2020 Tonic Chardonnay, Yarra Valley, Victoria To white ant someone is to subvert or undermine from within. It is an Australian slang expression often used in reference to political groups. Of course, it comes from the action of termites that surreptitiously eat away at wooden structures from the inside, only for you to discover tooContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #422”
Tag Archives: White Wine
Wine Code Breaker #416
2022 SC Pannell Fi Fi Fiano, McLaren Vale, South Australia Fiano, as a grape, is a producer of a sugary pulp that is highly attractive to bees. Its origins are thought to date back to ancient Roman times, evolving from the grape Apianum, which of course is a Latin derivation of bees. Being a relativelyContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #416”
Wine Code Breaker #414
2022 Mayer Chardonnay Yarra Valley, Victoria The first recorded tasting note for a wine is credited to Samuel Pepys in 1663. His description of the wine was, “hath a good and most particular taste that ever I met with.” This description leaves a lot to the imagination. “Good” can mean many things. I do though likeContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #414”
Wine Code Breaker #410
2021 Eden Road The Long Road Chardonnay, Tumbarumba, New South Wales There is a Latin saying, in vino veritas. In wine, there is truth. Of course in too much wine, there is ruin. Too little, and there is a riot. This is precisely what “International Stab Someone in the Back Day” advocates. Not heard ofContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #410”
Wine Code Breaker #409
2022 Pewsey Vale Riesling, Eden Valley, South Australia Australia’s early economy was said to have ridden on the sheep’s back. John Macarthur is credited as the first to introduce the merino breed that led to the boom on the back of wool. What is less known is that in 1847, Riesling cuttings from his CamdenContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #409”
Wine Code Breaker #405
2022 Tupelo Pinot Gris Riesling Pinot Blanc Gewurtztraminer Stargazer, Tasmania “Would you like some fruit salad”? “No thanks, I already have some” as I sniff and swirl a glass of wine. Does a wine with four or more varieties count as fruit salad? Blending multiple varieties together is to build on the synergies, ensure theContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #405”
Wine Code Breaker #404
2022 Longview Macclesfield Grüner Veltliner, Adelaide Hills, South Australia The recent elevation in grunting from the TV speakers marks the arrival of the tennis season to our shores. Why all this noise? Well, there is scientific evidence that proves the dynamic velocity and isometric force of both serves and forehand strokes increases with grunting. ThatContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #404”
Wine Code Breaker #398
2021 Ghost Rock Pinot Gris, Tasmania The forbidden fruit can be many things. Your own forbidden fruit appears to depend upon your cultural leanings, educational curiosity and life experiences. Figs, apples, pears, pomegranates and grapes all get a mention. As an aside, it is highly amusing to discover that apple in Latin means apple, butContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #398”
Wine Code Breaker #395
2021 Bird in Hand Sauvignon Blanc Adelaide Hills, South Australia Cat’s pee can be detected at 50 paces and assails one’s nostrils with such force that no other odour is able to be perceived for days. Poorly made Sauvignon Blanc can do something similar. At its least offensive, it is flabby and insults the senses.Continue reading “Wine Code Breaker #395”
Wine Code Breaker #387
2021 Granite Hills Riesling, Macedon Ranges, Victoria Burke and Wills set out on their remarkable, yet tragic, journey from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria, facing their first challenge in the winter of 1860 when traversing the Macedon Ranges. This is a range that is dominated by granite outcrops that rise and fall 300 toContinue reading “Wine Code Breaker #387”
The Unexpurgated Wine Code 