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A toast to legacy, a clash over creativity, and a bottle that could change how we drink. We open with a tribute to Peter Fraser—winemaker, mentor, and quiet force at Yangarra—then step straight into the friction points shaping wine right now: the awards that reward meaningful storytelling, the slogan that sparked a pile-on, and the packaging pivot that’s bigger than aesthetics.

We unpack the Wine Communicator Awards and why Halliday’s podcast comeback matters when trust is hard-won. Max Allen’s recognition is a reminder that longform writing still anchors the culture—holding memory, nuance, and accountability. From there, we tackle the Next Crop t-shirt controversy. Was it a bad call? Yes. But the deeper lesson is how to build safe creative lanes for emerging leaders: responsible messaging, clear guardrails, and mentorship that keeps bold ideas alive rather than shutting them down.

Innovation takes a more practical turn with Brown Brothers’ aluminium wine bottle. Lighter to ship, infinitely recyclable, and container-deposit friendly, it addresses the carbon drag of glass without asking the wine to change. We explore why consumers push back, how category cues evolve, and what it takes to make sustainability feel like an upgrade. Then we zoom out to France, where grower protests signal a global reality: oversupply hurts. Distillation aid and vine pull schemes buy time, but the honest fix is right-sizing plantings, shifting styles, and aligning with demand.

For a festive detour, we fact-check Netflix’s Champagne Problems—funny, charming, and gloriously wrong on méthode traditionnelle. It’s a teachable moment that starts with pop culture and ends in real craft. We wrap with something practical: a standout Aldi Malbec that nails benchmark Argentinian style—dark fruit, firm tannin, bright acid—and doubles as a great learning bottle. And a heads-up: we’re about to taste through some of Australia’s most iconic wines, from Grange to regional legends, to map where heritage and modern taste meet.

If you enjoyed this episode, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves wine (or loves a good debate), and leave a quick review to help more listeners find us. What change do you want to see in wine next?

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Ever wondered how a $12 Italian white can stand toe-to-toe with a $40 benchmark? We bring Aldi Australia’s wine buyer, Jason, into the studio and pull back the curtain on how supermarket wines can be precise, expressive, and outrageously good value without cutting corners. From the first pour, it’s clear his approach is different: start with typicity, build texture with intention, and collaborate with winemakers until the brief becomes a glass of something you want a second pour of.

We kick off with a blind Soave face-off that tests preconceptions about price and provenance—two 100% Garganega wines, both mineral, mandarin-tinged, and savoury, separated mostly by label and cost. Jason breaks down how long-term producer partnerships, large-format oak, and lees work can deliver both freshness and mouthfeel at a price that shocks. We then dive into the craft behind their Tasmanian Pinot Gris—anchored in Alsace-like texture but kept nimble—and why he’ll skip famous appellations like Chablis if the quality-to-price equation isn’t right. His value isn’t “cheap”; it’s clarity of style at a smarter price.

Red lovers get plenty to sip on too. The Heathcote Shiraz brief leans Syrah: sustainably farmed fruit, a touch of whole bunch for lift, wild ferments, and large French oak for framing rather than flavour. The result is blue-fruited, perfumed, medium-bodied, and designed to be enjoyable beyond the first glass. We also unpack Marlborough Reserve Sauvignon, built from cooler Awatere acidity and main valley passionfruit, and a Central Otago Pinot that benefits from premium parcels seeking a home—proof that careful sourcing can turn constraints into elegance.

If you’re planning a summer spread, steal Jason’s relaxed Christmas lineup: Moscato d’Asti and Premier Cru Champagne to start, mineral Italian whites with seafood, then textural whites and bright Pinot with turkey and ham. You’ll hear honest talk about blind tasting, label design, and the quiet discipline that keeps a $3.49 bottle and a $20 bottle aligned to the same standard: it has to taste like where it’s from. Like conversations that challenge your palate and your budget? Hit play, subscribe, share with a wine-curious friend, and tell us the best value bottle you’ve opened lately.

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We blind taste Aldi’s Blackstone Paddock against renowned Australian bottles and were absolutely shocked by what we found.

• Aldi wines + our end of year partnership
• Aldi Blackstone Paddock Tasmanian Pinot Gris ($19.99) tasted with a renowned Tasmanian Pinot Gris worth approx $40 - a beautiful alsatian style with savoury notes and oily texture.
• Aldi Blackstone Paddock Margaret River Chardonnay ($19.99) tasted with a great $70 Margaret River Chardonnay. It emerged as a modern, flinty style. Daring, aimed at wine nerds - impressive.
• Aldi Blackstone Paddock Tasmanian Pinot Noir ($19.99) beside two other Tassie Pinot Noirs ($40 and $50) - the Aldi stood tall in quality, delivering finesse.
• Aldi Blackstone Paddock Margaret River Cabernet ($19.99) structure, tannin, and cellaring advice
• Why Aldi’s team leans into authentic regional profiles
• Availability notes and state restrictions on liquor sales
• Teaser for next week’s interview with the Aldi wine buyer

Check out your local Aldi store and explore the Blackstone Paddock range

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We blind-taste three Kunawarra Cabernets and then compare our notes to the wineries’ own descriptions to see what holds up. Along the way we share a science-backed look at regional character, practical decanting and cellaring advice, and a simple rule to spot trustworthy tasting notes.

Wines: 

• Redman 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon 
• Brand and Sons 2026 Cabernet Sauvignon 
• Zema Estate 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon 

Notes:
• what “old-school” Kunawarra Cabernet tastes like
• how tannin texture and bay leaf markers guide pairing
• why some marketing notes miss the mark
• which notes aligned with structure, age and balance
• decanting windows versus long-term cellaring
• how to read technical cues in tasting notes
• when “yummy” language is enough for drink-now wines
• pricing, vintages and value signals across three bottles
• a quick look at research on regional signatures

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Next week we unveil a new partnership — make a guess and tune in

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We taste the spritz surge head‑on, from peachy Bellina to zesty Zoncello, a spiced curveball, and a local bitter orange can, while unpacking how climate news nudges fine‑wine prices and how producers adapt. We share how to serve spritz properly, why real fruit matters, and why welcoming spritz grows the wine world.

• the spritz boom across Australian shelves and bars
• serving rules for balance with ice and citrus
• Zoncello's Bellina peach spritz ($25) as the crowd‑pleaser
• Zoncello’s lemoncello spritz ($25) hit and bold marketing
• Squeeling Pig apple and cinnamon ($16) as a winter‑leaning flavour
• SOFI’s local bitter orange cans (4 for $18) as an Aperol alternative
• climate news linking to lower fine‑wine prices
• regional style shifts driven by warming trends
• real fruit vs flavour additives in spritz
• gateway drinks that expand wine’s audience
• next week’s teaser on honest tasting notes

As always, please, if you enjoy our podcast. Rate reviewers. Give us however many stars you think we deserve. And then lastly, if you like our podcast, please send an episode to your friends. Put it on your socials. Help spread the word.

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We put the champagne opening myth to the test, comparing the quiet hiss to the party pop to see if bubble quality actually changes. Along the way we unpack Coravin’s medical-engineering roots, wine by the glass growth, and why glassware choice feels fussy yet useful.

• Coravin inventor’s medical background and impact
• How Coravin preserves wine using argon
• London and Melbourne leading wine by the glass
• Safety-first method for opening sparkling
• Charmat versus traditional method explained
• Blind tasting: pop versus hiss bubble texture
• Glassware choices for sparkling, aged Riesling, and red
• Theatre of wine versus practical service

Please leave a review and follow! 

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What if two Pinots from the same producer, made the same way, could still taste nothing alike? We uncork that mystery by tracing flavour back to elevation, aspect, soil and the quiet work of a long ripening season. Starting on the Mornington Peninsula with Ten Minutes by Tractor, we compare “Down the Hill” and “Up the Hill” and show how a cooler ridge delivers darker colour, finer tannins and perfume, while lower sites pour bright cranberry fruit and a touch more bunchy grip. The takeaway is simple and thrilling: site speaks, even when the label doesn’t list a formal sub-region.

Then we head to the Yarra Valley with Giant Steps, where single-vineyard Pinots translate geography into texture. Sexton in Gruyere ripens earliest and drinks fleshier with darker fruit and confident tannin. Applejack in Gladysdale steps higher for florals, red cherry and elegant structure. Bastard Hill climbs again, picking later and unfolding cardamom, Sichuan pepper and coiled energy that begs for time. With consistent winemaking across the range, the differences you taste are pure place—grey clays versus red volcanic soils, bushland buffering temperatures, row orientation guiding sunlight across the canopy.

Along the way we unpack how unofficial sub-regions coexist with Australia’s GI system, why row direction matters as much as slope, and how climate change has nudged former sparkling strongholds into still-wine brilliance. If Burgundy taught us to listen to parcels, Mornington and the Yarra are crafting an Australian dialect of terroir that any curious drinker can learn. Ready to taste the map instead of just reading it? Follow the journey, share it with a wine friend, and if you love this kind of deep dive, tap subscribe, leave a review, and tell us which vineyard you want us to visit next.

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Think all Pinot Noir is just “light red”? Three glasses say otherwise. We set up a controlled taste test with Handpicked’s single-vineyard Pinot from Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula, and the Yarra Valley to hear terroir speak without the noise of wildly different winemaking. The result is a crisp, side-by-side sensory map of Australian Pinot: an elegant, hibiscus-and-cranberry whisper from Tassie; a plush, red-cherry surge with velvet tannins from Mornington; and a taut, sour-cherry line with tomato leaf and structure from Yarra.

We start by framing why place matters—cool climates, longer hang time, and how flavour precursors accumulate—and then tackle the GI reality that Tasmania is still labelled under a single umbrella despite its diverse pockets like Coal River and Tamar. Keeping producer and intent constant at the $90 tier lets texture, aroma, and tannin shape become the guideposts. Along the way, we share the practical stuff: which dishes sing with each style (think Peking duck pancakes, confit duck, and crisp-skinned poultry), how to build an affordable group tasting night that outperforms a wine bar tab, and why premium, site-first winemaking doesn’t have to feel intimidating when you know what to expect in the glass.

There’s levity, too—a cheeky “Am I A Wine Wanker?” moment on bringing your own glass to a BYO—and genuine listener love for a tasting club that pairs our episodes with themed snacks. The biggest takeaway? Regionality in Australian Pinot isn’t a slogan; it’s visible in the colour, audible in the nose, and tactile in the tannin. Next, we zoom further to sub-regions to see if the fine grain holds up.

If you enjoy thoughtful tastings with real-world tips, hit follow, share this with your wine-curious mates, and leave a quick review—then tell us which region won your glass tonight.

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Wine scoring systems have proliferated, leaving many consumers confused about who to trust when choosing their next bottle. We break down the differences between wine shows, critic ratings, classifications, and journalistic approaches to help you navigate the complex world of wine recommendations.

• Wine shows use panels of expert judges who taste wines blind, scoring on a 100-point scale
• Judges award bronze (85-89), silver (90-94), and gold (95+) medals based on technical merit
• The Real Review groups wines by variety for comparative tasting, with critics having freedom to taste non-blind
• Halliday Wine Companion uses regional specialists who focus on terroir-specific excellence
• Langton's Classification is data-driven, ranking wines based on auction performance and collector demand
• Wine writer Max Allen avoids scoring altogether, focusing on storytelling and context
• Regional wine shows offer valuable insight into local specialties
• Personal preferences should ultimately guide your wine choices

To find wines you'll truly enjoy, consider which approach aligns with your own preferences and use these systems as helpful guides rather than definitive judgments.

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Meg and Mel dive into the groundbreaking Endeavor wine industry report that reveals surprising insights about Australian wine consumption patterns across demographics and regions.

• Affluence drives wine purchase more than age, with wealthy consumers favouring Champagne, Chardonnay, and surprisingly, Riesling
• Gen Z unexpectedly over-indexes on Champagne consumption despite limited budgets
• Tasmania and Western Australia show the strongest loyalty to their local wine regions
• The Yarra Valley is experiencing growth while Tasmania faces market challenges despite producing top-rated sparkling wines
• Victoria drives wine trends like Pinot Noir and spritz culture that spread across Australia
• Queensland shows unique preferences for New Zealand wines and sweeter styles
• Prosecco dominates the sparkling category nationwide, particularly from King Valley
• Millennials are just now coming into red wine and Champagne as their palates mature and incomes increase
• Each Australian state displays distinct wine personality profiles that reveal cultural differences

Find the complete "State of Grapes" report online for more insights into Australia's wine consumption patterns.

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