For 25 years, the AAVWS has been a forum for wines that fall outside the mainstream. AAVWS

I spent the last week in tropical northern Victoria, specifically in Mildura, where I had the good fortune to be invited as international guest judge to the 25th Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show (AAVWS). Serendipitously, fellow contributor to The Real Review, Melissa Moore was also there to judge the show.

The AAVWS originated from the Sangiovese Awards initiated by Stefano de Pieri and Bruce Chalmers, along with the late Dr Rod Bonfiglioli, in 1999. The following year, it was called the Australian Italian Wine Show and in 2001, it was renamed the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show. The Chalmers family, who run the most diverse vine nursery in Australia, are still heavily involved in the show and the movement, with both of Bruce’s daughters, Kim and Tennille Chalmers part of the organising team. In the earlier years, it used to include New Zealand wine, but that stopped a while ago and there hasn’t been anything to take up the torch for New Zealand since.

For 25 years, the AAVWS has been a forum for wines that fall outside the mainstream. It also incorporates social and educational events such as the post-show conference called Talk and Taste. This year’s edition included talks about Cava by Kate Laurie of Deviation Road, a viticulture panel led by Liz Riley of Vitibit and a panel on NoLo (no and low alcohol wines) led by chair of judges Leanne Altmann while showing technical wines from Pia Merrick (Australian Vintage), Nigel Sneyd MW and Aaron Milne (Edenvale).

Over the years, the show has helped spread awareness and acceptance of varieties which are now very much a mainstay of Australian wine, like pinot gris/grigio and glera/prosecco. Fiano is the latest success story, as was evident by the broad range of styles and high entry-numbers of the variety this year, many of which showed regional distinctions. The same is on the horizon for sangiovese, nero d’avola and montepulciano, all of which have developed distinctive Australian styles.

The 789 entries this year spanned 69 regions and 98 grape varieties, making the judging classes the most diverse I have ever seen in a wine show. This poses unique challenges for judges, particularly when it comes to benchmarking and the elucidation of quality. Leanne Altmann had made it clear that the European classics, though useful as signposts and for inspiration, should not restrict what is explored in Australia. The aim is not to make facsimiles of European wine but to grow and craft Australian wines using these varieties. This was more evident in some varieties than others, such as fiano and nero d’avola, both of which had developed their own personalities and flavour profiles.

The Rod Bonfiglioli Wine of Show 2025 went to Hahndorf Hill Gru Grüner Veltliner 2024, which also took Best White Wine and Best of the Rest. Best Red Wine Award and Best Italian Red went to Orbis Wines Nero d’Avola 2024. The Viticulturist Award went to Jeff Flint of Wangolina. The exciting Provenance class was of very high quality, with the award going to Crittenden’s Cri de Coeur Savagnin Sous Voile (they entered their 2020, 2013 and 2011).

Leanne Altmann awarded the Chief of Judges Wine to Watch award to the delicious Bloomfield Mencia 2024, and I gave my International Judge’s Wine to Watch award to Chalmers Mother Block Skin Contact 2025, a field blend from their nursery mother block. This year also saw the introduction of a new award to recognise Helen Healy for her amazing contributions as show manager, having supported the event since its inception. Helen started this year’s show as Mayor of Mildura and finished the show in a different role as Deputy Mayor (as an aside, it’s the first time I’ve ever been received at a wine show at the airport by a mayor!). The inaugural Helen Healy Award for Excellence went to Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards.

But that’s not all… to celebrate their 21st anniversary, the show commissioned wine writer Max Allen to write a book about the show and the movement which has grown around it, called Alternative Reality. The book, published in 2023, was recently awarded Best New Wine Book at the Australian Wine Communicator Awards 2025. Awards all round and a fitting way to celebrate the show’s first quarter century.

The anti-oxidant effect is especially relevant in white wines. Unsplash

Among the most common inquiries I receive from readers concerns preservatives in wine, in other words, sulphur dioxide (SO₂₎. Specifically, how to find wines that don’t have SO2 added to them.

They are not common, because SO2 is a sterilant and anti-oxidant: it preserves wine from oxidising and it kills or stuns unwanted microbes which could create unpleasant faults in wine.

The anti-oxidant effect is especially relevant in white wines. Just as an apple quickly turns brown when cut and exposed to the air, so white grape juice and white wine will brown and the freshness and fruity appeal of the aroma and flavour will be dulled.

Red wine is another matter: the tannins and colour pigments of red wine help protect it against the ravages of the oxygen in the atmosphere. So it’s easier to produce a good red wine without the help of SO2.

There are several readily available products that can be added to a glass of wine to nullify the SO2, and render it agreeable to those who suffer from sulphur sensitivity. SO2GO, and Purewine Drops are the two most visible. They’re inexpensive and are sold in many wine shops. You either squeeze some drops into your glass or spray the fluid onto it.

The active ingredient is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which simply rearranges the molecules so that SO2 is deactivated. Sulphites are converted to sulphates, which are harmless.

The most common sensitivities to sulphites are sneezing, coughing, shortness of breath, headache, sinus problems and rashes. Purewine claim they have feedback from a ‘huge’ number of wine drinkers that their product reduces hangover symptoms. I’m not sure there is any scientific evidence for that, though.

Several wine companies make wine with no added sulphur dioxide. This is generally how they are described—because ‘sulphur-free’ can’t be guaranteed, as a small amount of sulphur dioxide can be produced by yeasts during normal fermentation.

Here are three quality red wines that have come my way recently.

Battle of Bosworth Puritan Shiraz 2024

McLaren Vale. I’ve tasted some aged vintages of this wine, and they put paid to the notion that wines made without sulphur won’t keep.

Mr Brightside GenX Preservative Free Shiraz 2025

From Ben Riggs of Mr Riggs Wines, McLaren Vale.

Sherrah Preservative Free Grenache Nouveau 2023

Winemaker Alex Sherrah also works in McLaren Vale.

Understanding the style and where it’s from opens up an entire world of flavour. Wikimedia Commons

Fancy a glass of fresh lime zest, just-mown grass, or a hint of cat pee on a gooseberry bush? Or perhaps a mouthful of lanolin, a sip of buttered toast, or a few wet stones in your mouth for good measure?

Put like this, you most likely wouldn’t fancy any of them in the slightest, yet these are all classic aromas you might find in some of the finest and most popular wines made from sauvignon blanc and semillon. Alongside more inviting notes of passionfruit, grapefruit, pear, and white blossom, these wines are intensely aromatic, fresh and crisp, often steely and flinty. Beloved by wine fanciers everywhere, you might think such overtly expressive varieties would be difficult to match with food.

And yet, despite their sometimes challenging descriptors, sauvignon blanc and semillon are remarkably versatile at the table.

Sauvignon blanc

New Zealand’s Marlborough sauvignon blancs are instantly recognisable for their exuberant aromatics: passionfruit, lime, green capsicum, and that infamous hint of cat pee. Their piercing acidity and vibrant fruit make them ideal with raw seafood such as fish crudo or tuna tataki, and those with a slight hit of residual sugar make them particularly perfect with Vietnamese or Thai chilli-spiked and herb-laden dishes of fresh noodle salads or Mexican ceviche.

In Australia, Adelaide Hills sauvignon blancs are celebrated for poise and lifted citrus notes, excellent with lightly grilled yabbies, a Sriracha-laced fish cocktail taco, or a contemporarily retro prawn cocktail complete with crunchy iceberg lettuce. Orange in NSW produces intensely aromatic sauvignon blancs with flinty undertones and crisp acidity which work superbly with sashimi-style fish and deliciously crispy chilli salt squid.

In France, the Loire Valley’s Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé are elegant, mineral-driven wines, showing flint, citrus and subtle floral notes. These pair beautifully with goat’s cheese—Chabichou du Poitou is a favourite, or a warm grilled Crottin de Chavignol salad—or with freshly shucked oysters highlighting the clean, saline flavours (avoid the mignonette dressing, though: far too much acidity!) and spring salads of pea shoots and broad beans.

Skin-contact sauvignons—where the juice ferments with the grape skins—add aromatic exoticism, colour, texture and tannins, making them exceptional with spices: pumpkin curry or shawarma chicken, umami foods like miso-glazed eggplant and salty cheeses such as Reggiano, where the wine’s aromatic and textural complexities can truly shine.

Semillon

Hunter Valley semillon is a unique expression of the variety, often strikingly austere in youth, with lime, green apple and lanolin aromas, making it a precise match for seared scallops, tempura prawns, Sydney rock oysters (again—what doesn’t go with oysters?), or seared tuna. With age, it develops honeyed, waxy and nutty complexity, and will pair confidently with richer seafood—go crazy on the lobster mornay!—or creamy fish pie, or even roasted chicken with a sauce made with a splash of the wine.

Barossa semillon, on the other hand, offers a contrasting style: more textural, fruit-driven and citrus-led while retaining bright acidity, making it approachable in youth but still capable of developing honeyed richness with time. These wines are wonderful with BBQ prawns, lobster rolls, steamed prawn dumplings at yum cha, and caramelised aburi salmon nigiri.

Sauvignon blanc & semillon blends

Blends bring together sauvignon blanc’s lift and freshness with semillon’s weight and texture. Margaret River is Australia’s benchmark, producing vibrant, citrus-lifted blends that pair beautifully with local ocean bounty: mussels marinière, oysters, naturally, prawns on the skewer, or lightly spiced seafood dishes. With age, these wines gain honeyed, nutty and toasty notes, elevating wok-tossed crab, grilled whole baby barramundi or spice-dusted charcoal chook.

The Yarra Valley also produces some of Australia’s most refined white blends, combining purity, finesse and length. These wines—especially with a few years’ bottle age—can stand up to richer flavours, like the anchovy and garlic combo of bagna cauda with crudité vegetables, or fancy grilled lobster, whole fish baked en papillote. A salad Niçoise with grilled tuna, boiled potatoes and green beans would be a treat too.

In Bordeaux, semillon is almost always blended with sauvignon blanc (and often a touch of muscadelle). The dry whites of Pessac-Léognan are weighty yet lifted, perfect with a fillet of grilled snapper or pan-fried dory and buttery baby potatoes—think elegance on a plate without being stuffy.

Most sauvignon blancs—and most semillons, including those from Hunter Valley—see little or no oak, which makes them ideal partners for dishes with chilli, where acidity and fruitiness soothe the palate instead of clashing with spicy heat. Oak-influenced wines, like fumé-style sauvignon blancs, develop richer texture, gentle roundness, and notes of vanilla, tropical or ripe stone fruits, allowing them to handle more complex, gently spiced dishes such as Moroccan tagines or seafood claypots—just go easy on the chilli!

Sweet wines

The lusciously sweet wines of Sauternes are famously influenced by the humid mornings that create botrytis ‘noble rot’, a mould that shrivels grapes and concentrates sugar and flavour to produce richly sweet, golden wines. These have honeyed, apricot-like notes with a bright line of acidity. Australia’s famous takes on this style have the same playful, indulgent feel as Sauternes but with a sunnier twist. Traditionally paired with foie gras—let’s be honest though, most of us aren’t eating foie gras every day—more realistic companions might be apple tart tatin, poached pear with crème anglaise, or baked quince, letting the wine’s marmalade richness sing. Or, for an affordable foie gras substitute, chicken or duck liver pâté.

A world of flavour

Whether enjoyed as a single varietal or a blend, sauvignon blanc and semillon demonstrate that what might sound odd on paper—cat pee, wet stones, lanolin—translates into wines of grace, energy and remarkable adaptability. They’re wines that reward curiosity, inviting you to venture beyond the expected: from bright, razor-sharp styles that bring seafood to life, to textured, savoury examples that play beautifully with spice, and luscious sweet wines that can turn dessert into theatre.

Understanding the style and where it’s from opens up an entire world of flavour, one that encourages a sense of adventure, with playfulness and excitement in every glass. Go on, try!

This video was supported by the Hunter Valley Wine & Tourism Association. Wine reviews and articles, including the ones listed below, are never sponsored. 

Hunter Valley semillon is one of Australia’s great wine stories. When young, it’s light, zippy, fresh, lower in alcohol and perfect for summer drinking. With age, it transforms into a completely different wine: deeper in colour, rich in complexity, and genuinely world-class.

It’s summer on the Sydney’s Northern Beaches! This episode looks at why Hunter semillon is a fantastic summer white: from fresh oysters and prawns to richer lobster and scallops, this wine covers the whole spectrum of summer seafood. We dive into how it’s grown, why the Hunter’s warm days and cool nights make it special, and how the style evolves from bright citrus refreshment to toasty, layered maturity.

Browse our recently reviewed Hunter Valley semillons from the youthful 2025 and 2024 vintages to aged examples from the 2019, 2018, 2017 and 2016 vintages.

Learn more about semillon and the Hunter Valley:

• It’s semillon season!
• Introduction to Hunter Valley
• Scallop ceviche and Tyrrell’s aged Vat 1 semillon

New Zealand sauvignon blanc is famous around the world, but the story goes far beyond Marlborough. In a record-setting 2025 harvest, sauvignon blanc made up almost 80% of the national crush and nearly 90% of all exports. But while Marlborough drives the global style, each region across New Zealand offers its own distinct expression.

In this episode, Stephen Wong MW breaks down how climate, geology, and winemaking shape New Zealand’s most important variety. From Marlborough’s tropical, herbaceous style to Martinborough’s savoury depth and Central Otago’s racy acidity, New Zealand sauvignon blanc isn’t one style, it’s an entire landscape. Explore the regions and discover the expression that speaks to you.

Yangarra Estate’s chief winemaker and manager Peter Fraser. Yangarra Estate

The Australian wine industry is struggling to come to terms with the tragic sudden death of Peter Fraser, chief winemaker and manager of Yangarra Estate in McLaren Vale.

He died in a fire at his home in Clarendon on Thursday, November 27. He was just 51.

Pete was in good form when I last saw him on November 13: little did we know what would transpire two weeks later. He was in Sydney presenting a back-tasting of all 15 vintages of his flagship wine, Yangarra High Sands Grenache.

He’d been hosting the same tasting for the media in other cities as well. In hindsight, it seems like it was his final tour of duty. He was as self-effacing as ever.

“Anyone could make wine at Yangarra, it’s such great terroir,” he’d say.

And when the 2023 High Sands—from a very difficult, wet season—was discussed, he said “It’s one of the wines I’m most proud of.” That’s because it was a year the wine probably didn’t make itself, and skill and experience were needed to deal with the cold, wet conditions when fungal disease flourished in many vineyards.

“From our experience, a cold vintage in a warm region can produce some of the best wines,” he added.

Yangarra’s ‘23s are outstanding, across shiraz, grenache and blends.

“Wines produced from this vintage will be some of the prettiest and most delicate from the estate,” he said.

Under Fraser’s direction, Yangarra transitioned to biodynamic viticulture. It’s been organic since 2007 and certified biodynamic since 2012. He was also an early adopter of ceramic egg fermenters which he used, often in conjunction with older, larger oak vessels, to mature red wines without risking excessive oak pick-up. This was particularly important with grenache, which is easily marked by oak.

Experiments with ‘eggs’ culminated in the release of the Ovitelli, a grenache produced only in ceramic eggs and given extended time on skins post-ferment. This is an AUD $80 wine. Yangarra’s High Sands is the highest priced grenache in Australia at AUD $300. When the wine jumped from AUD $200 to $250 a few years ago I asked Pete why the big jump. His reply was typically candid: it was along the lines of:

“We line up the best Châteauneuf-du-Papes regularly, and taste them. Half of them are spoilt (chiefly by Brettanomyces), and of the other half, we reckon our wine is as good as the best.”

Hard to argue with that.

However, the regular Yangarra wines are very affordable and also of exceptional quality, such as the Yangarra Old Vine Grenache (AUD $50) and GSM (AUD $35).

Peter was chief winemaker and manager at Yangarra, where he’d worked for 25 years, and he was almost a fixture in the Clarendon district as his previous job was at Normans’ Clarendon winery.

During his tenure Yangarra’s owners, the US-based Jackson Family Wines, took over the established Hickinbotham Vineyard at Clarendon in 2012 and together with Jackson’s California-based specialist cabernet winemaker, Chris Carpenter, and Yangarra’s viticulturist Michael Lane, Pete developed the spectacular Hickinbotham Clarendon range of red wines.

The Pete Fraser I knew was a softly spoken and self-effacing guy, a quietly passionate wine man who went about his work with intensity, focus and devotion, seriously quality conscious but not afraid to push the boundaries of winemaking. He loved wine: his final Instagram post was a bottle of Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne 2005 with the words “Might be the best wine I’ve ever drunk.” What a pity it was probably also the last.

His loss is a tragedy, but his contribution to Australian wine will be remembered for a very long time.

Margaret River has great success with its blends of sauvignon blanc and semillon. Margaret River Wine Association

Australia has a great appetite for sauvignon blanc. Sauvignon blanc accounts for one in every eight bottles of wine purchased in the Australian off-trade (retail) market, according to Wine Australia. Most of it comes across ‘The Ditch’ from New Zealand.

It surprises many people that despite our thirst for the Kiwi product, Australian sauvignon blanc is also quite a big item: it’s the second-most widely grown white grape after chardonnay.

Australia has 6,097 hectares of sauvignon blanc (2025 Wine Australia figures). There are 21,442 ha of chardonnay. Third on the list is semillon with 4,569 ha* and fourth is pinot gris/grigio, with 3,731 ha.

The sauvignon blanc number pales in comparison to New Zealand’s 29,000 ha, though.

Sauvignon blanc is 4.5% of the total area of grapevines planted in Australia, or 12.6% of the white vines. The planted area more than doubled in the decade between 2001 and 2010.

In 2025, 115,110 tonnes were processed for wine, which was 15.8% of the white grape crush. When compared with the area planted, this tells us that yields per hectare are higher for sauvignon blanc than the average.

Where is it grown? Pretty well every region grows some sauvignon blanc, but the biggest are the inland irrigation areas—the Riverland, Murray-Darling and Riverina, with 77% of the vines. Margaret River has just 5%. That leaves just 18% for all the other regions.

Margaret River and Adelaide Hills are the two most prominent regions for high-quality sauvignon blanc varietal table wines. Other notable high-quality sources are Orange, Tasmania, King Valley and Yarra Valley. Sauvignon blanc (or simply sauvignon as it’s known in France, the biggest producing country) is a cool-climate variety, although like all grape varieties it can be grown in a range of climates, but only produces wine of distinctive character reliably when grown in cooler places.

How do Aussie savvies taste compared to the Kiwis?

I would say New Zealand, especially Marlborough, has cornered the market for highly aromatic fruit-driven sauvignon blanc, often slightly sweet. It’s the intensity of fruit and immediate drinkability that have made it a big hit on the world stage.

Australia has produced few wines that match the Marlborough style. Even Tasmania, which is on exactly the same latitude as Marlborough, seldom if ever makes wine that tastes like Marlborough. Put that down to terroir.

Our wines are generally less lifted in their fruit, less fragrant, less pungent if you like, but can still be very varietal, especially in the colder climes. They also tend to be a little drier, more savoury.

Of course I’m generalising: there are many wines in Marlborough that don’t conform to the stereotype, and there are plenty of examples of complex, barrel-fermented, more ‘worked’ sauvignons in both countries. These wines aim for complexity and texture; to do more with the grape than capture simple fruitiness.

Semillon is a footnote to the discussion, as so little is grown to be marketed as a varietal wine compared to sauvignon. As a stand-alone, it’s a relatively minor grape in Australia and is even less visible in New Zealand.

Semillon is very selective as to places where it produces great wine. Australia’s Hunter Valley is head and shoulders above the rest. It has the unique combination of soil, climate, and other influences (not to mention the history of human experience with semillon) that gets the best out of the semillon grape. The Barossa and Clare Valleys make some excellent wines of a fuller style.

Western Australia, especially Margaret River, has great success with its blends of sauvignon blanc and semillon, but is less successful with stand-alone semillon.

More than half Australia’s semillon is grown in the Riverina, where it is used as an inexpensive bulk blending variety, but also in the region’s one and only luxury product: sweet botrytis-affected semillon, spearheaded by De Bortoli’s Noble One.

There is an argument that sales of Australian dry white varietal semillon fell off a cliff when the New Zealand ‘savalanche’ got going. Once-famous Barossa semillons such as Peter Lehmann and Basedow, which used to sell hundreds of thousands of cases a year, are now non-existent. The theory goes that Barossa semillon drinkers dropped these wines and switched to Marlborough savvy. This may not seem like a logical case of substitution, but could just be true.

*There are more planted hectares of semillon than pinot gris but more PG was crushed than semillon in 2025.

December dining is about connection between people, between food and wine. Pexels

The festive season is upon us—that glorious stretch of late-year sparkle when the dining rooms are full, corks are flying, and someone always starts a round of bubbles before the mains hit the table. For those of us working the floor, it’s the best kind of chaos. The energy hums, the laughter carries, and every night feels like a small celebration.

And as the sommelier, I get a front-row seat to all of it—the triumphs, the stumbles, the surprises, and the joy that a perfectly chosen bottle can bring.

Here’s something I’ve learned after years of working the floor: the guests who have the best nights aren’t necessarily the ones who know the most about wine. They’re the ones who know how to delight their sommelier. And when that happens—when there’s a spark of trust and playfulness across the table—the whole night changes. The service loosens, the wine gets better, and suddenly it feels like everyone’s in on the same great secret.

So, as you head into party season, here’s my insider’s guide to making that magic happen.

Curiosity beats knowledge every time

You don’t need to be a wine expert to drink well. In fact, some of my favourite guests are the ones who admit “I don’t really know much, but I love crisp whites and light reds.”

That’s music to my ears. It tells me you’re curious and open. With just a few clues—what you’re eating, your mood, your budget—I can do the rest. My job isn’t to test you; it’s to translate your taste into something that’ll make your night.

In December, when everyone’s feeling festive and a little adventurous, curiosity is the best thing you can bring to the table.

You don’t need to impress me

This season can make people funny about wine lists. There’s always that table where someone wants to prove they know their burgundy from their barolo. But honestly? None of that impresses your sommelier. We’ve seen it all—the bluffing, the name-dropping, the dramatic sniffing and swirling.

What does impress me is authenticity. Say “We’re having steak and fish—what would you suggest that ties them together?” or “I want something special but not serious.”

That’s where the magic happens. When you invite me into the conversation, I get to do what I love most—connect the right wine to the right moment.

Trust me (and tell me the budget)

Trust is the currency of good service. When you tell me “We’d like something interesting around $120,” it gives me freedom. I can stop guessing what’s safe and start finding what’s perfect.

The festive season is when cellars get raided and rarities come out to play. If I know your price range and what you enjoy, I’ll reach for that bottle I’ve been saving for someone who’ll appreciate it—the left-of-centre gem that’ll light up your night.

I’m not trying to upsell you, I’m trying to surprise you. That’s the fun part.

Ask questions—you’ll get stories, not sales pitches

Every wine on the list has a story—and during the silly season, I’m in the mood to tell them. The family that still hand-picks their fruit. The winemaker who farms by moonlight. The vintage that nearly broke them but somehow produced magic.

When you ask “What makes this one special?” you’re not making small talk, you’re opening a door. I promise you’ll taste the wine differently once you know the story behind it.

December dining is about connection—between people, between food and wine. Asking questions is part of that rhythm.

Speak up

Sometimes a wine just isn’t what you hoped for—too rich, too light, too… something. That’s okay. I’d rather you tell me than sit there quietly while it gathers dust in your glass.

A simple “This isn’t quite what I expected—could we try something fresher?” is all it takes. You won’t offend me. You’ll actually make my night, because it means I get another shot at getting it right. That’s why our wine list says “Life’s too short to drink sh*t booze”.

The festive rush can be frantic, but good hospitality still runs on conversation—not guesswork.

Embrace the spirit of play

This time of year, everyone’s in the mood for a little fun—and so am I. Nothing delights me more than someone saying “Surprise us with something we’d never order.”

That’s my cue to bring out the good stuff: a pét-nat that tastes like sunshine, a skin-contact white that smells of apricots and attitude, or a chilled red that turns the table into a party.

Wine should be joyful, not intimidating. When guests lean into that sense of play, it transforms the room.

Respect the ritual

There’s a quiet theatre to wine service—and it’s worth leaning into. When I present the bottle, I’m confirming your choice, not demanding a nod of authority. When I pour a small taste, it’s to check the wine’s sound, not your sophistication.

So, relax. You don’t need to sniff, swirl, or compare prices with your local bottle shop. This is hospitality—a dance we do together. When it flows, it feels effortless.

Gratitude is contagious

The festive season is long and loud for hospitality staff. We’re on our feet for 12-plus hours, our voices hoarse from describing the same wines a hundred times over. But the exhaustion melts away when a guest looks up at the end of the night and says “Thank you—that was brilliant.”

You don’t have to flatter me to make my night. What really sticks is sincerity: “That pairing was perfect,” or “I’d never have picked that, but I loved it.”

That kind of feedback fuels my work more than any Instagram tag or big spend. Those are the guests I remember when something special comes in. And come January, when the festive fizz fades and the quieter months roll in, it’s those faces I look forward to seeing again.

Remember: my goal is your joy

At the end of the day, my job isn’t to show off what I know; it’s to make your night better. To read your mood, your meal, your moment—and find a wine that fits.

Delight your sommelier, and we’ll go the extra mile every time. Because when you give us that spark of trust and curiosity, it reminds us why we love this madness—the packed dining rooms, the laughter, the endless corks, and the quiet thrill of seeing someone take that first sip and smile.

The guests I’ll never forget

When people ask who my favourite guests are, it’s never the collectors or the critics. It’s the ones who come ready to enjoy themselves—who listen, laugh, and treat wine as something to share, not show off.

Those are the guests who get the off-list pour, the cheeky taste of something new, the whispered “I’ve got something you’ll love.”

Because engaging your sommelier isn’t about showing you know wine—it’s about showing you love the experience. And at this time of year, when every night feels like a celebration, that’s what makes the whole room sparkle.

None of the products in this video are sponsored by the manufacturers. All opinions and selections are entirely independent.

Want to get more out of every bottle? The Real Review contributor Stuart Knox runs through three simple tools that can instantly improve your wine experience at home.

From decanting with just your phone light, to opening fragile old corks with a Durand, to pouring by-the-glass at home with a Coravin, these are the tricks sommeliers actually use.

Whether you’re a collector, a casual drinker, or just want to stop ruining old bottles, this quick guide has you covered.

Stephen Pannell of S.C. Pannell Wines. Julian Cebo for S.C. Pannell Wines

Are you also irritated by portmanteaus? Prequel, glamping, Juneteenth, biopic, bromance, Brexit, romcom, webinar, listicle, mansplain, threepeat.

What’s the matter? Have we got so busy we can no longer spare the time to utter two words to describe something? Grenaissance is a new one. It’s the renaissance of grenache. But grenache never had a time in the sun, so how can it have a revival?

I digress. If I didn’t have the utmost respect for the three McLaren Vale winemakers who came to Sydney peddling the Grenaissance, I’d be tempted to make fun of it. (If three Rutherglen muscat makers did this they’d be the Three Muscateers, of course, but Grenadiers doesn’t quite work.)

Stephen Pannell of S.C. Pannell, Peter Fraser* of Yangarra, and David Gleave of Willunga 100 are the three chaps, who have been doing a series of presentations to the wine trade and media, promoting their grenache wines.

Those of us who have tasted their wines needed no convincing: they’re making outstanding grenache. Fraser holds the record for the highest priced grenache in the region, with his Yangarra High Sands (AUD $300). Pannell is pressing hard, this year releasing an AUD $250 grenache, the Sunrise 99, which is by some margin the dearest grenache he’s released to date. It’s from a special patch of his Little Branch vineyard which had its 99th crop in 2022.

Gleave is coming up fast on the inside rail: he is a relative newby to selling McLaren Vale grenache but his wines are making up for lost time, winning plaudits from writers as well as medals and trophies in the shows. Willunga 100’s 2023 grenache ‘normale’ won three trophies—for the best grenache, best red wine and best wine of show—at Canberra’s National Wine Show 2025 (the ’23 Trott Vineyard also went gold). And the 2024 Trott Vineyard won two trophies at the 2025 Sydney Royal Wine Show: best grenache and best small producer wine. Unlike the other two grenadiers, Willunga 100 is using the show system as a key part of its marketing effort.

Flagship wines may be expensive, but a key message of the Grenaissance events is that most grenache is very affordable: each of the three has plenty of affordable grenache that is excellent. Willunga 100’s ‘normale’ grenache is just AUD $33, while its single vineyard bottlings are around AUD $65. Pannell’s Basso Garnacha is AUD $32; the Smart, Little Branch and Old McDonald single vineyard wines are AUD $85. Yangarra’s Old Vine Grenache is AUD $50, the Ovitelli and Hickinbotham bottlings are both AUD $80.

The three ‘calling cards’, as Gleave called the entry-level grenaches, are all from the prized Blewitt Springs subregion, and all are grown on old vines (50+ years old), which are all unirrigated.

Perhaps to soften up the audience and get them to ponder the idea of medium-bodied red wine, the first bracket of blind wines they poured were their three entry-level grenaches, alongside three medium-bodied wines from other regions and other grape varieties which they admire. The audience was asked to pick which were the grenaches. A few might have come close but most, I’d wager, had little clue. The wines all had a lovely mineral savouriness, good powdery drying tannins and were not overtly fruity. They had this in common with the grenaches. They were ultimately revealed as Isole e Olena Chianti Classico 2022, Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2024 and G.D. Vajra Langhe Nebbiolo 2024.

Pannell’s point was well made: they all have plenty of good tannins, and tannin is very important in light-bodied red wines as it helps with their ability to go with food. He might have added that in Australia we accept tannin as an important part of full bodied reds but we are a bit scared of it in lighter reds. Needlessly.

There was a lot more good copy that came out of the Grenaissance event, including some background on grenache in the Vale, but I will save that for the week commencing December 8.

Postscript

We at The Real Review were shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Pete Fraser, Yangarra’s champion winemaker and a champion bloke, in a fire at his home in Clarendon, South Australia, on Thursday. Pete was just 51 and had the world at his feet. He was at the top of his game and had been hailed by all and sundry as one of our greatest winemakers, specialising in McLaren Vale grenache and other Rhône varieties.

Just two weeks ago I sat beside him at lunch after he’d presented a tasting of all 15 vintages of his wonderful High Sands Grenache, and I will always cherish the memory.

We and the entire Australian wine industry will miss him dearly, and our sympathies go out to his family.