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.
Celtic Cross Cabernet Rose

Erin Eyes Cabernets Rosé 2024

A pale neon pink hue here for this fresh, crisp and clean Rose. Attractive aromatics, we have notes of dry...
Emerald Isle Riesling

Erin Eyes Emerald Isle Riesling 2024

Exciting to see the new 2024 whites starting to arrive, including this fine Clare Riesling. A very pale lemon here,...
Yalumba Barossa Grenache Rose

Yalumba Barossa Grenache Rosé 2024

Delicious Rosé from a variety which seems ideally suited to the style, although it is ideally suited to a number...
Yalumba Vine Vale Grenache Blanc No Vintage

Yalumba Vine Vale Grenache Blanc 2024

The sight of a bottle of Aussie Grenache Blanc is rarer than finding an honest politician, but the team at...
Yalumba Barossa Bush Vine Grenache NV

Yalumba Barossa Bush Vine Grenache 2022

Another of the many versions of Grenache, this one designed to provide slightly simple but utterly delicious drinking. Sourced from...
pinotnoir

Clonakilla Pinot Noir 2023

Whoever said nothing good ever comes out of Canberra obviously has not tried the wines from Clonakilla. What surprises even...
chardonnay

Clonakilla Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2023

Not all of the Clonakilla wines hail from the Canberra district. For Chardonnay, they have sourced fruit from the increasingly...
The Architect Cabernet Sauvignon

Dowie Doole The Architect Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

From the Dowie Vineyard in the Blewett Springs sub-region of McLaren Vale – Block C, if one wants to be...
The Architect Shiraz

Dowie Doole The Architect Shiraz 2021

With their Shiraz, it is also from the Dowie Vineyard in the Blewett Springs sub-region of McLaren Vale, this time...
Estate Merlot

Dowie Doole Estate Merlot McLaren Vale 2022

Deep garnet hue here, this is beautifully aromatic. There are notes of chocolate, violets, deftly handled oak, black cherries and...
SF GS Riesling ()

Singlefile Wines Great Southern Riesling 2024

Such an impressive Riesling from the Great Southern region, this has an attractive pale lemon hue, gleaming brightly. Very aromatic,...
SF SV Mount Barker Pinot Noir

Singlefile Wines Single Vineyard Mt Barker Pinot Noir 2023

West Aussie Pinot continues to emerge into the mainstream, though it is yet to settle on any particular style –...
SF SV Mount Barker Fume Blanc

Singlefile Wines Single Vineyard Albany Fumé Blanc 2024

Adopting the name that the Mondavi team in California used so many years ago to distinguish worked, more complex examples...
SF LR The Pamela Riesling

Singlefile Wines The Pamela Porongurup Riesling 2023

The fruit here is from a single vineyard, the Misery Hill Vineyard, now 27 years of age and situated at...
SF LR The Philip Adrian Cabernet Sauvignon

Singlefile Wines The Philip Adrian Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

From the Riversdale Vineyard in Frankland River, which was planted back in 1997, this is the team’s flagship. 100% Cabernet...
SWC Chardonnay NV

Slow Wine Co Chardonnay 2021

A taut and poised Chardonnay from the Orange region in New South Wales, this is deep gold in colour with...
First Ridge Barbera

First Ridge Barbera 2022

The team source their Barbera from the very highest parts of their Mudgee vineyards, at about 600 metres. After a...
Mayfield JontyMetOtto CabFranc NV

Mayfield Vineyard Jonty met Otto Cabernet Franc 2023

Straight Cab Franc is not something we see a lot of in Australia, but done well, and this one certainly...
First Ridge Fiano

First Ridge Fiano 2024

Fiano continues to make an impression – a good one – seemingly wherever it is grown in this country. An...
SWC Reserve PinotNoir NV

Slow Wine Co Reserve Pinot Noir 2021

A fine Pinot Noir from Orange, this is a pale ochre hue. The nose offers aromas of dried herbs, mushrooms,...
Mayfield ThreeBoys CabernetBlend NV

Mayfield Vineyard Three Boys Cabernet Blend 2023

A Cabernet Sauvignon dominant blend here (75%), supported by 15% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, from the Orange region. After...
Riposte Katana Chard NEW NV

Riposte The Katana Chardonnay 2023

Adelaide Hills Chardonnay, fermentation is usually in French oak barriques with a percentage new. A portion of the juice is...
Riposte Stiletto PG NEW NV

Riposte The Stiletto Pinot Gris 2024

From the Adelaide Hills, the team usually include some pressings here and ferment part of the free run juice in...
Riposte Scimitar Riesling NEW NV

Riposte The Scimitar Riesling 2024

A fine single vineyard from an excellent vintage in the Clare Valley. For those convinced that every year gets hyped...

Stories

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...

Duval on Grenache

The name, Duval, is and always will be inextricably linked with Grange. John Duval was chief winemaker at Penfold’s from...
winepilot