Tolpuddle Pinot Noir 2022

Tolpuddle Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022, Coal River, Tasmania, 13.5% (c £65-85, Momentum Wines, Hedonism, Vincognito or internationally via Winesearcher) 'Give us a tasting featuring fine wines from around the world - and make it interesting.' That was the brief. So I headed over to Portugal with a spring...

Leeuwin Estate Art Series Cabernet 2016

Leeuwin Art Series Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Margaret River, Western Australia, 13.5% (£47, Stannary Wine) One of the five founding wineries of the Margaret River region back in the early 1970s, Leeuwin estate has built an enviable reputation as one of Western Australia’s leading lights. In a region famed...

Sidewood Isabella rosé 2014

Sidewood Isabella rosé 2014, Adelaide Hills, Australia (£21 or AUS$32, www.sidewood.com.au) Owen Inglis’s Sidewood Estate in Australia’s Adelaide Hills is a new discovery for us.  Although the estate produces both still wines and ciders, it was the current releases of Sidewood’s sparkling wines that we were recently sent...

Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2016

Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2016, 13%, Australia (£13, Booths) Based in the north of England, Booths is known for its wine range and rightly so. Based on the supermarket’s recent tasting in September 2019, the wine range shows strength and depth, with some particular high points in the...

On Aussie Fizz

I had a fascinating trip to Australia at the end of 2018, in particular looking at the cooler climate regions like Western Australia, Yarra, Mornington and Tasmania. Australia has never made finer wines in a more diverse range of styles than now. It's a hugely exciting...

Our favourite wine destinations

When The Sunday Times Travel asked us to do a piece on our favourite wine destinations, our first thought was: hope they're going to give us lots of space. As it happened, they cruelly made us choose only six - three each. Peter plumped for Chile (Casablanca...

30 great New World buys under £30

When I was asked to compile a selection of thirty great New World buys under £30, my first thought was: what does New World mean? And my immediate reaction was: excitement. That's what I want wines from new countries to give me - a real sense of...

Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Riesling 2017

Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Riesling 2017, Clare Valley, Australia (from £10.99, Majestic)  We're big fans of South Australian Riesling in this household and the Lodge Hill is a lovely wine - dry, tangy and invigorating in its limey, green apple purity but also softening wonderfully when...