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.
thomson

Thompson Estate Four Chambers Margaret River Rosé 2025

Margaret River Rosé, the colour is the very palest of pinks. The nose is redolent of florals, strawberries and cream,...
Tapanappa FoggyHill PinotNoir

Tapanappa Foggy Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024

2024 was a difficult vintage for Brian Croser and his team at the Foggy Hill vineyard. The conditions meant it...
Tapanappa Definitus PinotNoir

Tapanappa Definitus Foggy Hill 2022

The Foggy Hill vineyard was planted in 2003 to a pair of Dijon clones, 115 and 777. The centre slope...
Swinney Syrah

Swinney Syrah 2024

The fruit here hails from both their Powderbark and Wilson’s Pool Vineyards and is a mix of clones and massale...
Swinney Grenache

Swinney Grenache 2024

From seemingly out of the blue, this Estate has quickly established itself as one of the leaders in the Grenache...
Swinney Mourvèdre

Swinney Mourvèdre 2024

Dry grown vines from the Estate’s Wilson’s Pool Vineyard provide the fruit for what has become one of the country’s...
Swinney Riesling

Swinney Riesling 2025

Riesling from the Frankland River, still obviously very youthful, this hails from the estate’s Powderbark Vineyard. Given three months on...
Amelia Park Braidwood Shiraz ()

Amelia Park Braidwood Shiraz 2022

From a single vineyard in the Frankland River region in Western Australia, the fruit was pressed into a mix of...
Rosily CabernetSauvignon NV

Rosily Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

As always with these guys, this wine is ridiculously good value. Coming from a wonderful vintage in Margaret River, the...
Bottle O'Riada Shiraz ml Burgundy colourAdjust x

Clonakilla O’Riada Shiraz 2024

This has to be a contender for best value wine of the year and is also compelling evidence of just...
NV SRKI CS

Springs Road Kangaroo Island Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

The team purchased vineyards on Kangaroo Island in 2016. They had been planted with Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay between...
NV Shiraz KI

Springs Road Kangaroo Island Shiraz 2022

Wonderful to see wines from Kangaroo Island after those devastating bushfires and let’s hope that they get the support they...
NV Nitschke Block Shiraz

Schwarz Wine Company Nitschke Block Shiraz 2022

From a fine Barossa vintage, this is a single vineyard wine from the Nitschke Road block, planted in 1968 in...
Cosmic Girl Sauvignon Blanc

Claymore Cosmic Girl Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2025

Nifty label on a really impressive Adelaide Hills Savvy from a vintage that continues to impress. The colour is simply...
Youll Never Walk Alone GSM LW

Claymore You’ll Never Walk Alone GSM 2023

A cracking version of this red blend, which is surely better value than a wager on Liverpool to win the...
Sunshine Of Your Love Pinot Gris

Claymore Sunshine of your Love Clare/Adelaide Hills Pinot Gris 2025

A delicious Pinot Gris, which is an even split between the Clare Valley and Adelaide Hills for fruit. The two...
Kirrihill LeasinghamCabMalbec resized

Kirrihill VSS Leasingham Cabernet Malbec 2021

A blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Malbec – this includes 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from the 2024 vintage and...
kirrihill squire V Front

Kirrihill EB’s The Squire Clare Shiraz 2022

The team’s flagship Shiraz, the grapes are harvested from the oldest block on the Schrober’s Vineyard, not surprisingly known as...
Kirrihill LeasinghamShiraz

Kirrihill VSS Leasingham Shiraz 2022

From the Schrober’s Vineyard in the southern part of the Clare Valley, the team have incorporated 10% of 2024 Shiraz...
Kirrihill WatervaleRiesling ()

Kirrihill VSS Watervale Riesling 2025

The fruit here hails from an estate vineyard which was planted in the 1970s in the Watervale subregion, called Slate...
baw the old man syrah nv ()

Brothers at War The Old Man Eden Valley Syrah 2023

From a range of vineyards in the Eden Valley region, this Syrah has 10% Grenache included. Maturation is in 500-litre...
baw some other guy gsm barossa nv

Brothers at War Some Other Guy Barossa GSM 2023

From the Springton, Eden Vale sub-region, this is a blend of 55% Grenache, 35% Shiraz and 10% Mataro. Maturation was...
Riposte Dagger PN NEW NV

Riposte The Dagger Pinot Noir 2025

Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir, the colour here is a crimson/garnet. The nose has some sappy and briary notes, but is...
De Iuliis Semillon Winemakers Selection ml

De Iuliis Hunter Valley Semillon 2024

Mike de Iuliis has established himself as one of the Hunter Valley’s leading winemakers, crafting exciting Semillon (and more). The...

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...
winepilot