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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.
gm bush vine sgm nv

Geoff Merrill Bush Vine SGM 2019

Another version of this blend, this time with Shiraz dominant. The wine spends almost two years in a mix of...
gm gw cabernet sauvignon nv

Geoff Merrill G&W Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

This wine is a blend of fruit from Coonawarra and McLaren Vale. The “G” is for the Graymoor Vineyard in...
gm reserve cabernet sauvignon

Geoff Merrill Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

Not many wineries can offer its fans wines that are almost a decade in age, at a price more than...
Eddystone Point Pinot Noir

Eddystone Point Pinot Noir 2024

This delicious Tasmanian Pinot Noir spent time maturing in quality French oak. The colour is a vibrant crimson. This is...
Eddystone Point Chardonnay

Eddystone Point Chardonnay 2024

From a range of Tasmanian sub-regions, including Coal River Valley, Derwent Valley and the East Coast, fermentation was in oak...
Eddystone Point Pinot Gris

Eddystone Point Pinot Gris 2024

Pinot Gris from the excellent 2024 vintage across Tasmania, this comes, more specifically, from the Derwent Valley sub-region. Fermentation was...
Eddystone Point Sauv Blanc

Eddystone Point Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Tasmanian Sauvignon Blanc which combines some lovely tropical notes with the more traditional herbal characters. A glimmering lemon hue, this...
Fiano

Crabtree Fiano 2025

The Italian white grape, Fiano, continues to grow in popularity and deservedly so. This example from the Watervale subregion in...
Semillon

Crabtree Semillon 2025

Clare Valley Semillon is not a particularly common style, but it works well here. Maturation was in large format oak....
RC Riesling

Crabtree RC Riesling 2025

Only made in the very best vintages, the fruit is from their Cellar Door block on the estate, in the...
Estate Riesling

Crabtree Estate Riesling 2025

The grapes for this Watervale Riesling are from vines between 23 and 47 years of age. The colour here is...
Miceli Iolanda Pinot Grigio

Miceli Iolanda Pinot Grigio 2023

Named after the family’s youngest daughter, this is a fine Pinot Grigio from the Mornington Peninsula. Winemaking includes the use...
Knappstein bottle shots

Knappstein Shiraz 2023

An absolutely cracking Clare Valley Shiraz here, the fruit is from estate vineyards in the north of the Valley. The...
Knappstein bottle shots

Knappstein Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

From estate vineyards in the northern reaches of the Clare Valley, the vines are in excess of thirty years in...
Knappstein bottle shots

Knappstein 1878 Transcendence Clare Riesling 2025

Wonderful to see producers treating Riesling with the reverence and seriousness that we see with almost every other variety. It...
Knappstein bottle shots

Knappstein Clare Valley Riesling 2025

The fruit for this fine Riesling comes from a range of vineyards across the Clare Valley, all estate. Yet another...
Knappstein bottle shots

Knappstein Ackland Vineyard Riesling 2025

The Ackland Vineyard is about to celebrate its 50th anniversary since it was planted and over that time it has...
Solace Polish Hill River Riesling

Limefinger Solace Polish Hill River Riesling 2025

Reduced to a mere fraction of its usual production thanks to frost, only 780 bottles of this scintillating Riesling from...
Learnings Watervale Riesling

Limefinger The Learnings Watervale Riesling 2025

From the Watervale sub-region, while frost might have decimated the Solace from this vintage, The Learnings escaped largely unscathed –...
Winesmiths The Claire Ishino Edition Chardonnay ()

Winesmiths Chardonnay 2-Litre Cask 2024

Yellow golden hue, the nose gives us appealing characters of stone fruits, florals and peaches. There appears to be a...
Winesmiths The Claire Ishino Edition Dry Rosé ()

Winesmiths Dry Rosé 2-Litre Cask 2025

The two-litre cask market aims to combine convenience with some quality drinking. No question that this is a thoroughly enjoyable...
Ft Sauvignon Blanc

6ft6 Sauvignon Blanc 2025

Geelong Savvy, the colour here is a straw/yellow. The nose offers aromas of stone fruits, dried herbs, citrus, spices, hints...
FT Pinot Gris

6ft6 Pinot Gris 2025

A fine Pinot Gris which is a blend of Geelong and King Valley fruit. The colour has that touch of...
Austin's Pinot Noir

Austin’s Pinot Noir 2024

A thoroughly enjoyable Pinot from the Moorabool Valley sub-region of Geelong, the colour is cerise. The final blend is a...

Stories

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...

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...
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