Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 17: Rowly Milhinch, Scion, Rutherglen Rutherglen is one of Australia's oldest wine regions. Grapevines came to the region in the 1850s during the gold rush and Rutherglen, as many of you will already know, became Australia's unchallenged capital of fortified wines. The future of regions like Rutherglen rely heavily on either new blood moving in or subsequent generations, from existing wine families, continuing to carry those legacies into the...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 16: Nick Brown, All Saints, Rutherglen Today I am in Rutherglen in Victoria’s Northeast and I am joined by a descendant of wine royalty. Nick Brown from All Saints Estate. If the last name hasn’t given it away, Nick has lived and breathed wine his whole life, spending his childhood running about the cellars of his family winery Brown Brothers in Milawa. And while he initially started off pursuing a career in geological engineering, he thankfully...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 15: Daniel Tokar, Tokar Estate, Yarra Valley Today we are talking all things Tempranillo!  There’s no denying it’s the signature wine grape of Spain, and a very very old one at that…dating back to 1100 BC. There are about 500 clones of Tempranillo in Spain alone, and it is not only one of the world’s most planted grape varieties, it’s one of the most expanded varieties globally. Meaning it’s on the increase. Daniel Tokar, from Tokar Estate in...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 14: Dylan McMahon, Seville Estate, Yarra Valley.  Join me as I sit down with Dylan McMahon from Seville Estate in Victoria's Yarra Valley to reflect on the last two years. From his greatest learnings, to the moments that shaped Seville Estate as a business. Dylan candidly discusses what life was like running a business during one of the most difficult periods in history, the COVID-19 global pandemic.  Seville Estate was established in 1972 and has a...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 13: Ben Ranken, Wilimee Wines, Macedon Ranges.  Today’s topic is of huge interest to me. Underwater wine. I’m fascinated by it. It’s a process whereby wine is aged or preserved under water. And there are some high-profile cases. Now, back in 2010 it was reported divers found bottles of champagne…some 230 years old…at the bottom of the Baltic. It's reported the champagne found was from house Veuve Cliquot…and interestingly they have since buried...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 12: Former Hawthorn footy captain Richie Vandenberg is on a mission to remove and recycle one billion single-use plastic bottles from our oceans by 2030, via his wine label The Hidden Sea. Want to know what wine we were drinking?  2021 PINOT GRIGIO. Light, lively and crisp with fresh fruits and mouth watering pear, peach and bright acidity. 2021 CHARDONNAY. Expressive yet refined with generous stone and citrus fruits and hints of vanilla and apple...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 11: Wine educator Nicole Bilson on Malolactic Fermentation Today we sit down with wine educator Nicole Bilson to learn about the winemaking technique, malolactic fermentation. Now, while many of you may not have heard of this technique before - most of you will have tasted the effects of it! Particularly if you're a chardonnay drinker. It's what gives some chardonnays that beautiful rich, creamy, buttery sensation on the palate. I met Nicole while...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 10: Giles Cooke MW, Thistledown Wines, South Australia. We catch up with Giles Cooke, winemaker and Award Winning Varietal (grenache) recipient at the 2022 Halliday Wine Companion Awards, to discuss all things grenache! Grenache in Australia has quite a chequered past but is now gaining recognition as a standalone variety - take a deep dive with us as we learn more about this remarkable variety.  Any thoughts or suggestions for upcoming episodes?...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 9: Kate Laurie, Deviation Road, Adelaide Hills. We catch up with Kate Laurie, winemaker and Sparkling Wine of the Year recipient at the 2022 Halliday Wine Companion Awards, to discuss all things sparkling wine and champagne.  Raised in WA Kate actually lived in Champagne, France, for three years after graduating university, to hone her skills in traditional method sparkling. So she is the perfect person to discuss the various styles, winemaking...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 8: Sarah Crowe, Yarra Yering, Yarra Valley.  Today I am joined by Sarah Crowe, winemaker and General Manager at Yarra Yering. Sarah was the first woman to win Winemaker of the Year at the 2017 Halliday Wine Companion Awards and this year she has taken out Wine of the Year AND Yarra Yering has been crowned Winery of the Year, making them the first producer to win more than one major category in these awards. As well as this - two of their wines have...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 7: Jeni Port, Halliday Wine Companion taster.  Join Jeni and I as we discuss the ins & outs of last night's 2022 Halliday Wine Companion Awards!  Any thoughts or suggestions for upcoming episodes? Please email us at [email protected] and don't forget to follow Halliday Wine Companion over on instagram here. Want to know what wine we were drinking?  Terre à Terre Crayères Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Looking for a little more wine...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 6: Belinda Hughes, Rieslingfreak, South Australia. Just like Sauvignon blanc from the Marlborough – Riesling has had its fair share of bad press, often associated with Germany’s mass exports of the 70s and 80s. Now while its often thought of as a sweet wine, Riesling can vary from bone-dry through to wines that rich, textural and sticky. It truly is a variety for all wine drinkers. Today we are joined by winemaker Belinda Hughes from Rieslingfreak...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 5: Stuart Pym, Flowstone Wines, Margaret River. Now, while New Zealand’s Marlborough region is synonymous with sauvignon blanc -  it’s actually a bit of an international juggernaut of sorts – remaining one of the fastest growing wines in the world. And while there’s been a real shift away from those distinct grassy, tropical fruit-laden wines we all think of – sauvignon blanc is enjoying a stylistic revival – with winemakers across Australia serving...

Halliday Wine Companion 'By the Glass' EP 4: Barnaby Flanders, Garagiste. The turn of phrase Single Vineyard or townships wines is often thrown around in today’s wine world, and on today’s show we delve into this very notion and explore the world of site-specific wines. Join us as we chat with viticulturist and winemaker Barny Flanders, from Garagiste on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, who specialises in single vineyard, township wines that showcase the unique features of various sub...

Holly heads up her families distillery Bass & Flinders on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula. Founded in 2009 as a project, inspired by a passion for the traditional distilled fruit and grape based products of Europe, Holly and her family set out to add value to the local region by turning wine into spirit, showcasing varietals such as shiraz, pinot noir and chardonnay.  Originally they set out to produce a premium brandy – and while this was maturing in French oak they played around with...

Independent wine writer, judge and Halliday wine taster Erin Larkin shares her tips on how to taste like a pro! From how to swirl, spit and describe your next glass of wine.  Erin also offers up interesting insight into life as a professional taster, from how many wines she tries in a day to how she breaks tradition and orders her tastings. Any thoughts or suggestions for upcoming episodes? Please email us at [email protected] and don't forget to follow Halliday Wine Companion over...

So perhaps you’re new to wine or wanting to learn more about it...wherever you’re at, this first episode is all about laying a strong foundation. From how to store and serve your wine at home, to chatting with the sommelier at your favourite restaurant. Sommelier Penny Vine takes it back to basics.  For a bit of background, Penny runs the wine list at Melbourne institution Cutler and Co, a fabulous restaurant on Gertrude St in Fitzroy, Melbourne. She is approachable, relaxed and loves a...

Final bonus episode. James reflects on some of his memorable cellaring and drinking experiences, as well as his great love for red Burgundies.

This is the second, and second last, of the bonus episodes from an extended conversation with James Halliday in the loft at the Coldstream Hills winery. James is renowned for his generosity and has shared many old, rare and expensive wines over the decades. Here, he talks about a few of those and reflects on those experiences.

In our first bonus episode, James talks about his early years getting to know wine through his parents' love for it. He also recounts his post-university travels around Europe, where he came to understand the wider world of wine. Listen as James recalls making his first wines in the 1970s with friends.

What makes a great vintage? And does it really matter when you're buying wine for your cellar? Wine writer Jane Faulkner breaks it down for us, also sharing her best advice on how to get the most of your cellar. Better still, she reminds us to open the wines and enjoy them.

Get the scoop on the overseas wine regions and producers offering stellar wines at great prices, from International merchandise manager Jesper Kjaersgaard of Langton's Fine Wines.  From southern Italy to unexpected parts of Spain and even Switzerland, Jesper tells us where to find the hidden gems.  He also shares his insights on the coveted European regions and how to explore the wider world of wine.

Get the insider's guide to buying well at auctions with Tamara Grischy from Langton's Fine Wines.  Hear what it's like to be at the centre of the action in a wine auction house, and the lowdown on how to navigate buying wine online.

How do you know a wine will age well, and when should you drink it?  And what do those drink-by dates on tasting notes actually mean?  Wine writer Campbell Mattinson shares these insights, and more, so you can master the art of cellaring.