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.
FierceIII ShirazBV btt

Lou Miranda Fierce III Barossa Valley Shiraz 2022

The Shiraz for this wine was grown in the southern Barossa, on vineyards at Rowland Flat and Lyndoch, some vines...
FierceIII CabernetBV btt

Lou Miranda Fierce III Barossa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Barossa Cabernet from a fine vintage, this is an exuberant and generous style, flavour first! An opaque magenta in colour,...
FierceIII SGMBV btt

Lou Miranda Fierce III SGM Barossa Valley SGM 2022

An enthralling Barossa blend from a very fine vintage, this wine is based on Lyndoch Shiraz, blended with quality Grenache...
GoldenLion ShirazBV btt

Lou Miranda Golden Lion Shiraz 2021

A very fine Barossa Shiraz from a stellar vintage, this is a deep maroon hue. Big and bold, generous to...
Angullong CrossingReserve Harriet

Angullong Crossing Reserve Harriet 2022

A fine example of the not very common blend of Sangiovese (40%), Sagrantino (30%) and Montepulciano (30%), from the Orange...
Angullong CrossingReserve Chardonnay

Angullong Crossings Reserve Chardonnay 2023

An impressive Chardonnay from the Orange region, the fruit was fermented in older French oak for almost a year, before...
First Ridge Pinot Grigio

First Ridge Pinot Grigio 2024

This style of fresh, very drinkable white continues to increase in popularity, with claims being made that it is even...
First Ridge Alira Prosecco

First Ridge Alira Prosecco 2024

Prosecco under screwcap, fruit harvested from the high altitude vineyards around Mudgee, this has a deep straw colour. The team...
non vintage engarde pn nv

Riposte En Garde Pinot Noir 2024

A very fine Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir, crimson in colour, offering alluring fragrances of raspberries, sarsaparilla, cranberries, soy, animal skins...
ACCHRBS()

Hardys HRB Shiraz D694 2020

A multi-regional blend here, with approximately 55% McLaren Vale and 45% Frankland River, this wine is under screw cap (the...
HRBCabSauv ezgif com webp to jpg converter ()()

Hardys HRB Cabernet Sauvignon D691 2019

Under cork, this is a blend of fruit from Margaret River (50%), Coonawarra (29%) and Frankland River (21%). A powerfully...
HRBCabSauv ezgif com webp to jpg converter ()()

Hardys HRB Cabernet Sauvignon D696 2020

Under screw cap, this is a Cabernet incorporating fruit from Margaret River (88%), McLaren Vale (10%) and Frankland River (2%)....
ACCHRBS()

Hardys HRB Shiraz D690 2019

Back to cork here, this is an intriguing multi-regional blend – you have to admire the work that goes into...
Auld Family Wines Wilberforce Cab Shiraz

Auld Family Wines Wilberforce Cabernet Shiraz 2021

From the Barossa, and from a stellar vintage, this example of the great Aussie blend of Cabernet and Shiraz is...
Auld Family Wines Wilberforce Riesling

Auld Family Wines Wilberforce Riesling 2024

Eden Valley Riesling from a great vintage – one of the great buys in the world of wine. The name...
Bec Hardy SB

Bec Hardy 1885 Sauvignon Blanc 2024

Planted by Bec Hardy’s great-great-great-grandfather, Thomas Hardy, in the Lower Tintara vineyard in McLaren Vale, these vines must surely be...
Bec Hardy To Cut The Long Story Short SB

Bec Hardy To Cut a Long Story Short Sauvignon Blanc 2024

The colour is a shining pale lemon and the nose moves right into tropical notes with gooseberries, citrus, dry herbs...
Tapanappa PiccadillyValley Vineyard Chardonnay

Tapanappa Piccadilly Chardonnay 2024

A superb Chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills, from a fine vintage, which saw time, through to October 2024, in French...
Baron Von Nemesis Shiraz

Zonte’s Footstep Baron von Nemesis Shiraz 2023

 The name conjures up images of a second rate villain who didn’t make the cut for a Bond film, but...
rings cabernet sauvignon small NV

3 Rings Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

The fruit here is sourced from the estate’s Biscay Road Vineyard. The wine spent time in a mix of new...
BiscayRoad Barossa Shiraz NV

Biscay Road Shiraz 2023

Stunning value here with this cracking Barossa Shiraz. Again, we have the wine spending around a year and a half...
rings cabernet sauvignon small NV

3 Rings Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

The subsequent vintage, another fine one even if not with the same stellar pedigree as 2022. That said, the wine...
rings shiraz NV front () small

3 Rings Shiraz 2022

This really is fabulous buying. Twenty bucks and a wine which will elevate your everyday drinking or seriously impress your...
BiscayRoad Barossa Cabernet NV

Biscay Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2023

 A step up here for the Biscay Road range, with this fine Cabernet spending a year and a half in...

Stories

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...
Webicon

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...
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...
winepilot