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Nicole Bilson

Nicole loves wine. So much so that she gave up a successful career in Pharmacy, perfected her spitting technique, and moved from sunny Queensland to the wine-drenched laneways of Melbourne. Stints in hospitality, wineries, retail, sales and marketing filled the next few years while Nicole built her knowledge and searched for the right path. She completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Diploma in 2016 and became a certified WSET Educator the following year. She now juggles a number of roles including teaching people about wine, curating wines lists for restaurants and bars, judging in Australian wine shows and, of course, writing. In 2016 she won the Negociants Working With Wine writing award and has since contributed to Gourmet Traveller WINE, Halliday Wine Companion Magazine and Nourish Magazine.
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Squitchy Lane Cabernet Franc 2022

This wine pours the colour of sun-kissed blueberries and smells of them too. It’s absolutely bursting with fruit – raspberries...
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Squitchy Lane Pinot Noir 2021

Heady aromas of fresh strawberries and homemade raspberry jam, erupt from the glass. Wait a few moments and they become...
Howard Park Miamup Chardonnay x

Howard Park Miamup Chardonnay 2023

Hailing from Howard Park’s Margaret River vineyards, comes this elegant Chardonnay delivering well above its price point. Aromas of grapefruit...
Howard Park Flint Rock Chardonnay x

Howard Park Flint Rock Chardonnay 2022

Flint Rock Chardonnay comes from Howard Park’s Mount Barrow vineyard in Mount Barker; Western Australia’s Great Southern wine region. The...
Howard Park Flint Rock Pinot Noir x

Howard Park Flint Rock Pinot Noir 2023

What a pretty Pinot this is from the Great Southern subregion of Mount Barker. It’s bright ruby in the glass,...
Howard Park Miamup Cabernet Sauvignon x

Howard Park Miamup Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

This is a classic Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon with lots of fragrant, perfectly ripe fruit. Aromatically it is all youthful...
Howard Park Flint Rock Shiraz x

Howard Park Flint Rock Shiraz 2022

The fruit for Flint Rock Shiraz comes from Western Australia’s Great Southern sub-region, Frankland River. The cooler climate has resulted...
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Howard Park Sauvignon Blanc 2023

There’s lovely aromatic freshness with all the tropical and citrus aromas that Sauvignon Blanc is admired for, yet also a...
Howard Park Great Southern Riesling x

Howard Park Great Southern Riesling 2023

Western Australia’s Great Southern region seems to be able to capture the delicate, floral notes of Riesling in a captivating...
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Howard Park Museum Release Riesling 2018

Gosh I love Museum Release Riesling. There’s no waiting for the lifted florals of youth to deepen into pollen-rich acacia....
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Rowlee Single Vineyard Fiore 2023

This is a sweeter style made from Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. The grapes are late harvest, picked at the end...
Pinot Noir SV NV

Rowlee Single Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022

In the glass this is a very pale ruby – just as you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover,...
Chardonnay SV NV

Rowlee Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2022

The aromas are gorgeous, showing such purity of fruit, and lots of fruit at that. There’s zesty grapefruit, lemon pith,...
Rose NV

Rowlee Rosé 2023

The watermelon pink colour might have you anticipating sweetness but stray your mind and take a moment to smell the...
Lloyd Brothers Western Block Reserve Shiraz Web

Lloyd Brothers Western Block Reserve Shiraz McLaren Vale 2021 

From the first pour, this delight doesn’t hold back – plump blueberries and blackberries erupt from the glass. Delving further...
Lloyd Brothers Adelaide Hills Picpoul Prosecco Web

Lloyd Brothers Picpoul Prosecco 2023 

Picpoul is a quirky grape variety originating from the south of France, where it is made into crisp, refreshing white...
Pinot Gris SV NV

Rowlee Pinot Gris 2023

The grapes for this wine come from the cool climate region of Orange in New South Wales, with the added...
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Aces & Arrows Barossa Grenache 2019

So, so spicy! There’s the sweet baking spices that spill from Nanna’s pantry and a burst of Sichuan pepper. The...
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Aces & Arrows Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021

A heady mix of dried rose petals, dark cherries, and plump red currants that burst between your teeth, envelopes you...
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Aces & Arrows Adelaide Hills Grüner Veltliner 2020

Wow, there is such evocative aromatic intensity in this local example of Grüner Veltliner – a variety that hails from...
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Aces & Arrows Riverland Vermentino 2022

I’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating, Vermentino is proving to be a champion grape for Australia. This one...
BrionisBlend

Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards Brioni’s Blend 2023

This is a quirky little blend of Mataro, Touriga and Shiraz named for Brioni Oliver, part of the 6th generation...
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Ihana Shiraz (Valtteri Bottas x Oliver’s Taranga) Edition #1 2022

Valtteri Bottas apparently loves Australian wine, especially Shiraz, almost as much as he loves racing cars. Which explains why he...
Grenache

Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards Grenache 2023

Mmmm, cherries and spice and all things nice envelope you on the first inhale. But there’s a lot more behind...

Stories

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One to One by Oxford Landing

I first encountered Oxford Landing in 2015. It was the affordably priced wine on the huge portfolio I was navigating...
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Riverlife by Oxford Landing

Oxford Landing has a long reputation for good, affordable wines, well loved by the glass at the local pub. With...

Chalmers: Future-Proofing Wine

Like it or not, the traditional grape varieties that built Australia’s reputation as a great place to make wine are...

New Vine to Wine range from Mitchelton

There’s romance in a cellar door surrounded by vines and wines that tell the story of their place as Mitchelton...

What makes a wine great – it’s not what you’d think…

It was a bustling Saturday night in one of Melbourne’s hipster suburbs in a raved-about venue. Thick coats, moments before...

Eggstravagant Wines

I was standing in a queue at the checkout when a woman winked at me and said “There’s going to...
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