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Three different vintages and three very different wines this week. Wines from the 07, 08 and 09 vintages.

The first is one of Australia’s gifts to the wine world: Hunter Valley Semillon. Andrew Thomas, “Thommo” to his mates, shows just how good the region can be with this grape. Brad follows up with a red blend from Margaret River producer Voyager Estate, the Girt by Sea. To round out the week Danny looks at a wine from Spinifex. Blended to make a super approachable wine for everyday drinking using Cinsault and Mataro to soften the boldness of Barossan Grenache. And the art of blending is definitely on show here.

If you’re in Sydney and want to score one of 5 double passes to the Taste of Sydney festival you can go into the draw one of two ways. Either send us an email at info@wineweek.com.au with the subject line “Taste of Sydney tickets” or post on Twitter using these all of these three phrases; i) “@WineWeek”, ii) “Taste of Sydney”, iii) “win” or “winner”. So your twitter post might look like “I want to win tix to the Taste of Sydney fest, pls pick me @WineWeek!”.

If you’re in Melboure then set Saturday March 13 aside and join us for our first real world wine tasting. Held in conjunction with the Seddon Wine Store it should be great fun and we’ll be showing off a bunch of great Rieslings and Pinot Noirs that we’ve featured on the show, plus a few that are favourites that we haven’t told you about yet!

This week’s recommendations are:

• Thomas Wines Braemore Semillon 2009 ($25-28)
• Voyager Estate Girt By Sea 2008 ($22-$24)
• Spinifex Papillon 2007 ($25-$28)

Download the video: (5 min 00 sec)
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Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

It’s that time of year again! Santa’s packing his ute with presents for the good kiddies, and all us adults are wondering if there will be something special under the tree for us from the jolly man.

And it’s also the time of year when we announce the 12 wines that impressed us the most over the last year…. and then give them away to a couple of lucky friends of the show!

If you’re an email subscriber you get one entry into the draw to win one of two complete sets of our Best Dozen automatically. If you’re a Twitter follower you’ll get another entry into the competition. And if you’re a fan on Facebook then you’ve got another chance to win! Retweeting on twitter, or posting on your facebook wall with a link to the competition will get you another entry too! There are heaps of ways to give yourself the best possible shot at taking home one of the Best Dozen of 09 packs!

The Best Dozen of 2009 are:

• All Saints Moscato 2009 ($15-19)
• Pewsey Vale Riesling 2009 ($13-18)
• Wirra Wirra Mrs Wigely Rosé ($16-$19)
• Deen De Bortoli Vat 8 Shiraz 2008 ($8-12)
• Yalumba The Scribbler 2008 ($16-$18)
• Stefano Lubiana Primavera Pinot Noir 2008 ($28-$30)
• Hoddles Creek Pinot Noir 2008 ($18-$20)
• Shaw and Smith Shiraz 2007 ($30-35)
• d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original 2006 ($16-20)
• Giaconda Warner Vineyard Shiraz 2006 ($80 en-primeur)
• Zema Estate Family Selection Cabernet 2005 ($40-45)
• Brown Brothers Patricia Noble Riesling 2006 ($32-35)

Download the video: (8 min 10 sec)
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Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

In wine, as in property, the one thing that everyone wants is a prime location. The best vineyards give the best fruit. But it’s not always easy to get the best locations. Two of our wines this week come from producers who have decided location is the key to the best grapes, while the other has helped define their region as one of the best Chardonnay areas in the land.

Between the Jim Barry Cover Drive and the Wyndham Estate George Windham Shiraz Grenache you can see why regional blending has become a key part of the winemaker’s arsenal. At the other end of the spectrum, the Voyager Estate Chardonnay continues to gain favour as a stand-out example of just what Margaret River can produce with the white grape.

This week’s recommendations are:

• Jim Barry Cover Drive 2007 ($18-23)
• Voyager Estate Chardonnay 2007 ($38-42)
• Wyndham Estate George Wyndham Shiraz Grenache 2007 ($17-$22)

Download the video: (5 min 45 sec)
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Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

It’s been hot, really hot, around the south eastern part of Australia recently. Not just warm, but ear-wax meltingly hot! So we thought we’d offer up some wines that go well when the mercury is busting through the top of the thermometer. The All Saints Moscato is light on alcohol, with a light, bright fizz and a touch of sweetness and goes beautifully chilled down or even served over chipped ice. Wirra Wirra’s Mrs. Wigley Grenache Rosé might be your style if you’re not after a white but the day is just a bit too warm for a big red. And to round things out, a Pinot Noir is the obvious choice for a red during the hot months, and Paringa Estate’s Estate Pinot Noir is one of the very, very best you can buy.

This week’s recommendations are:

• All Saints Moscato 2009 ($16-18)
• Wirra Wirra Mrs. Wigley Grenache Rosé 2009 ($16-$19)
• Paringa Estate Estate Pinot Noir 2008 ($55-60)

Download the video: (5 min 15 sec)
Windows Media (17.6 Mb) | Quicktime/iPod/iPhone (30.3 Mb) | Mpeg4 (16.4 Mb)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

Spring has sprung downunder and we thought we would have a look at some fresh, bright wines to get us in the mood as the warmer weather approaches. First up we have an interesting wine from the guys at Torbreck – a wine made totally naturally without preservatives, chemicals, sulphur etc – just delicious fermented grape juice! We follow that up with a great value pinot grigio for the warmer weather, and finally we have a look at a fantastic Tasmanian pinot noir from the talented hands of Stefano Lubiana.

This week’s recommendations are:

• Torbreck Vintners Natural Wine Project 2009 (restaurant only)
• T’Gallant Juliet pinot grigio 2007 ($15-19)
• Stefano Lubiana Primavera pinot noir 2008 ($25-$30)

Download the video: (4 min 55 sec)
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Wine Week Footy Tipping competition winner! with Round 22 of the AFL concluding last week we have a winner in the tipping comp. Congratulations Blair on taking the honours with a big finish – just pipping Simon to take the great Kalleske wine pack! We’ll be in touch shortly regarding your prize.

With the AFL finals kicking off tonight, and as we’re both huge Essendon fans, we wish the boys well in their big game against the Crows!

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

This week we look at three wines from the 2007 vintage, and spin up a jackpot! The first is a Clare Valley Riesling, a ripper that Danny recommends you match together with Thai or Vietnamese food for a brilliant night out or in. The next wine is a Shiraz/Grenache blend from Paxton which is a great quaffer perfect for your next BBQ. Our final wine is ideal if you’re cooking lamb. Bowen Estate, like so many Coonawarra wineries, continues to do brilliant stuff with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Win tickets to the Taste of Melbourne Festival!
For your chance to win one of five double passes to Taste of Melbourne – simply email us and you’ll go into the draw to win – it’s that easy! And for an extra entry, pass this onto your friends and get them to subscribe – for each person that signs up you’ll get another entry in the draw.
Read more about the festival here.

This week’s recommendations are:

• Killikanoon Mort’s Block Riesling 2007 ($20-25)
• Paxton AAA Shiraz Grenache 2007 ($18-23)
• Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($28-$32)

Download the video: (4 min 00 sec)
Windows Media (16.4 Mb) | Quicktime/iPod/iPhone (16.3 Mb) | Mpeg4 (12.3 Mb)

Join the Wine Week footy tipping competition! (Entry is free and the winner receives brilliant Kalleske wine!)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

This week we look at three wines with a definite family theme. The first is the Tulum Chardonnay from Willow Creek, a small winery on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula which hosted the wedding of members of Danny’s extended family a few years back. The next wine is the Kalleske Clarry’s red, named after the grandfather of current winemaker, Troy Kalleske. Our final wine is the Zema Estate Family Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, a ripper drop using only the best fruit from the great 2005 Coonawarra vintage.

This week’s recommendations are:

• Willow Creek Tulum Chardonnay 2007 ($30-40)
• Kalleske Clarry’s Red Shiraz-Grenache 2008 ($16-20)
• Zema Estate Family Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 ($40-$45)

Download the video: (3 min 50 sec)
Windows Media (15.9 Mb) | Quicktime/iPod/iPhone (15.6 Mb) | Mpeg4 (11.7 Mb)

Join the Wine Week footy tipping competition! (Entry is free and the winner receives brilliant Kalleske wine!)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

It’s that time of year again when the Aussie Rules football kicks off. And we’ve got a tipping comp that could win you half a dozen great wines from Kalleske. As well, of course, we look at three wines worth taking a punt on. We look at a white good enough for Brad to serve at his wedding last year. Our first red is a big, bold grenache from a producer in tip-top form. Our final wine is a lesser know producer kicking goals with top of the table Barossa fruit.

Join the Wine Week footy tipping competition! (Entry is free!)

This week’s recommendations are:

• Leeuwin Art Series riesling 2007 ($17-19)
• d’Arenberg The Custodian 2006 ($17-20)
• Laughing Jack Jack’s shiraz 2006 ($17-20)

Download the video: (4 min 06 sec)
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Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

How much would you expect to pay for an Australian Shiraz which won gold at one of the most well respected wine shows? How about under $10! The De Bortoli winery continues to impress across the range and this bargain red is certainly no exception. We also look at a Shiraz Grenache blend from Western Australia and a Chardonnay from the Yarra Valley.

This week’s recommendations are:

• Cape Mentelle Marmaduke 2006 ($12-16)
• De Bortoli Deen Vat 8 shiraz 2007 ($9-12)
• Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard chardonnay 2006 ($25-30)

Download the video: (4 min 07 sec)
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Make sure you’re entered into the competition to Win our Best Dozen of ‘08.
Click here to enter by subscribing.
Click here to enter by following on twitter.
Competition terms and conditions.

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

Down under right now most of the country is feeling the effects of a cold winter. How do you warm up when it’s under 10 degrees? A bottle of Tokay from Rutherglen might just be the perfect answer! We also look at a shiraz-grenache blend from a great Barossa producer. And to round things out we suggest a riesling from the Clare Valley which is one of Australia’s best, and which can handle some serious cellar time.

In this episode we recommend:

• Glaetzer Wallace 2006 ($17-20)
• Morris Liqueur tokay NV ($16-18)
• Leo Buring Leonay Watervale 2008 ($35-40)

Download the video: (3 min 50 sec)
Windows Media (15.7 Mb) | Mpeg4 (11.7 Mb) | Ipod (15.5 Mb)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny