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This week we look at three wines from the 2008 vintage that are sure to keep you, and your mates, happy. The first is the classy Chalambar Shiraz from Seppelt. This is a wine you’ll see in shops, and on a lot of restaurant wine lists where it’s often one of the best value propositions.

The 2007 vintage was brilliant for Margaret River, but what about 2008? We check out the Capel Vale Cabernet Sauvignon from the more recent vintage and can happily say that the follow-up year is looking like a truly worthy sequel!

To round out the week we grab the Ten Minutes by Tractor Chardonnay from 2008. While the Mornington Peninsula is probably best known these days for their Pinot Noir, there’s no doubting that many of the producers from the region have been turning out beautiful whites from this classic grape.

This week’s recommendations are:

• Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz 2008 ($15-$22)
• Capel Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 ($25-$27)
• Ten Minutes by Tractor 10X Chardonnay 2008 ($26-$29)

Download the video: (4 min 29 sec)
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Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

The Barossa Valley is probably Australia’s best known wine region, and the river that runs through it has fame of its own. But Para is better know as the name of one of the country’s finest fortified wines more than it is as a river.

We also recommend an inexpensive Cabernet blend from Cookathama. We also change things up a bit with the Jaluka Chardonnay from Seppelt instead of bashing you over the head with yet another Riesling.

This week’s recommendations are:

• Cookathama Cabernet Merlot 2007 ($15-$18)
• Seppeltsfield Para Grand Tawny NV ($25-$32)
• Seppelt Jaluka Chardonnay 2008 ($22-$26)

Download the video: (4 min 35 sec)
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Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

A while back we looked at an iPhone app that was perfect for casual wine drinkers. But what if, like us, you’re a bit more than casual about your wine cellar? We check out the new iPhone app Vinoteka, which has been designed to meet the needs of bigger cellars and those who want to track everything possible about their wine collection both on the iPhone and on a Mac.

We also look at the Elizabeth Semillon from Mount Pleasant, which Danny is glad is now under screw cap. Brad looks at a bargain Shiraz from Gramps that was picking up awards last year, but is still in the shops today. Who said a wine glut was all bad news!?

This week’s recommendations are:

• Mount Pleasant Elizabeth Semillon 2006 ($10-$16)
• Gramps Shiraz 2006 ($15-$20)
• Vinoteka iPhone App ($6US-$8AU)

Download the video: (6 min 03 sec)
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Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

A bit more than three and a half years ago we featured a Jim Barry Watervale Riesling on the very first episode of WineWeek. 180 episodes in we look at the newest vintage of the very wine, and it’s still a ripper!

We also check out one of, if not the, best Pinot Noir’s from the Mornington Penninsula. The 2008 Yabby Lake is a brilliant drop, and worth every cent!

With it bitterly cold in the southern parts of Australia right now we finish up with a Rutherglen Muscat that is the perfect winter warmer from Stanton & Killeen.

This week’s recommendations are:

• Yabby Lake Pinot Noir 2008 ($55-$60)
• Jim Barry Watervale Riesling 2009 ($15-$20)
• Stanton & Killeen Classic Rutherglen Muscat NV ($27-$30)

Download the video: (5 min 32 sec)
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Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

Recorded live at the recent Good Food and Wine Show in Melbourne, Brad has a chat with the Big Red Wine Book winemaker of the year, Janice McDonald. Janice talks about her Stella Bella and Suckfizzle wines, and the great 2007 vintage for Magaret River and how the 2008 vintage is shaping up.

Download the video: (2 min 47 sec)
Windows Media (8.9 Mb) | Quicktime/iPod/iPhone (16.4 Mb) | Mpeg4 (8.7 Mb)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

Yesterday Australia found themselves with a new Prime Minister, Julia Gillard. While some have been focused on the fact this is Australia’s first female PM, we’re looking at it a different way.

Yes, our new leader has flaming red hair!

So what better way to toast the new PM than with a few bottles of red?! We first raise a class to the “Power Fox” (as Crikey have dubbed her) with glass of sparkling red. The Fox Creek Vixen is a lovely way to celebrate an early morning coup as it goes beautifully with bacon and eggs. While some make fun of red-heads by calling them “rangas”, we prefer to check out the Ata Rangi Crimson. It has been known as the second stringer for a long time, but it seems good enough for the job at hand. Lastly we pay homage to the outgoing Kevin Rudd with the Brave Faces from Two Hands. A soft, supple wine that pays its respects to history and the people who tended the country’s vines before those in charge today.

This week’s recommendations are:

• Fox Creek Vixen NV ($20-$23)
• Ata Rangi Crimson Pinot Noir 2008 ($30-$33)
• Two Hands Brave Faces GSM 2008 ($24-$26)

Download the video: (5 min 48 sec)
Windows Media (18.7 Mb) | Quicktime/iPod/iPhone (35.4 Mb) | Mpeg4 (18.1 Mb)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

Recorded live at the recent Good Food and Wine Show in Melbourne, Danny has a chat with wine guru Matt Skinner. We chat about Matt’s recent book “Heard it through the grapevine”. We also get Matt’s views about the state of Australian wine and if the Aussie wine industry is set up for the next wave of success.

Download the video: (6 min 06 sec)
Windows Media (19.7 Mb) | Quicktime/iPod/iPhone (36.9 Mb) | Mpeg4 (19.1 Mb)

Want to win more than $400 worth of great old-world wine? Just join our World Cup Tipping Competition! The winner will take home a dozen brilliant wines from Italy, Germany and France thanks to the guys at Mondo Imports.

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

With the World Cup kicking off tonight, we look at a couple of wines from the competing nations – and announce our tipping competition where you could win a dozen great old-world wines! The first wine is a German Riesling, and while we Aussie hope they don’t do well in the first game, we know they make great wines.

When talking France and football we’re certain that if they win the big gold trophy that there will be lots of corks popping. So we look at a grower Champagne from Pierre Peters that is worth celebrating with.

The World Cup wouldn’t be what it is without the Italians, and we look at a great Chianti Classico from Castello di Monstano worth diving into.

Want to win more than $400 worth of great old-world wine? Just join our tipping competition! The winner will take home a dozen brilliant wines from Italy, Germany and France thanks to the guys at Mondo Imports.

This week’s recommendations are:

• Dönhoff Riesling Kabinett 2008 ($38-$41)
• Pierre Peters Cüvee Reserve Blanc de Blancs NV ($70-$75)
• Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico 2007 ($37-$40)

Download the video: (5 min 48 sec)
Windows Media (18.7 Mb) | Quicktime/iPod/iPhone (35.4 Mb) | Mpeg4 (18.1 Mb)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny

France, Germany, Italy, Australia, America… normally when we mention these countries we’re talking about their wines. But the world turns round-ball mad for the next month as the World Cup kicks off in South Africa, so for a while we are going to mix wine and football on a world scale.

To join in the fun, we’ve set up a World Cup Tipping Competition, and the winner will get to take home more than $400 worth of wine from Italy, Germany and France!

The prize pack includes

• Piero Benevelli Barolo DOCG 2005 ($100)
• Corte Sant Alda Soave DOC 2009 ($27)
• Langwerth Von Simmern Hattenheimer Riesling 2007 ($30)
• St Urbans Hof QBA Estate Riesling 2007 ($20)
• Serge Mathieu Non Vintage Champagne ($70)
• Gran Sasso Montepulciano DOC 2008 ($10)
• Luccarelli Puglia Primativo 2008 IGT ($13)
• Le Vigne de Alice Prosecco Extra Dry 2008 ($25)
• Borgogno Barolo 2004 ($100)
• Castello Monsanto Chianti Classico 2007 ($40)

All up, there’s $435 worth of brilliant wine up for grabs thanks to Mondo Imports.

To enter you need to sign-up and enter your tips via http://tiny.cc/wwwctipping. To be in the running for the major prize you also need to be signed up to our email updates. (Competition open to 18+ year old residents of Australia only… sorry to everyone else.)

So get to it! And go Australia!

If you’re a fan of red wine, and you should be, then we’ve got a book that we consider to be indispensable. The Big Red Wine Book is filled with reviews of even more wines than we can suggest to you in a year, so go grab one now! Brad looks at the St. Hallett Faith Shiraz, while Danny checks out the Yalumba Cigar Cabernet. These two wines both rate pretty highly in the Big Red Wine Book, with the Cigar getting a spot right at the very front in the “best” section.

This week’s recommendations are:

• The Big Red Wine Book 2010/2011 ($24.95 RRP)
• St. Hallett Faith Shiraz 2008 ($17-$20)
• Yalumba Cigar Cabernet 2008 ($25-$27)

Download the video: (5 min 11 sec)
Windows Media (16.9 Mb) | Quicktime/iPod/iPhone (30.7 Mb) | Mpeg4 (18.4 Mb)

Cheers… and happy wine buying!

Brad and Danny