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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.
BrownBrothers Patricia NV Shiraz mL

Brown Brothers Patricia Shiraz 2022

Freshly baked chocolate cake and soft strips of licorice reward the first swirl. Fruits of the forest and cherry pie...
BrownBrothers Patricia NV CabernetSauvignon mL

Brown Brothers Patricia Cabernet Sauvignon 2022

Aromas of plump black cherries, blackberries and black currants mingle with Biscoff spices and dark chocolate. A hint of eucalyptus...
BrownBrothers Patricia NV PinotNoir&ChardonnayBrut mL

Brown Brothers Patricia Pinot Noir & Chardonnay Brut 2021

Spring blossom and lemon sorbet aromas begin the experience of this beautiful cool climate sparkling from one of the highest...
BrownBrothers Patricia NV Shiraz mL

Brown Brothers Patricia Shiraz 2021

The 20th release of Patricia Shiraz opens with the aromas of rose petals, long pressed between the pages of a...
BrownBrothers Patricia NV CabernetSauvignon mL

Brown Brothers Patricia Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

This is big, bold, unapologetically Victorian Cabernet at its finest. Blackberries, black cherries and marshmallows toasting on a campfire start...
BrownBrothers Brown&Co Chardonnay mL

Brown & Co Oak Aged Chardonnay 2024

In today’s financial climate, it’s particularly exciting to find a wine that I would happily share with friends at under...
LR Cabernet Franc Trans

Squitchy Lane Cabernet Franc 2024

Squitchy Lane is the love child of football great and Rhodes scholar Mike Fitzpatrick. Just like his career(s) he does...
Pirie Millesime BlancDeBlanc mL FRONT

Pirie Millésime Prestige Blanc de Blancs 2022

Glistening bubbles release fragrant lemon zest, apple sorbet and shortbread biscuits. A moment to breathe in the glass reveals the...
Pirie Millesime Rose mL FRONT

Pirie Millésime Prestige Rosé 2023

A gorgeous peach skin blush starts the experience of this special release. Fresh strawberries, pink grapefruit and lemon curd greet...
Pavona Pinot Grigio NVS ()

Pizzini Pavona Pinot Grigio 2025

A relatively new entrant to the Pizzini Pinot Grigio range, Pavona is made from fruit grown from a vineyard situated...
Fiano () () ()

Pizzini Fiano 2025

After spending four months on lees post fermentation, this Fiano was fairly recently bottled at the time of tasting (early...
Pizzini Il Barone

Pizzini Il Barrone 2022

The Baron. A traditional Australian blend – Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz; with an Italian twist of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. The...
Pizzini Il Soffio Prosecco ()

Pizzini Il Soffio Prosecco 2024

Pale gold, a fine bubble, subtly yeasty and textural – wait, is this really Prosecco?! Il Soffio means “the breath”...
Pizzini Lambrusco NVS ()

Pizzini Lambrusco 2024

You’ve been lied to – Lambrusco is not just a sweet, simple, aggressively fizzy red wine. Real Lambrusco is a...
Pizzini Nonna Gisella Sangiovese NVS ()

Pizzini Nonna Gisella Sangiovese 2024

Pizzini’s La Familia range is designed to be enjoyed with food, friends and family – this Sangiovese definitely hits the...
Pizzini Pietra Rossa Sangiovese NVS ()

Pizzini Pietra Rosso Sangiovese 2024

Pietra Rosso translates as “red stone”, referring to the iron-rich rocky soils that this Sangiovese thrives in. The aromas launch...
Pizzini L'Aquila Nebbiolo ()

Pizzini L’aquila Nebbiolo 2022

L’aquila is Italian for ‘the eagle’, a bird that exemplifies both elegance and power – a fitting namesake. The grapes...
La Volpe Nebbiolo no vintage

Pizzini La Volpe Nebbiolo 2024

A lighter, prettier style of Nebbiolo; the fruit is selected from a vineyard that allows for earlier drinking. Still distinctly...
Pizzini Verduzzo NVS ()

Pizzini Verduzzo 2024

Verduzzo is a grape variety that hails from Italy, best known in the northern Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Veneto regions. Intensely...
Pizzini Attento Pinot Grigio ()

Pizzini Attento Pinot Grigio 2024

This is Pinot Grigio but not as you know it. The grapes were grown in volcanic soils, hailing from very...
Est PN Trans

Squitchy Lane Pinot Noir 2022

On pouring, I am immediately transported to a rose garden, surrounded by perfumed petals and subtly spicy/herbaceous leaves. Then the fruit...
LOTWchard

Land of Tomorrow Wrattonbully Chardonnay 2024 

This Chardonnay comes from the Nolan family’s original estate in Wrattonbully, farmed sustainably for over a century. It’s a juicy...
LOTChard

Land of Tomorrow Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2024 

The aromas open with a spritz of lemon juice, partnered with the sexy funk and minerality of preserved lemon. Spicy...
LOTTouriga

Land of Tomorrow McLaren Vale Touriga 2023

Touriga is a variety known for power and perfume – one of the key varieties grown for premium Port. McLaren...

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...
OL Riverlife copy

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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