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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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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...
BrownBrothers Patricia NV CabernetSauvignon mL

Brown Brothers Patricia Cabernet Sauvignon 2018

Brown Brothers spoil us when they release wines like this with five years of age; we get to drink them...
Peter Lehmann Master Margaret V

Peter Lehmann Margaret Barossa Semillon 2016

Released with five years of bottle age, it’s a real treat to be able to buy semillon without needing the...
Peter Lehmann Masters Wigan

Peter Lehmann Wigan Eden Valley Riesling 2016

With five years of age on release, this wine is still very youthful; a lifted river-pebble-minerality, delicate lime curd and...
Peter Lehmann Masters Mentor

Peter Lehmann Mentor Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

This is a wine you just want to dive into. It smells like blackberries so ripe they are almost falling...
Peter Lehmann Masters Songs

Peter Lehmann 8 Songs Barossa Shiraz 2019

If there is such a thing as licorice fudge then it smells just like this wine – rich, spicy aniseed...
PLW Stonewell Shiraz

Peter Lehmann Stonewell Barossa Shiraz 2017

Incredible colour; dense, dark and staining the sides of the glass as you swirl. It smells like chocolate cake slathered...
BrownBrothers Patricia NV PinotNoir ChardonnayBrut mL

Brown Brothers Patricia Pinot Noir & Chardonnay Brut 2017

2017 was a cool year with a long slow ripening, the perfect conditions for exceptional sparkling wine. The fruit for...
BarossaBoy YoungWisdom web

Barossa Boy Young Wisdom Mataro 2020

If Mataro sounds like a new grape for you, it might be because it has a number of pseudonyms. Also...
riskit highres

Barossa Boy Risk it for the Biscuit Semillon 2022

One of Trent Burge’s (aka the Barossa Boy’s) favourite sayings is ‘Risk it for the biscuit’. This time the risk...
BarossaBoy LifeBlood web

Barossa Boy Lifeblood Shiraz 2018

As a sixth generation Barossa winemaker, it’s no surprise that Trent Burge, the Barossa Boy, knows how to handle Shiraz....
Riddoch The Author Cabernet Sauvignon Terra Rosa

Riddoch The Author Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

A heady combination of dried lavender, dried rose petals and fine black tea leaves leap from the glass. Ripe blackberries...
Riddoch The Author Shiraz Terra Rosa

Riddoch The Author Shiraz 2019

There is immediate pleasure as you bring your nose to the glass – it’s like burying your face in a...
Riddoch The Winegrower Shiraz

Riddoch The Winegrower Shiraz 2021

The aromas are big, and spicy with blackberry jam and macerated cherries, poached quince and cinnamon sticks. In the mouth...
Riddoch The Pastoralist Cabernet Sauvignon

Riddoch The Pastoralist Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

The cool climate of Coonawarra has managed to coax some remarkably delicate florals from beautifully ripe Cabernet Sauvignon. There’s fragrant...
Mount Eyre Nero d'Avola NV Low Res

Mount Eyre Vineyards Nero d’Avola 2022

Nero d’Avola is a variety hailing from Sicily, where the hot mediterranean climate coax out both rich fruit and spicy,...

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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