White Misfits: Top 50 “Other White” Wines
Other white. It might sound like a census category but it’s actually one of the most interesting, if smaller, segments of the wine spectrum. This is the hiding place of Marsanne, Roussanne, Viognier, Verdelho, Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Arneis, Fiano, Gruner Veltliner and a few others. Some obscure, some trendy, some classical. Most playthings of winemakers […]
Pinot-Bloody-Noir: The Top 50 list of the grape winemakers love to hate
Pinot noir, bete noire. That about sums up the attitude of winemakers who ritually bemoan the behaviour of Burgundy’s famously fickle Black Grape. One small winemaker who submitted his produce to an Australian wine show this year even highlighted his frustrations with black pinot by naming his wine “BFL”. (Tip: it doesn’t stand for Best […]
Valentines wines: Top 50 sparkling roses
Better late than never. That’s the motto of a serially Just-In-Time romantic like us. The biggest day of the year for florists, chocolatiers and restaurateurs is almost upon us so we thought we’d better post a list of the Top 50 wines for lovers before it’s too late. That drink, of course, is sparkling rose. […]
Australia Day: the Top 50 Great Australian Reds
It’s that time of the year again. The Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation has aired its advertisement for Invasion Day (it couldn’t even bring itself to mention the nation’s anniversary as it navigated the shallow waters of racial sensitivity) and bogans everywhere are starting to plan their assault on Australia’s beaches on with flags fluttering […]
Silly Season Sparklers: the Top 50
The sounds of popping bottles are filling the air as the silly season approaches. Not to miss out, retailers and distributors also begin their annual race to the bottom to push sparkling wine and Champagne out the door before the hangover sets in. But which one to buy? For a start, don’t get misled into believing […]
Vinloco Top 50: Sauvignon Blanc
It’s Australia’s favourite summer wine…even though it mostly comes from across The Ditch. Sauvignon Blanc’s rise and rise in Australia became known to the local liquor trade as the “Sauvalanche” after the canny kiwis remodelled the grape into today’s fruit salad of passionfruit, gooseberry and pineapple. Australians haven’t been able to attract quite the same following for their […]
Vinloco Top 50: pinot gris
You call it Pinot Grigio, I call it Pinot Gris…Well, wine buffs would say there’s a difference in style but it’s the same grape and it’s starting to turn the heads of people looking for change from their usual diet of sauvignon blanc or chardonnay. Pinot Gris/Grigio (let’s call it PG) is an odd class of […]
Vinloco Top 50: cabernet sauvignon
The election is over and it’s time to drink. Heavily. What better way to forget glass ceilings than to fill a glass with one of Australia’s Top 50 cabernets sauvignon. We’ve perused 32,000 ratings from 47 shows to come up with our list. After sifting through 3000 ratings for this variety we bashed the keys on the calculator for days on […]
Australia’s Top 50 cabernet sauvignons: coming soon
After popular demand – well, one request really – we’ve decided our next list will be the noblest of grapes: cabernet sauvignon. But this Top 50 list won’t be about the winner; it will all be about who came second. And third and fourth. That’s because there wouldn’t be a bookie in town offering odds […]
In the pink: Australia’s Top 50 rose wines
Pink drinks are in. Rose is Australia’s fastest growing category. You’ll pay at least 30% more for a coloured sparkler than its white sibling but even tough guys are going weak at the knees for a glass of fresh rose. We’ve nearly reached the end of our season harvesting wine show scores with more than 32,000 ratings […]