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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.
GSM

Paisley Turntable GSM 2023

Celebrating a previous connection with music, the blend here is 48% Grenache, 36% Shiraz and 16% Mataro, all from the...
shiraz NV ()

Paisley Silk Shiraz 2022

Continuing the Fashionable Fabrics theme, this aptly named Shiraz is sourced from the sub-region of Ebenezer on the Barossa Valley...
fiano NV EV

Paisley Linen Fiano 2025

Part of the Fashionable Fabrics series of wines which relate back to the Scottish town of Paisley near Glasgow, the...
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Curtis Family Gladiator McLaren Vale Shiraz 2022

Definitely a wine Russell Crowe might enjoy. From 80-year-old vines, fermentation is with native yeasts over a period of three...
Curtis Pasha McLaren Vale Shiraz

Curtis Family Pasha McLaren Vale Shiraz 2022

Impressively packaged, this Shiraz, from an excellent vintage, is from 60-year-old vines. After destemming, there was a cold soak for...
enigma bottle draft copy

Curtis Family Enigma McLaren Vale Shiraz 2024

McLaren Vale Shiraz from a superb vintage, this is a cracking wine. Deep blood red, there is good freshness throughout...
Curtis Cavaliere McLaren Vale Shiraz

Curtis Family Cavaliere McLaren Vale Shiraz 2022

A wine to honour the current custodians’ great grandfather and his military service in the First World War. Fermentation was...
Curtis Small Batch South Australia Durif ()

Curtis Family Durif Small Batch 2025

The Small Batch program allows the team room for innovation and exploration. Durif is certainly not a variety we see...
Shiraz ()

Hart of the Barossa Ye Brave Shiraz 2023

A single vineyard Shiraz, this is their flagship red. It is from vines which were planted back in 1902, in...
Head Rare Tawny Batch XX

Alex Head Rare Tawny Batch 2

It has been 10 years since Alex offered his version of what we used to call a tawny port, Batch...
Head OV Shrz XX

Alex Head Old Vine Shiraz Barossa and Eden Valley 2025

For this vintage, Alex found that he had a surfeit of options. 2025 was a good year for the older...
Head The Contrarian Shz XX

Alex Head The Contrarian Shiraz 2025

Another in Alex’s Contrarian series where he likes to experiment. With this one he has taken a small portion of...
Head Red Cab Sav XX

Alex Head RED Cabernet Sauvignon 2025

This is a blend of fruit from both of the Barossa and Eden Valleys, 85/15 split. 15% Merlot is included....
Head Red GSM

Alex Head RED GSM 2022

The split for this delicious GSM blend, a tradition in both the Rhone Valley in France and regions such as...
Head Red Gren XX

Alex Head RED Grenache 2025

For this delicious Grenache, a blend of fruit from the Barossa and Eden Valleys, Alex brings together fruit from four...
Head The Contrarian Chard XX

Alex Head The Contrarian Chardonnay Adelaide Hills 2025

Chardonnay from the Balhannah sub-region in the Adelaide Hills, Alex includes wines in his Contrarian Series when he has been...
Head Heart Home ()

Alex Head Heart and Home Shiraz 2023

Fruit for this Shiraz, which also includes 9% Grenache, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Mataro, comes from some of the...
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Glaetzer Amon-Ra 2023

A classic old vine Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, specifically the Ebenezer sub-region, with the vines providing the fruit aged...
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Glaetzer Anaperenna 2023

A Barossa version of the classic Aussie red blend, 86% Shiraz and 14% Cabernet, the fruit came from the Ebenezer...
BISHOP FRONT V F

Glaetzer Bishop 2023

Cracking Shiraz from the Ebenezer sub-region in the Barossa Valley, the vines which provided the fruit ranged in age between...
WALLACE FRONT V F

Glaetzer Wallace 2023

An enticing Barossa Valley blend of Shiraz and Grenache, with an 84/16% split. From the Ebenezer sub-region, the Shiraz vines...
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Pikes The E.W.P. Shiraz 2023

This has been a go-to Clare Valley Shiraz for many years and this latest release will do nothing to dampen...
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Pikes The Hill Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

The Clare Valley is one of those regions that might be described as an all-rounder. Many of us automatically think...
Il Premio Sangiovese NV

Pikes Il Premio Sangiovese 2024

The fifth release of this wine as part of their Reserve program, the name means, ‘the prize’, appropriately so. Sangiovese...

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...
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...
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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...
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...
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