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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.
CDROLD NV Website Bottle Shot

Les Dauphins Côte du Rhône Reserve Rosé 2025

Organic Rosé from the 2025 vintage, those who wish to compare it with the previous vintage are able to do...
CDRBLD NV Website Bottle Shot

Les Dauphins Côte du Rhône Reserve 2024

A terrific value wine that is made purely for enjoyment. This organic red is from the Côtes du Rhône region...
CDROLD NV Website Bottle Shot

Les Dauphins Cote du Rhone Reserve Rosé 2024

Always intriguing to be able to compare the same wine from different vintages and at the moment, both this and...
HECHXX NV Website Bottle Shot ()

Harewood Estate Denmark Chardonnay 2025

A cracking Chardonnay from the Denmark sub-region of the Great Southern, maturation includes a spell in French oak. Straw/pale gold...
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Jean Pinot Noir 2024

Sourced from vineyards on clay/limestone soils in the south of France, this is from the House of Jean Loren. A...
DDCHXX NV Website Bottle Shot

Deep Down Marlborough Chardonnay 2025

Another example, they aren’t all that common, of a wine made from a variety grown in Marlborough in New Zealand,...
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Pig in the House Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2026

Central Ranges Savvy made organically, this is inevitably extremely young, given the vintage. The region, with its cooler climate, continues...
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Pig in the House Organic Rosé 2026

An attractive organically grown Rosé from the Central Ranges in New South Wales, the wine is mostly made from Shiraz,...
HESSXX NV Website Bottle Shot

Harewood Estate Denmark Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2025

Undoubtedly the most impressive release of this wine I have yet encountered. From the Denmark sub-region of the great southern,...
HEPNFL NV Website Bottle Shot ()

Harewood Estate Flux–V Denmark Pinot Noir 2025

Western Australian Pinot Noir is no longer simply a curio or the answer to a trivia question. Rather, it is...
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Windowrie Sakura Picpoul Blanc 2026

Picpoul Blanc is anything but a mainstream variety in this country, or pretty much any other country as well, for...
Millers Creek Chardonnay

Chain of Ponds Millers Creek Chardonnay 2025

An appealing Chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills in a shimmering green/gold hue. There is an attractive nose offering a mix...
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Clonakilla Euroka Park 2024

The Estate’s Euroka Park block was planted in 2007 and is home to four different clones of Shiraz, although for...
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Paringa Shiraz 2025

From the warm and early vintage of 2025, the result is a most approachable style, although even this wine could...
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Paringa Shiraz 2024

The Hickinbotham family has been a famous name in Australian wine for the best part of a century. The name...
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3 Rings Barossa Valley Shiraz 2024

The fruit here came from the Estate’s own Biscay Road Vineyard in the Barossa Valley. Fermentation is in open top...
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3 Rings Barossa Valley GSM 2024

This increasingly popular Barossa Valley blend, the team’s GSM, is 40% Grenache, 40% Shiraz and the remaining 20%, Mataro. Good...
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Holm Oak Shiraz 2024

10% whole bunches were incorporated into the production of this cool climate Shiraz. Maturation was for ten months in oak,...
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Holm Oak Hot Shot Pinot Noir 2022

The team do lean to a greater use of whole bunches in the fermentation of this wine, however the handling...
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Holm Oak Fearless Pinot Noir 2025

This is the third release of this wine. The team use no new oak and no whole bunch fermentation in...
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Holm Oak Pinot Noir 2025

A range of clones are incorporated into this Pinot Noir. The grapes underwent destemming and then wild fermentation in small...
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Holm Oak The Wizard Chardonnay 2025

This is from a warmer vintage than we often see from Tasmania and the wine is perhaps a little fuller...
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Holm Oak Pinot Noir Chardonnay NV

Another example of the excellence of Tasmanian sparklers, this is a blend of 56% Pinot Noir and 44% Chardonnay. Whole...
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Fabal Vineyard Road Clare Riesling 2024

Sourced from a low yielding vineyard in the Clare Valley, the aim has been to preserve the freshness throughout the...

Stories

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There is surely no wine region in this country which has more elite wineries than Margaret River. The advantage for...
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Penfolds Superblend

Every Australian winelover will surely be aware of just how much Penfolds love to release special wines, whether they have...
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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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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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