the wine is fermented almost entirely in stainless steel and...
FE Chardonnay Non Vintage web

Frankland Estate Chardonnay 2024

The fruit for this really impressive Chardonnay comes from the Isolation Ridge Vineyard in the Great Southern region of Western...

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...
Webicon

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...
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...
winepilot