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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.
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...
Pirie NV mL ()

Pirie Tasmania Sparkling NV

This wine is a journey of elegance and restraint. Using traditional Champagne varieties, Chardonnay (55%) and Pinot Noir (45%), it...
Squitchy Lane Fume

Squitchy Lane Estate Fumé Blanc 2020 

Fumé Blanc is a quirky one – made with Sauvignon Blanc grapes, but fermented and aged in oak; subduing the...
SquitchyLane PN

Squitchy Lane Estate Pinot Noir 2019

It’s not often Pinot Noir is released with a little age – the release date on this wine is March...
Leconfield The Sydney Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Leconfield Coonawarra The Sydney Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

‘The Sydney’ pays tribute to Leconfield’s founder, Sydney Hamilton. This is Leconfield’s flagship, a Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon, from fruit planted...
mw watervale riesling ()

Mitchell Watervale Riesling 2023

This is classic Clare Valley Riesling made with a hands-off approach to allow the Watervale fruit to shine. With aromas...
Orlando Tier Jacaranda

Orlando Jacaranda Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

There’s a significant oak footprint in this classic, rich style of Coonawarra Cabernet. I mention this at the beginning because...
Orlando Tier Lyndale

Orlando Lyndale Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2021

Such complexity in a Chardonnay that is still just a poppet. It smells like grapefruit flesh scooped from the rind...
Orlando Tier Steingarten

Orlando Steingarten Eden Valley Riesling 2020

Often relatively young Riesling can lack complexity, which is definitely not the case here. Aromas run the full gamut with...
In Dreams Pinot Noir BS

In Dreams Upper Yarra Pinot Noir 2022

The colour of Ruby red roses and the scent of them too. There’s fresh, perfectly ripe strawberries and cranberries and...
In Dreams Chardonnay BS

In Dreams Upper Yarra Chardonnay 2022

The aromas are remarkably floral for Chardonnay; there’s white blossoms and chamomile lifted against ripe white peaches, grapefruit, and spoonfuls...
yr Special Release

Brown Brothers Patricia Brut Extended Lees 2010

A special release of a very special wine. Back when this wine was first released, it was recognised as a...

Brown Brothers Patricia Chardonnay 2021

Brown Brothers began purchasing vineyards in Tasmania in 2010, recognising the pristine cool climate was perfect for their world-class Patricia...
BrownBrothers Patricia NV Shiraz mL

Brown Brothers Patricia Shiraz 2018

The Patricia range is named for matriarch Patricia Brown and her “bold and generous spirit”. That spirit certainly shows up...

Stories

DSC

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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