Today's episode is with Alastair Reed of Konpira Maru, which is based in the Whitlands subregion of the King Valley in Victoria, Australia. In this episode you’ll hear what Konpira Maru really means (no, it’s not a Japanese whaling vessel) and how owner Alastair Reed and his former student-turned-business partner Sam Cook almost turned Konpira Maru into a Sherry company. We’ll talk a bit about the grapes and the geography of Australia, and why “diner pepper shaker” is the only kind of pepper aroma Alastair and Sam ever seek to extract from their grapes.

James Suckling recently compiled a list of his top Australian wines in his 2022 Annual Report, highlighting Sami-Odi’s Shirazes as some of the “most exciting wines we tasted, with their fresh and structured palates and hemmed-in alcohol.” Suckling continues, “The texture and clarity of Sami-Odi shiraz, vintage-dated and blended, are seductive and memorable. You really […]

Join us for a walk-through tasting of Australia’s legendary wines, from the timeless classics to the funky fresh. Along the yellow brick road, you’ll find vinous delights from Vine Street Imports, Little Peacock Imports, Hudson Wine Brokers, and Old Bridge Cellars. Weds 9/14 11a – 3p at Terroir (24 Harrison St., New York, NY) Mon […]

This Decanter article by Huon Hooke was written back in 2007, but it all holds true today. Hooke describes Stephen Pannell as a “happy-go-lucky chap” who is most satisfied when he can get his hands dirty. “The SC Pannell brand has no growth strategy, no grand plan to Pannellise the world. ‘I’ve got no illusions […]

Tim Wildman, the charismatic British Master-of-Wine-turned-winemaker, was recently featured on Jancis Robinson’s Wine of the Week column for his ‘Astro Bunny’ pét-nat. Max Allen, the publication’s Australian columnist, writes, “The wine is bursting with really enticing, peachy aromas – evoking a well-made Bellini – and, despite being bone dry, is irresistibly grape-pulpy on the tongue, […]

The aim at RedHeads has always been grape liberation. They hunt down premium parcels of fruit that were destined to be blended into some big name, nondescript wine and give it the attention it deserves in the winery. Moving forward, RedHeads will be more selective about its vineyard partners. “As the business re-assesses its fruit […]

Christy Frank is no stranger to Australian wines and in fact is one of the country’s heartfelt ambassadors.  Christy is deep into the Master of Wine Program, has spotlighted helping Wine Australia over the years, writes for a number of publications and owns a boutique wine shop in the Hudson Valley. Recently Christy broke down […]

Christina Pickard of Wine Enthusiast spent a number of years living in Australia and her time there coupled with intense tastings of wines around the world have framed her view that Australian Shiraz/Syrah is more than what is expected of the grape. Read here about the grape, which is the foundation of Australian wine around […]

Dr. Jamie Goode of Wineanorak recently tasted through a lineup of some top Australian Shiraz from throughout the country via a hosted tasting by Mark Davidson of Wine Australia.  The wines spanned warm and cool climates, young vines to old, and really showcased the extremely high quality and diversity that Shiraz/Syrah has in Australia. Luke […]