As my birthday falls in the month of April I decided to seek out three impressive wines with equally striking labels that would make the perfect gift…hint hint.
Wine Reviews April
10 Apr- Comments 4 Comments
- Categories Barolo, Cava, Chenin Blanc, Italy, La Morra, Nebbiolo, Piemonte, South Africa, Spain, Vino, Wine Review
Great Grange & Grand Italians – A wine tasting event
20 Mar
Penfolds Grange is unquestionably Australia’s most famous red wine and has reached celestial heights in terms of adoration and expectation. From its experimental inception in 1951 by winemaker Max Schubert, Grange has been lovingly crafted to shine as a uniquely Australian wine of longevity, power and class.
“Grange’s aesthetic quality and remarkable aging potential is the stuff of legends.”
Andrew Caillard MW
In line with the 20-year celebration of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, an event was arranged that could commemorate the significance of this anniversary. Two bottles each of Penfolds Grange 1971 and 1976 (tested by the clinic in 2011) were obtained from a close friend of the owner of my workplace. The extensive museum Italian wine list was pulled out for perusal. It was like being a kid in a candy store as eight other wines were chosen that hail from Italy which would sit alongside Australia’s most iconic wine. The wines selected are classified in the upper echelon of quality and come from the most respected producers. These include rare wines such as Ceretto Bricco Rocche Barolo Brunate 1990, Produttori del Barbaresco Montefico 1985, Mastrojanni Brunello di Montalcino Schiena d’Asino 1990, Tedeschi Amarone della Valpolicella ‘Monte Olmi’ 1991, Castello di Ama Chianti Classico 1997 and even the famous Toscana IGT wine Antinori’s Tignanello 1985 and Bolgheri’s inimitable Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia DOC 1987.
In total, the combined age of these wines is over 200 years. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and one that I feel privileged to have been able to pour at. Below is a visual diary of the evening with small commentary made as to the condition of the wines.

La Donna del Vino savouring a glass of Grange
Tags: Barolo, Event, Food, Grange, Melbourne Food & Wine Festival 2012, Penfolds, Sassicaia, Tasting, Tignanello, Wine
- Comments 11 Comments
- Categories Amarone, Australia, Barbaresco, Barolo, Barossa, Barossa Valley, Bolgheri, Cabernet Sauvignon, Castiglione Falletto, Food, Grape Varieties, Italy, La Morra, Nebbiolo, Piemonte, Sangiovese, Shiraz, South Australia, Toscana, Uncategorized, Veneto, Vino, Wine Review
All Aboard The Bandwagon – Gastrovins
27 SepForgive me Father for I have sinned.
It has been 9295 days since my last confession. I accuse myself of the following sins. Absolve me if you see fit.
Last Wednesday night in a quiet, private room within the Circa The Prince complex, I found myself surrounded by nine much older and wiser gentlemen, where I then proceeded to try the finest white wines that I have ever had the privilege of putting past my lips.
The sin?
They were not Italian.
They were French.
Tags: Barolo, Chablis, Cordero Montezemolo, E.Pira, Gastrovins, Giovanni Rosso, Massolino, Renato Ratti, Tasting, Vajra, Veglio, Wine
- Comments 2 Comments
- Categories Barolo, Burgundy, Castiglione Falletto, Chablis, Chardonnay, Food, France, Italy, La Morra, Nebbiolo, Piemonte, Portugal, Serralunga d'Alba, Uncategorized, Vino