Friday Drinks hits the UK!

Last week I had the opportunity to have a quick chat with Enda Brady from Sky in the UK. Great to hear he enjoys listening to the segment all the way over in the UK every Friday afternoon on Brisbane's 4BC with Ben Davis. "Radio gold" he says. I won't argue with that.

Tune in here

Friday Drinks Radio 4BC 6 March - Cask Wine

One of Australia's greatest inventions would have to be the wine cask. The old bag in a box. This year it celebrates 50 years!

Listen in here as I chat to Ben Davis about cask wines and the quality has significantly improved. So much so, company's are now putting their bottle quality wines in the bag.

A couple to keep an eye out for:

Brookland Valley Verse 1 Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2014 RRP $23

Brookland Valley Verse 1 Cabernet Merlot 2013 RRP $23

Friday Drinks Radio 4BC 21 November - Yarra Valley

Yarra Valley was the focus of this chat. Also mentioned were some young winemakers doing from very cool things; namely, Dave Mackintosh, Luke Lambert, and Behn Payten & Troy Jones.

Listen in here

My bang for buck picks this week:
De Bortoli Villages Pinot Noir 2012
Oakridge Over the Shoulder Pinot Noir 2012

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC 31 October - Vineyard fire at Twisted Gum

A fire wrecked havoc at a small vineyard on the Granite Belt earlier in the week. Fire and vines don't mix, and the end result in this case wasn't good.

Listen in here

Wines to look out for this week:

Dandelion Vineyards Lionheart of the Barossa Shiraz 2012 $27.50

Soul Growers Single Vineyard Riesling 2014 $20

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC 17 October - Top booze worth the $$

Last Friday I had a chat with Ben Davis about the Good Food and Wine Show which hit town.

We also discussed some smart very wines. The ones you'd fork out a little more for. And oh my, they are well worth it!

My picks this week:
d'Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz 2010 $65

Seppelts St Peters Grampians Shiraz 2012 $80

Listen in here



(Both wines supplied were samples)

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC 3 October - Granite Belt

I was in the Granite Belt region so it was more than appropriate to give the low down.

The vast majority of the wineries are small operators punching out tiny quantities and most of these don't have distribution in the retail market, though this is steadily changing. More and more are becoming available in restaurants too.

The Granite Belt has really hits its straps in the last few years producing some excellent wines which are now being recognised nationally and internationally.

Shiraz, Chardonnay and Mediterranean varieties perform best.
.

Listen in here

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC - Father's Day

Here's a unique story about a row of vines struck by lightening and made into a barrel wine using 100% whole bunches.

And of course it's Father's Day on Sunday, so get your pen and paper out as I tick off a few ripping wines to pick up for the old boy.

My tips this week also include:
Luke Lambert Crudo Syrah 2013 $28
Montalto Estate Pinot Noir 2013 $48

Listen in here and Happy Father's Day!!

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC 22 August - Wine Lists

Wine lists have been a hot topic in social media circles this week. Here's a quick chat on the topic along with my bargain picks of the week including:

Leo Buring Clare Valley Dry Riesling $20

Fifth Leg Shiraz 2012 $15

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC - Queensland Week

This week is Queensland Week so it's the perfect opportunity to have a look at a couple of Queensland Wines.

Listen in here

Wines to look out for this week:

Ballandean Estate Shiraz Viognier $20

This is a stunning cool climate wine. Medium bodied, it is succulent and elegant. Lovely fruit which is juicy and then some. The use of 4% Viognier has given the wine a subtle floral lift. An outrageous bargain.

Pyramids Road Shiraz $30

Only 170 dozen were produced from this small, hands on Granite Belt producer. All fruit is estate grown and hand picked. Some elegant dark cherry and black fruits which are soft and melt in the mouth. There’s a little spice tickle and an engaging length to finish. The best Shiraz produced by Warren and Sue to date and well worth the money.

Check out Wine Experience Rosalie, Craft Wine Store, The Wine Emporium and Cru Bar for availability

Friday Drinks Radio 4BC 9 May

Mother's Day was the focus of last Friday's chat. A few white blends and a neat fizz were the tips:

Listen in here

Wines to look out for:

Lindeman’s Early Harvest Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2013 ($15). Deliberately picked early to reduce the alcohol content, the push here is the "lighter alcohol and calories" market. Twenty five percent less in fact after reading the label. There’s green melon, guava and tropical fruit freshness. Even some peeled cucumber aromas. The wine is certainly clean, crisp and light in the mouth. I was pleasantly impressed and I would recommend it for those in the market for such a wine.

Voyager Estate Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2013 ($24) Fresh, clean and oozing tropical fruit goodness, a wine you can easily get stuck into. I can easily see this on your table at lunch. The simple refreshing delivery of the fruit assures this gets a big tick from me.

Taltarni Tache 2010 ($26) is a pinkish looking drop which smells a little like strawberries. There’s some texture present via some biscuity characters and a strawberry kiss which flows through to a long, enjoyable finish which is not too dry.  Tache means stained and a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon gives the “stained” appearance.

All are readily available.

Friday Drinks Radio 4BC 2 May

A quick chat about oxidisation before sharing two excellent wines from the new McWilliam's Appellation Series. The Appellation Series sets out to highlight the various wine regions within NSW.

Listen in here.

My bargains this week:

McWilliam’s Appellation Tumbarumba Chardonnay 2013 $24
 Attractive nuttiness and florals. Throw in some fleshy peach and a dash of creaminess and that about sums it up. Captivating stuff. Delicious and then some. Keep an eye out for it.

McWilliam’s Appellation Canberra Syrah 2013 $24
Cool climate Syrah at its best. Smell the violets! Engaging aromas of cherries and white pepper and nicely integrated spice. Silky smooth. A delight to drink full stop.

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC 25 April - back label jargon

An example from a McWilliams bottle

A conversation earlier this week with a mate of mine lead me to discuss some of the jargon on the back of wine labels. Most labels state something to the effect of, "Produced with the aid of nut, egg and milk products. Traces may remain". What's all that about?

Have a listen here

Wines to look out for this week include:
Symphony Hill Gewurztraminer 2013 RRP $30

Robert Oatley Wines Signature Series McLaren Vale Shiraz 2012 RRP $23

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC 17 April

A high five to all craft brewers out there! CUB have ceased brewery tours at their Yatala brewery due to a lack of interest. The growth of craft breweries has really struck a chord and great to see the little guys engaging the public more than the big players.

A quick chat about craft beer, a funky Roussanne from Barossa Valley producer Yelland & Papps along with a couple of bargains to keep an eye out for.

My bargains this week:

McWilliams Hanwood Chardonnay - can often be found around $10

Fifth Leg Rosé - readily available for $15-18

Listen in here

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC 4 April - Blends

Blends are an interesting topic and there is so much to it. A quick chat here featuring some bargains from McLaren Vale producer d'Arenberg.

Listen in here (PCs only)

This week's bargains are both priced around $10:
d'Arenberg The Stump Jump Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne

d'Arenberg The Stump Jump Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC 28 March - #QldWineWeek

Queensland Wine Week is about supporting the Queensland Wine industry and getting some of the best Queensland wines into people's mouths. Get involved in the numerous events or use #QldWineWeek when chatting on social media.

Check here for a list of retailers and events including supporting restaurants and bars

My bargains this week:

Clovely Estate Verdelho $15: Fresh with tropical fruit highlights. A wine which suits our climate. Have with seafood or Asian foods. Readily available. 

Mason Shiraz 2012:  This just won Champion Mainstream Wine at the 2013 Qld Wine awards. It tastes like a $30 bottle and it’s a bargain for around $20. Available from Bulimba Cellars or Wine Experience Rosalie.

Click here to listen to the chat 

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC 21 March - Riverina

In this week's edition we discussed the Riverina wine region in southern NSW which produces 15% of Australia's wine and produces some excellent table wine bargains.

Check out the Private Bin range from Calabria Family Wines which were mentioned.

Bargains this week:
Westend 3 Bridges Durif - $25
De Bortoli Vat 5 Botrytis Semillon -$14

Click here to listen in (only works on PCs)

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC 14 March - Cider

The topic last Friday was something a little different. To mix it up we had a chat about Cider.
I spoke about how it's made and the difference between "Real Cider" and those made from concentrates which make up over 50% of the market.

My picks this week are:
Napoleone Apple and Pear Cider from the Yarra Valley - around $15 for a pack available from Drinx outlets.
Hills Cider Company (apple and pear) from Adelaide Hills - also around $15 and is readily available.
One of my faves is St Ronans from the Yarra Valley. This Pear Cider (apple is also produced) is fermented in the bottle (750mL) and you can grab it for around $28 at Craft Wine Store.

Click here to listen in

Friday Drinks on Radio 4BC 7 March - Semillon

Last week on Brisbane's 4BC radio I spoke about a wine variety with an identity crisis. That wine variety is Semillon. Once referred to as Hunter Riesling, in recent times the variety has stood up and made a name for itself.

My bargain tips this week:
Meera Park Hell Hole Semillon 2013 - $22.50
Thomas Wines Braemore Semillon 2013 - $28

Listen in here (only on PCs not mobile devices)

Friday Drinks 21 February on 4BC Radio - Riesling

Today I spoke about #QldWineWeek and Riesling.

Jump on the Qld Wine Week webpage to see how you can get involved in the numerous events on offer including tastings, dinners and even a bus trip to the Granite Belt!
Check out and Like the Facebook page here too.

The weather has been pretty hot in Brisbane lately so it's perfect Riesling weather.
My recommendations this week include:
Ridgemill Estate Riesling 2013 - $18 at the Craft Wine Store
O'Leary Walker Polish Hill 2013 - $20 and readily available
Stargazer Riesling 2013 - $30 at Cru Wine Store and Craft Wine Store

Click here to listen in on Brisbane's 4BC (only on PCs not mobile devices)

Friday Drinks 14 February on 4BC Radio

There's no more of a perfect opportunity to get loved up and have a look at some bubbles than on Valentine's Day.

In this week's segment I spoke a little about Champagne and then moved onto Australian sparkling wines.

My bargains for the week:
Taltarni Brut 2010, Grant Burge NV and Clover Hill 2008.

Click here to listen in (will only work on PCs not mobile devices)