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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.
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...
AA Grenache ml Hi RGB

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...
AA PinotNoir ml Hi RGB

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...
AA Gruner ml Hi RGB

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...
AA Vermentino ml Hi RGB

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...
IHANAshiraz

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...
Tempranillo

Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards Tempranillo 2023

Cherry cola immediately leaps from the glass with a lashing of candied fennel seeds – both sweet and spicy. After...
Mencia

Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards Mencía 2023

Mencía hails from Bierzo in northwestern Spain where its affinity for a Mediterranean climate has ensured it is very much...
ChicaRose

Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards Chica Rosé 2023

This rosé hits the visual sweet spot of a peachy pale pink and makes me think of sunsets. It smells...
Fiano

Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards Fiano 2023

Fiano is proving to be a champion variety in Australia and I’m here for it. Originally from Campania, this heat...
Vermentino

Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards Vermentino 2023

This Vermentino is part of the small batch range, allowing winemaker, Corrina Wright, to play with a range of new...
Pirie Vintage NV mL

Pirie Tasmania Vintage 2019

This cool climate Tasmanian sparkling is a blend of the premium Champagne varieties, Chardonnay (51%) and Pinot Noir (49%), made...
DevilsCorner Hazards MtBaudin Chardonay mL Mockup copy

Devil’s Corner Mt Baudin Chardonnay 2022

Mt Baudin Chardonnay is part of the Hazards range, named for mountain range on the east coast of Tasmania. This...
Leconfield Blanc de Blancs

Leconfield Sparkling Blanc de Blancs NV

Bright, tangy aromas of freshly cut, crisp heirloom apple, a spritz of lemon zest, and a hint of white peach....
Magarey Lane CW Cab Sauv

Magarey Lane Single Vineyard Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

Magarey Lane has a focus on single vineyard wines from the Limestone Coast and Coonawarra, the latter is the source...
Magarey Lane Glenroy Cabernet Sauvignon

Magarey Lane Glenroy Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 

The Glenroy vineyard is in northern Coonawarra on the famed Terra Rossa soil of the region. Even at 9 years...
Chalmers Dott Ribolla Gialla HR a

Chalmers Dotti Ribolla Gialla 2021

You don’t taste a Ribolla Gialla every day, let alone one from Australia. As you may have guessed, it is...
chalmers piedirosso x

Chalmers Piedirosso 2021

Described in “Wine Grapes” (aka the ‘new testament’ of wine, after the Oxford Companion to Wine) as a “fresh, aromatic...
chalmers lambrusco x

Chalmers Lambrusco 2019

It’s time to challenge your ideas about Lambrusco. Lambrusco is the name of a grape (or technically a small family...
chalmers negroamaro x

Chalmers Negroamaro Bush Vine 2021

Learn this name, it’s not hard to pronounce, this is one of the grapes of Australia’s wine-making future. Drought-resistant, it...
Chalmers Inzolia HR a

Chalmers Inzolia Bush Vine 2022

Part of Chalmers ‘Bush Vine’ project, an innovative approach to climate change, Inzolia is a variety that originates in the...

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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