The sister champagne houses of Piper-Heidsieck, Charles Heidsieck and Rare Champagne have become the first in Champagne to join 21 other wineries globally in achieving B Corp certification to strengthen their commitments to both social and environmental issues. When I first met Émilien Boutillat after he joined Piper-Heidsieck as Chef de Cave in October 2018, […]

Another highly anticipated Penfolds Collection lands on 4 August! The inaugural Bordeaux release showcases that a vision of classic Penfolds winemaking makes for a compelling offering in the landscape of Bordeaux (scroll down). And the Napa set is evidence that Penfolds’ fit here is a confident one, too. For what it’s worth, the two wines […]

The creation of the legendary Champagne Charlie is surrounded in incredible secrets that have remained buried since 1976 – secrets unknown even to colleagues who worked alongside its creator Daniel Thibault himself. With the rebirth of Champagne Charlie, all is now revealed.

While the world was locked down last year I visited the sparkling folk of Tasmania to share their incredible stories with our friends around the world. This five part series is not a paid presentation. Very much a labour of love! Thanks to the winemakers for sharing their journeys, to Joe Chelkowski for filming, and […]

This is the story of my inaugural advanced champagne certificate in February 2022. Read the full story including photos and guest reflections. Join me for my next Advanced Champagne Certificate. Read the full story. Join me for my next Advanced Champagne Certificate.

A decent glass is the most important thing you need to make the most of every bottle, and a great polishing cloth is the best way to keep your glass in top form. I couldn’t find the perfect glass polishing cloth, so I created it. I own more than 1000 wine glasses and I wash […]

This is a particularly crucial and dynamic moment for champagne in the UK. Champagne is fast on the move and never before has an annual update been more pertinent. No French wine region has been revolutionised over the past two decades as dramatically as Champagne. And no appellation has needed it more desperately. Champagne is […]

It seems there’s no predicting what Australia’s love affair with champagne will do next. After the first two successive years of decline in champagne shipments since the start of the millennium, the pandemic hit, and with it dire woes of champagne armageddon. While the rest of the world spiralled into a dramatic champagne tailspin to […]

We all need non-alcoholic alternatives. But despite the meteoric growth of this category in recent years, I’ve never found one I can actually drink. Until now. For the past 15 years I’ve been writing and hosting The Great Australian Red Competition with UK wine taster Matthew Jukes, who I’ve grown to admire as possessing the […]

Think you’re getting the best price for your wine purchases? My latest findings might surprise you. In assembling my Top 30 for $30, have a guess who came up trumps with the best price exactly three-quarters of the time: cellar doors, independent retailers or chain stores? Following the viral response to my Top 20 for […]