Wine
Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc
1985, “We are the World” was playing everywhere you went, the wreck of the Titanic was found, Microsoft released the first version of Windows, Canterbury rolled the Saints 7 to 6, and the mighty Bombers thrashed the Hawks 170 to 92 to win a consecutive premiership. Across the ditch, in an Auckland harbour, the French got a bit sneaky and sank the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior, and over in Ma...
C’Mon get Savvy
We don’t get out for dinner often; with kids, work and general “stuff” to be done around the house, but we recently made that happen. We were supposed to travel over the Valentines, but the roads were cut, so out we went, and of course being Valentines, there were more people around than a Drug Intervention at the Titans Rugby League Club, and not having booked because we weren’t supposed to be he...
West Cape Howe
A few weeks ago, just as I was packing our camper trailer to head off for the long weekend, I received a call from Gavin Berry, Winemaker/Owner of West Cape Howe Wines in Western Australia’s Great Southern region. He was in town and wanted to swing past to show his new vintages of his fantastic wines. It was stinking hot in the shed, I was covered in sweat, had just realised I had mistakenly rewir...
Sail and Anchor Devil Dodger
I generally try not to write up drinks that I don’t enjoy, or can’t rate that highly. Simply because people want to read about good drinks, and what new drinks out there that are worth laying down your hard earned cash on. Often when I find a drink I don’t like I make sure I have as many people try it with me because I know I can be a bit of a tosser when it comes to this stuff. I realise that I l...
All I want for Xmas 2011
There have been so many good drops out there this year it’s hard to put my thumb on what was the best. But if you’re looking for out of the ordinary Christmas presents for staff, clients or loved ones then have a quick crack at some of these: A Subscription to the Beer Cartel. This is a great idea for a gift that will keep giving. The idea is that you choose how long you want your subscription to ...
Hurrah..Back to School
You may not know this, but I write this column from home, surrounded by our children and mountains of cardboard boxes of wine and beer that the Minister for War and Finance says that “I must simply stop buying”. And it’s been kind of hard to write over the last few weeks with the kids running around , wanting you to play with them, stop fights, clean up paint off the walls, bury dead fish and do t...
Stone and Wood Brewery
BYRON BAY…famous for its beaches, the laid back lifestyle and their HUUUGEE Blues Fest…which has become more of a rock fest, but that’s beside the point. But if the stuff from Stone & Wood is anything to go by, it should be equally well known for its beers. Back in 2008, 3 guys set up Stone & Wood Brewing, leaving their corporate worlds behind and settling into a life of making...
Happy 150th Birthday Chimay and Coopers
It’s remarkable how the stars can align sometimes. With a remarkable, almost what could be referred to as biblical timing, it turns out that two of my favourite brewers are celebrating their 150th anniversaries this year. Both Coopers Brewery in Adelaide and Chimay – brewed by Trappist Monks in Belgium – both started way back in 1862. Both were also started by men of religion too. Thomas Coo...