Wine writer
Huon Hooke is a wine writer.Connect via email.
The reason why the Penfolds Bin is retailing at more than $100.
The bottle cap doesn’t need to be kept wet like cork does. Just don’t call it “vintage port”.
Dunking plastic into wine can help eliminate that musty cork taste, but there’s a catch.
The cost of establishing a vineyard has never been higher, and then you have to sell the wine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Cool-climate regions are the place for this more refined, aromatic and less-weighty style of red wine.
Airlines insist you don’t pack anything with the potential to explode, but can you bring bubble-wrapped bubbly onboard?
It’s not so much about prestige bottles, the big money lies in concocting large volumes of cheaper wines that lots of people will buy.
Screwcaps aren’t necessarily the best closure, but they’re arguably the best we have at present and much more consistent than cork.
Often we lazily chuck all whites in the fridge and serve reds at room temperature. But here’s how to do it properly.
Influencing factors include sunshine, temperature, rainfall, humidity, latitude and altitude, aspect, slope and soil fertility.