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.
Beresford Classic Shiraz screwcap NV no background ()

Beresford McLaren Vale Shiraz 2022

A delicious McLaren Vale Shiraz, which spent between fourteen and sixteen months maturing in a mix of French and American...
Beresford Estate Shiraz NV

Beresford Estate Blewitt Springs Shiraz 2023

An utterly gorgeous McLaren Vale Shiraz from the famed Blewitt Springs sub-region, this wine spent fourteen to sixteen months maturing...
Beresford Estate Shiraz NV

Beresford Estate Blewitt Springs Shiraz 2022

As with most of the team’s reds, this is from the highly regarded sub-region of Blewitt Springs in McLaren Vale....
Beresford GR Shiraz

Beresford Grand Reserve Shiraz 2017

The team’s prestige Shiraz allows wine lovers to enjoy a fine red with plenty of age already under its belt....
Beresford GR Shiraz

Beresford Grand Reserve Shiraz 2016

The team have two vintages of their prestige McLaren Vale Shiraz on offer and wine lovers will surely be very...
VOKW GalwayPipe YO Rare Muscat Label CONCEPTS ()

Galway Pipe 20-year-Old Rare Muscat

The old Galway Pipe Tawny Port was a standard, go-to fortified for many wine lovers in past years and it...
Bone Dry Rose NV

Dem Bones Bone Dry Rosé 2025

Younger drinkers have been spared the old fashioned Aussie  Rosé’s – so many of which were clunky, cloying, about as...
Reschke R Series Sauvignon Blanc NV

Reschke R-series Sauvignon Blanc 2025

This wine is a blend of fruit from a pair of vineyards, one from the Limestone Coast and the other...
Reschke R Series Pinot Gris

Reschke R-series Pinot Gris 2025

Three vineyards combine to produce the fruit for this fresh and energetic Pinot Gris – one from Padthaway, one from...
Reschke R Series Riesling NV

Reschke R-series Riesling 2025

Limestone Coast Riesling which received an eighteen day fermentation in stainless steel. The colour here is an attractive though pale...
Reschke R series Pinot Noir NV

Reschke R-series Pinot Noir 2024

The Limestone Coast Pinot used here underwent a brief cold soak before a seven-day ferment and a period of maturation...
Reschke Bos Cabernet CW NV

Reschke Bos Cabernet Sauvignon 2017

Always a pleasure to encounter a wine which has already received extended ageing before release. This Coonawarra Cabernet, from a...
FT CDP VILLA RASSADE

Villa Rassade Côtes du Provence Rosé 2024

Provencal Rosé continues to be flavour of the month around the world – no surprise when one sees such enjoyable...
FT BRG CHARDO LUCIEN PARVILLER

Lucien Parviller Bourgogne Chardonnay 2023

Deep gold/bronze colour here. The nose offers notes of melon, stone fruits, hazelnuts and a flick of citrus. There is...
Cachet chevalier delaude ()

Chevalier Delaude Languedoc 2022

A really delicious red from the Languedoc region, from a highly regarded vintage. This is inky dark maroon in colour....
Journey Wine Pinot Noir

Journey Pinot Noir 2024

This is another fine Yarra Pinot from the team, although it does not have the advantage of that extra year...
Journey Wine Pinot Noir

Journey Pinot Noir 2023

One of a pair of exciting Yarra Pinots on release, this has the extra year under its belt and that...
Journey Wine Chardonnay

Journey Chardonnay 2024

The Yarra Valley has long provided some of the finest Chardonnays made in this country and this recent release, young...
Henschke Johann's Garden S nonknurled newlogo

Henschke Johann’s Garden 2023

A Barossa blend of Grenache (60%) and Mataro (40%), which were made discretely, with seven months maturation in older oak...
Henschke Five Shillings BV S nonknurled

Henschke Five Shillings 2024

A blend of Shiraz (76%) and Mataro (24%) from the Eden Valley (64%) and Barossa Valley (36%), the wine spent...
Henschke Innes Vineyard EV S

Henschke Innes Vineyard Pinot Gris 2024

From a vineyard at Littlehampton (sounds like something from ‘Father Brown’) in the Adelaide Hills, fermentation was in stainless steel,...
Henschke Keyneton Euphonium S nonknurled over

Henschke Keyneton Euphonium 2022

A veritable fruit salad of classic red varieties here with Shiraz dominant (59%), supported by Cabernet Sauvignon (33%), Cabernet Franc...
Henschke Marble Angel S nonknurled

Henschke Marble Angel 2022

The name comes, as the Henschke wines so often do, from family achievements, members and connections. In this case, great-uncle...
Henschke Tappa Pass Shiraz S text updates nonknurled over

Henschke Tappa Pass 2022

If someone said to me, pick a Henschke wine to drink tonight, any wine. Well, one would be a blithering...

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