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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)
Windows Media (26.5 Mb) | Quicktime/iPod/iPhone (47.4 Mb) | Mpeg4 (25.6 Mb)

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

The spring racing carnival is well and truly underway and what better way to celebrate a win on the ponies than with a glass of wine! So this week we suggest three wines that would be brilliant at your Melbourne Cup party. The first is an Eden Valley riesling that’s a little sweeter than usual, but not overdone. To complete the spring racing theme we also look at two very different sparkling wines. One a super cool moscato ideal for those who like a lighter bet, the other a true French Champagne perfect for toasting the winners.

In this episode we recommend:

• Pewsey Vale Prima riesling 2008 ($20-25)
• Innocent Bystander moscato 2008 ($10-13)
• G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge N.V. ($50-77)

Download the video: (4 min 18 sec)
Windows Media (17.3 Mb) | Mpeg4 (13.1 Mb) | Ipod (17.5 Mb)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

Sometimes big and powerful wines are just too much for the occasion. This week we look at three wines ideal for those times when you might feel like something a little lighter. The first is a moscato which was a big hit last year and is nice and low in alcohol. The next is a rosé that doesn’t overdo the sweetness. The final wine this week is a shiraz-viognier blend which is a great introduction to the lifted red style.

In this episode we recommend:

• Wirra Wirra Mrs. Wigley moscato 2008 ($15-18)
• Charles Melton Rose of Virginia 2008 ($16-22)
• Yering Station shiraz viognier 2006 ($18-23)

Download the video: (3 min 30 sec)
Windows Media (14.4 Mb) | Mpeg4 (10.7 Mb) | Ipod (14.2 Mb)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

Christmas is a time of cheer, and cheers! This week we look at three wines perfect to help you celebrate the holidays. The first is a moscato that’s a perfect starter if your Christmas day is going to be warm rather than snowy. The next is a big shiraz that would go perfect with those having a big roast on Christmas day. And our final wine is a Hunter Valley semillon that wont break the bank if you need to buy more than one or two bottles to make sure the extended family stay happy. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from WineWeek!

In this episode we recommend:

• Wirra Wirra Mrs Wigley moscato 2007 ($16-18)
• Majella shiraz 2005 ($28-34)
• Tyrrells Lost Block semillon 2005 ($12-17)

Download the video: (4 min 27 sec)
Windows Media (12.9 Mb) | Mpeg4 (13.7 Mb) | Ipod (18.2 Mb)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

This week on Wine Week we get back to being a bit more budget conscious after last week’s quiet expensive celebration wines. We look at a great value shiraz from the Clare Valley, a moscato from the Barrossa and a cabernet from Margaret River, each of them a great drop and inexpensive enough for drinking at any time.

In this episode we recommend:

• Kilikanoon Killerman’s Run shiraz 2005 ($17-22)
• Two Hands Brilliant Disguise moscato 2006 ($17-19)
• Howard Park Leston cabernet sauvignon 2005 ($30-35)

Download the video: (4 min 01 sec)
Windows Media (11.6 Mb) | Mpeg4 (12.4 Mb) | Ipod (16.4 Mb)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

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Ben Riggs and Ben Glaetzer, both winemakers from South Australia, are creating terrific wines at the moment – we look at a great entry level wine from Mr. Riggs, and a truly outstanding “super-premium” wine from Glaetzer wines. And for those looking to try something completely different we look at a moscato from Brown Brothers.

In this episode we recommend:

• Mr Riggs “The Gaffer” Shiraz 2005 ($16-22)
• Brown Brothers Moscato 2006 ($12-18)
• Glaetzer Godolphin 2005 ($45-50)

Download the video: (3 min 46 sec)
Windows Media (11.0 Mb) | Mpeg4 (11.5 Mb) | Ipod (15.3 Mb)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

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