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.
CWCo BV Shiraz

Curator Wines Barossa Shiraz 2022

First up, put this wine at the top of your bargain buys list. Cracking value. It hails from five plots...
Leeuwin Estate Prelude Vineyards Chardonnay Bottle Shot

Leeuwin Estate Prelude Chardonnay 2023

It has been said many times that there are plenty of wineries – from Margaret River and elsewhere – which...
Rosily Merlot nonvint

Rosily Merlot 2022

If I may, I am always delighted when I open a box of samples and see wine from these guys....
Rosily SauvignonBlanc NoVint

Rosily Sauvignon Blanc 2024

A very fine example of Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc. The team do use a little French oak in the winemaking...
Vine Sean Grenache NV

Haselgrove Vine Sean McLaren Vale Grenache 2024

Apparently, the Celtic translation of Old Vine is Vine Sean, hence the name. The grapes are crushed to open fermenters...
Carillion Expressions Cabernet Merlot Petit Verdot Orange

Pepper Tree Carillion Cabernet Merlot Petit Verdot 2021

A fine Bordeaux blend here, exhibiting a maroon hue. The nose has black fruits to the fore with tobacco leaves,...
Stockmans Ridge Signature Range Cabernet Franc NV()

Stockman’s Ridge Signature Range Orange Cabernet Franc 2022

From a single vineyard in the Orange region, the colour here is a deep crimson. We have aromas of red...
Stockmans Ridge Rider Cabernet Sauvignon NV()

Stockman’s Ridge Orange Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Cabernet Sauvignon from the volcanic soils of the Orange region, this is good value and thoroughly enjoyable drinking. A crimson...
SFE pinot noir

Strelley Farm Pinot Noir 2023

There is something rather nifty about looking at a wine, making assessments and doing the review, only then to discover...
CHATEAU CRES RICARDS OENOTHERA ROUGE

Château des Crès Ricards Oenothera 2022

From the Terrasses du Larzac region west of Montpellier, the vineyard is a 70/30 split of Syrah and Grenache. Carbonic...
st marys pinot

St Mary’s Pinot Noir 2023

Pinot Noir from Coonawarra is not a traditional style – these grapes are from terra rossa soil at the team’s...
bells shiraz

St Mary’s Bells & Whistles Shiraz 2021

The fruit here hails from the team’s Penola vineyard, planted in 1985, with the wine then enjoying a year and...
bells cab

St Mary’s Bells & Whistles Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

A deep maroon colour here, the nose gives up an array of aromas with bay leaves, earthy touches, leather, cigar...
New Bottles Shots Square

Hastwell & Lightfoot Sands Vineyard McLaren Vale Shiraz 2021

A near opaque maroon hue here, this wine has an utterly gorgeous nose, so beautifully aromatic. Ripe with chocolate notes...
New Bottles Shots Square

Hastwell & Lightfoot Sands Vineyard Single Vineyard McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020

An enthralling wine from this vintage from McLaren Vale, it is dark maroon in colour. The nose offers spices, leather,...
Sorby Adams Le Verrier Shiraz nv lowres

Sorby Adams Le Verrier Shiraz 2021

The wine is named in honour of Simon Adams’ ancestor, John Couch Adams, who was one of the mathematicians who...
MB SV Shiraz NV NEW

Millbrook Single Vineyard Shiraz 2022

From a single vineyard at Frankland River, the thirty-year-old Powder Bark Vineyard, the wine sees a year in a mix...
DW SingleVineyard Albarino MockUp

Deep Woods Single Vineyard Albarino 2024

Albarino has never taken off here as once it might have appeared it would do, and good ones are rarer...
DW Estate Shiraz et al NV NEW adjusted

Deep Woods Shiraz et al 2022

Love the concept of ‘et al’. In this case, it means some Malbec and Tempranillo. There is a little whole...
Thalia Sparkling NV Rose

Thalia Rosé NV

Delightful Tasmanian fizz, which is a blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the former dominant. It spent three years on...
Thalia Sparkling Reserve Cuvee

Thalia Reserve Cuvée Chardonnay Pinot Noir NV

A blend of Pinot Noir (83%) and Chardonnay (17%) which is a multi-regional blend, though all Tasmanian. The final blend...
lpv hillside shiraz nv

Lone Palm Vineyard Hillside Shiraz 2022

The fruit here comes from their best vineyard at Marananga, a west-facing hillside. It spends a year and a half...
lpv old vine shiraz nv screwcap

Lone Palm Vineyard Old Vines Barossa Valley Shiraz 2023

The fruit here was sourced from three vineyards, all planted back in the 1950s and 1960s. Maturation took place in...
lpv old vine grenache nv

Lone Palm Vineyard Old Vine Grenache 2023

Old vine Grenache from the Barossa is, deservedly, flavour of the month and with wines like this, it is easy...

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