MOUNT EYRE VINEYARDS: December 2011

Release of Mount Eyre Three Ponds range

Release of Mount Eyre 2011 Three Ponds Semillon, Mount Eyre 2011 Three Ponds Verdelho, Mount Eyre 2010 Three Ponds Chardonnay, Mount Eyre 2010 Three Ponds Merlot & Mount Eyre 2009 Three Ponds Shiraz. DOWNLOAD MEDIA RELEASE | DOWNLOAD MOUNT EYRE HISTORY | DOWNLOAD TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS | DOWNLOAD IMAGES

Kym Milne MW, Chief Judge for the 2012 Sydney International Wine Competition.

SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION: 28 Sept 2011

A doubly testing time for judges at 31st Sydney International Wine Competition

When the judging panel meets next month to assess the 2000-plus entries in the 2012 Sydney International Wine Competition, it certainly won’t end their palates’ formal commitment to proceedings. DOWNLOAD RELEASE

WICKS ESTATE: August 2011

Wicks Estate finds a shining light in a decidedly challenging vintage (Release of Wicks Estate 2011 Sauvignon Blanc and Wicks Estate 2009 Chardonnay Pinot Noir)

The 2011 vintage will go down as one of the most challenging and demanding in recent memory throughout much of south-eastern Australia. DOWNLOAD RELEASE | VIEW DOWNLOADABLE IMAGES | VIEW DOWNLOADABLE WINE NOTES

John Cassegrain

CASSEGRAIN WINES: August 2011

John Cassegrain overturns conventional thinking on Australian gewürztraminer (Release of Cassegrain 2010 Edition Noir Gewürztraminer and Cassegrain 2005 Limited Release Gewürztraminer)

For John Cassegrain, the Kirkby family’s Toppers Mountain vineyard, on volcanic basalt at Tingha, just south of Inverell in New England, provides the perfect terroir for producing great gewürztraminer. DOWNLOAD RELEASE | VIEW DOWNLOADABLE IMAGES | VIEW DOWNLOADABLE WINE NOTES

Borry Gartrell in his vineyard on the outskirts of Orange.

BORRODELL VINEYARD: August 2011

Plan B works an absolute treat for Borry and Gaye (Release of Borrodell 2006 Pinot Noir and 2008 Chardonnay)

It was in the early 1990s that Borry Gartrell — with the help of a meaningful nudge from his wife Gaye Stuart-Nairne — peered into his orchard in the foothills of Mount Canobolas, on the outskirts of Orange, and decided that it was time for a Plan B. DOWNLOAD RELEASE

Günter Thies CEO, Brittany Thompson, Viticulturist,  & Steve Skinner, Winemaker, Elephant Hill Estate, Hawkes Bay, NZ.

SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION: 1 March 2011

A light-bodied New Zealander punches above its weight at the 2011 Sydney International Wine Competition

Elephant Hill Estate no doubt raised a few eyebrows at the 2011 Sydney International Wine Competition awards presentation last Saturday when it took out three trophies, including the Joy Lake Memorial Championship Trophy for best wine of the competition, with its 2009 Hawkes Bay Syrah. DOWNLOAD RELEASE

List of Trophy Winners. DOWNLOAD

Keynote Address by James Halliday AM. DOWNLOAD

GO TO list of downloadable high-resolution imahes from Presentation Banquet.

Receiving the Douglas Lamb Perpetual Trophy at the 2011 Royal Sydney Wine Show ... from left, Tom Barry, Peter Barry and Chairman of Judges Iain Riggs. (DOWNLOAD)

JIM BARRY WINES: 18 February 2011

Two old champions of Clare Valley riesling cross paths at the Royal Sydney Wine Show

Jim Barry Wines 2010 Lodge Hill Riesling last night (Monday 17 February) won the 2011 Douglas Lamb Perpetual Trophy, awarded annually at the Royal Sydney Wine Show for the best wine in Class 23 — dry-style riesling, vintage 2010 and older. DOWNLOAD RELEASE | DOWNLOAD IMAGE (Tom Barry & Peter Barry with Chairman of Judges Iain Riggs).

Robert Fiumara ... Lillypilly's 2008 Noble Blend looks the goods for a great show career.

LILLYPILLY ESTATE: January 2011

Lillypilly uncovers a potential successor to its fabled 2002 Family Reserve Noble Blend

Scoring two wines in the Top 100 at the 2011 Sydney International Wine Competition is obviously a magnificent result for a small producer, but for Lillypilly Estate’s winemaker, Robert Fiumara, there’s an even more rewarding undercurrent to the achievement. DOWNLOAD RELEASE | DOWNLOAD RECIPE | DOWNLOAD RECIPE IMAGE

LILLYPILLY ESTATE: 10 November 2011

Lillypilly’s 2002 Noble Blend makes the NSW Top 40 ... for the sixth time

Lillypilly 2002 Family Reserve Noble Blend has been selected in the Top 40 at the 2011 NSW Wine Awards ... the sixth time that this particular vintage of the winery’s flagship botrytised dessert wine has had that distinction. DOWNLOAD RELEASE

LILLYPILLY ESTATE: 16 September 2011

A third International Sweet Wine of the Year Trophy tops a fantastic few days for Lillypilly Estate

It’s certainly been a huge week for Lillypilly Estate, with the Leeton winery’s sweet white wines winning five trophies, a double gold and three gold medals. DOWNLOAD RELEASE

Daniel Binet

BALLABOURNEEN WINES: August 2011

Gamay in the Hunter: Len Evans was at loggerheads ... Ballabourneen reckons his support was well based (Release of Ballabourneen 2011 Gamay Noir and Ballabourneen 2011 Moscato)

When Ballabourneen Wines took a lease on part of the late Len Evans’ Hunter Valley property, they gained much more than a cellar-door outlet on Pokolbin’s “golden mile”. DOWNLOAD RELEASE | VIEW DOWNLOADABLE IMAGES | VIEW DOWNLOADABLE WINE NOTES

LILLYPILLY ESTATE: 4 August 2011

Lillypilly 2008 Noble Blend pips its older brother for sweet-white trophy at Winewise Small Vignerons Awards

Lillypilly Estate’s 2008 Noble Blend has been awarded a 56-point gold medal and the Trophy for Best Sweet White at the 2011 Winewise Small Vigneron Awards, which were judged in Canberra last week. DOWNLOAD RELEASE

JIM BARRY WINES: 25 March 2011

A contemporary taste and look for Jim Barry Lavender Hill

With the release of the 2010 vintage, Jim Barry Wines has repositioned and repackaged its Lavender Hill Sweet Riesling to bring it more into line with contemporary Australian consumer desires. DOWNLOAD RELEASE | DOWNLOAD WINEMAKER'S NOTES | VIEW PRODUCT IMAGES

BLACKJACK VINEYARDS: March 2011

Ian and Ken bid farewell to 2008 — a ‘hellish’ vintage that yielded BlackJack a brace of excellent reds (Release of BlackJack 2008 Major’s Line Shiraz)

For Ian McKenzie and Ken Pollock — who share ownership and winemaking duties at Bendigo’s BlackJack Vineyards — the launch of their 2008 Major’s Line Shiraz represents something of a relief. DOWNLOAD RELEASE

SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL WINE COMPETITION: 8 February 2011

The Sydney International Wine Competition looks back on 30 years of successes ... and to a new beginning

The Sydney International Wine Competition will mark its 30th anniversary with an Awards Presentation Banquet on Saturday 26 February at Sydney’s Shangri La Hotel, where James Halliday AM will deliver the keynote speech — The End of an Era; and a New Beginning. DOWNLOAD RELEASE

Report by Chairman of Judges Kym Milne MW (South Australia): DOWNLOAD

Reflections by Xenia Irwin MW (UK), first-time SIWC judge: DOWNLOAD

Reflections by Oliver Masters (New Zealand), first-time SIWC judge: DOWNLOAD

Reflections by Brent Marris (New Zealand), returning after eight years as an SIWC judge: DOWNLOAD

Reason to smile ... Tim Adams has just purchased the historic Leasingham winery.

TIM ADAMS WINES: December 2010

From cellarhand to owner ... Local winemaker breathes new life into landmark Clare Valley winery

In a deal signed recently winemaker Tim Adams together with his wife and business partner Pam Goldsack will be the new owners of the historic Leasingham winery and cellar door... “We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to resurrect this beautiful and historic landmark property.” said Tim, “I began my winemaking career at Leasingham under the tutorage of Mr Mick Knappstein, so this is more of a home-coming than new venture.” DOWNLOAD RELEASE