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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.
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...
jj hahn hermanns vineyard shiraz nv hr

JJ Hahn Hermann’s Vineyard Shiraz 2023

Whole berries are fermented here before a maturation period of fourteen months in an evenly divided mix of French and...
jj hahn reginald shiraz cabernet nv hr

JJ Hahn Reginald Shiraz Cabernet 2023

A Barossa version of the great Aussie wine blend, which will only add to the reputation which is superb and...
cwc hamlets shiraz nv

Curator Wines Hamlets Shiraz 2023

Nothing to do with tributes to Shakespeare, this is named as the fruit has been sourced from a number of...
curator marananga vineyard bv shiraz nv

Curator Wines Marananga Shiraz 2022

The original Curator range was created to exhibit the different terroirs throughout the Barossa. This wine hails from five discrete...
cwc bv seppetlsfield vineyard shiraz nv hr

Curator Wines Seppeltsfield Vineyard Shiraz 2022

For me, this is the absolute star of the range, among some serious competition. From a vineyard at Seppeltsfield, which...
Terra felix

Terra Felix Heathcote Shiraz 2017

Very rare to find a wine exhibiting this much age for such a giveaway price! The vines are just over...
GSM

Paisley Turntable Barossa GSM 2022

A lovely example of the famous Rhone blend, with 49% Grenache, 33% Shiraz and 18% Mataro. The latter two varieties...
DJchard

Paisley Amplifier Padthaway Chardonnay 2023

Like many of the Paisley wines, this Chardonnay has a name which works as a nod to the music industry,...

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...
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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...
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...
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