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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.
TEMP

Paisley Six Strings Langhorne Creek/Barossa Tempranillo 2023

An appealing mix of regions – Langhorne Creek and the Barossa – which combine to assist a very fine Temp...
Maeve Shiraz NV

Paisley Maeve Barossa Shiraz 2021

This single vineyard Barossa Shiraz is the team’s flagship, and deservedly so. The team usually give the wine an extensive...
Boombox Shiraz

Paisley Boombox Barossa Shiraz 2022

There is a dollop of Grenache usually included in this Shiraz by the team, and the use of oak seems...
Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon

Leconfield Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

This has long been one of my favourite Cabernets from Coonawarra and this vintage will do nothing but enhance that....
mitchell riesling

Mitchell Watervale Riesling 2024

Clare Riesling from 2024 is going to make a lot of people very happy. It looks like we have another...
Pride of Erin Reserve Riesling

Erin Eyes Pride of Erin Riesling 2024

Another brand new and ever-so-young Clare Riesling, the colour is a pale straw. This gives every impression of being a...
Celtic Cross Cabernet Rose

Erin Eyes Cabernets Rosé 2024

A pale neon pink hue here for this fresh, crisp and clean Rose. Attractive aromatics, we have notes of dry...
Emerald Isle Riesling

Erin Eyes Emerald Isle Riesling 2024

Exciting to see the new 2024 whites starting to arrive, including this fine Clare Riesling. A very pale lemon here,...
Yalumba Barossa Grenache Rose

Yalumba Barossa Grenache Rosé 2024

Delicious Rosé from a variety which seems ideally suited to the style, although it is ideally suited to a number...
Yalumba Vine Vale Grenache Blanc No Vintage

Yalumba Vine Vale Grenache Blanc 2024

The sight of a bottle of Aussie Grenache Blanc is rarer than finding an honest politician, but the team at...
Yalumba Barossa Bush Vine Grenache NV

Yalumba Barossa Bush Vine Grenache 2022

Another of the many versions of Grenache, this one designed to provide slightly simple but utterly delicious drinking. Sourced from...
pinotnoir

Clonakilla Pinot Noir 2023

Whoever said nothing good ever comes out of Canberra obviously has not tried the wines from Clonakilla. What surprises even...
chardonnay

Clonakilla Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2023

Not all of the Clonakilla wines hail from the Canberra district. For Chardonnay, they have sourced fruit from the increasingly...
The Architect Cabernet Sauvignon

Dowie Doole The Architect Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

From the Dowie Vineyard in the Blewett Springs sub-region of McLaren Vale – Block C, if one wants to be...
The Architect Shiraz

Dowie Doole The Architect Shiraz 2021

With their Shiraz, it is also from the Dowie Vineyard in the Blewett Springs sub-region of McLaren Vale, this time...
Estate Merlot

Dowie Doole Estate Merlot McLaren Vale 2022

Deep garnet hue here, this is beautifully aromatic. There are notes of chocolate, violets, deftly handled oak, black cherries and...
SF GS Riesling ()

Singlefile Wines Great Southern Riesling 2024

Such an impressive Riesling from the Great Southern region, this has an attractive pale lemon hue, gleaming brightly. Very aromatic,...
SF SV Mount Barker Pinot Noir

Singlefile Wines Single Vineyard Mt Barker Pinot Noir 2023

West Aussie Pinot continues to emerge into the mainstream, though it is yet to settle on any particular style –...
SF SV Mount Barker Fume Blanc

Singlefile Wines Single Vineyard Albany Fumé Blanc 2024

Adopting the name that the Mondavi team in California used so many years ago to distinguish worked, more complex examples...
SF LR The Pamela Riesling

Singlefile Wines The Pamela Porongurup Riesling 2023

The fruit here is from a single vineyard, the Misery Hill Vineyard, now 27 years of age and situated at...
SF LR The Philip Adrian Cabernet Sauvignon

Singlefile Wines The Philip Adrian Frankland River Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

From the Riversdale Vineyard in Frankland River, which was planted back in 1997, this is the team’s flagship. 100% Cabernet...
SWC Chardonnay NV

Slow Wine Co Chardonnay 2021

A taut and poised Chardonnay from the Orange region in New South Wales, this is deep gold in colour with...
First Ridge Barbera

First Ridge Barbera 2022

The team source their Barbera from the very highest parts of their Mudgee vineyards, at about 600 metres. After a...
Mayfield JontyMetOtto CabFranc NV

Mayfield Vineyard Jonty met Otto Cabernet Franc 2023

Straight Cab Franc is not something we see a lot of in Australia, but done well, and this one certainly...

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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