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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.
Earthworks Tempranillo No Vintage

Earthworks Tempranillo 2022

Spain’s famous variety transported to South Australia where it underwent a cool fermentation. This is a bright crimson in colour...
Earthworks Rose No Vintage

Earthworks Rosé 2023

Sourced from vineyards throughout South Australia, the grapes are fermented with natural yeasts. The team describe the colour as coral...
Earthworks Riesling No Vintage

Earthworks Riesling 2023

Free run juice is combined with a little of the pressings before a wild yeast fermentation in this South Australian...
Earthworks Cabernet Sauvignon No Vintage

Earthworks Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa 2022

As with their Shiraz, the fruit for this easy drinking Cabernet is sourced from a number of Barossa growers and...
St Pats Rock Cabernet Sauvignon

Erin Eyes St Pat’s Rock Cabernet Shiraz 2022

The great Aussie red blend from a cracking Clare Valley vintage. The colour here is an inky dark maroon. The...
Shamrock Malbec

Erin Eyes Malbec 2022

A deep, dark garnet/red hue. This is a concentrated and firm style of Malbec, which is also a little blocky...
Ballycapple Cabernet Sauvignon ()

Erin Eyes Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

The Clare is one of those places which engenders fierce debate as to whether it best suits Shiraz or Cabernet....
Blarney Stone Shiraz

Erin Eyes Shiraz 2022

A quality Clare Shiraz which will provide wine lovers with a great deal of pleasure over the years to come....
MARGRE~

Sorby Adams Margaret Pinot Grigio Eden Valley 2024

As noted, this is an exciting vintage. The colour here is yellow with green flecks. We have spicy notes on...
JELLIC~

Sorby Adams Jellicoe Riesling Eden Valley 2024

Riesling fans, the 2021 and the 2022 vintages must have made you very happy indeed (if not, I’d query whether...
The Thing Shiraz NV

Sorby Adams The Thing Shiraz Eden Valley and Barossa Valley 2019

Under cork, and a monster bottle, this is big in every way. Big bottle, big aromas on the nose, big...
BiscayRoad Barossa Shiraz NV

Biscay Road Shiraz Barossa 2022

The Biscay Road vineyard is 64 acres of prime Barossa grapes, situated at Tanunda/Bethany. The wine, from a stellar vintage,...
Understudy

Bec Hardy Pertaringa Understudy Cabernet Sauvignon McLaren Vale 2022

The vineyards which provided the fruit for this terrific McLaren Vale Cabernet include the Klavenick vineyard and, perhaps more interestingly,...
BH SparkNV

Bec Hardy Sparkling NV

A blend of 63% Chardonnay and 37% Pinot Noir from McLaren Vale, the Chardonnay comes from their Lower Tintara Vineyard...
BH Barossa Cab Sauv Website

Bec Hardy Garden Series Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Valley 2021

Delicious warm climate Cab, proving such a thing is most definitely possible. The colour here is a deep maroon. There...
Iron Fire Tempranillo

Watkins Iron-Fire Tempranillo 2021

Of this trio of Watkins wines, this delicious Tempranillo is my personal favourite. A dark maroon hue, the nose gives...
Grenache Rose

Watkins Grenache Rosé 2023

From Langhorne Creek, the colour here is a burnt sienna/orange. The nose exudes fresh florals, spices, raspberries and cherries. A...
Ruscello Sangiovese

Watkins Ruscello Sangiovese 2022

Cold soaking after harvest and then two weeks on skins with eight months maturation. The fruit is from the Langhorne...
Tapanappa WhaleboneVineyard MerlotCabFranc

Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard Merlot Cabernet Franc 2019

Everything about this wine suggests it is one for the long haul. Both the Merlot and Cabernet Franc come from...
Tapanappa WhaleboneVineyard CabShiraz

Tapanappa Whalebone Vineyard Wrattonbully Cabernet Shiraz 2019

A warm and dry vintage for the region in 2019, which helped ensure that the Whalebone Vineyard, planted 45 years...
PPE PIN Estate BLN NV MED TN

Port Phillip Estate Pinot Noir Balnarring 2023

From the Balnarring Vineyard, planted in 1997, fermentation was in stainless steel and large format oak, followed by eleven months...
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Sordo Gioso Langhe Nebbiolo 2021

Anyone who enjoys delicious Piedmont reds will surely be familiar with the family operation of Sordo (I say family, but...
Wild Folk Prosecco NS V()

Wild Folk Natural Prosecco NV

Prosecco from the King Valley in Victoria, this is pale and a very faded yellow. The wine opens with an...
HARE & TORTOISE ROSE NV NS()

Hare and Tortoise Rosé 2022

This is an intriguing style of Rosé from Victoria, a blend of Sangiovese, Mataro and Merlot, which was pressed off...

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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