“If there is an attraction (for organics/biodynamics) in the marketplace, then there will be some unscrupulous people that will come along and fill that attraction, and do damage to everyone else in the process.” – Wayne Ahrens, Small Fry Wines. Wayne Ahrens told me this, back in October 2013, when I interviewed him for a … Continue reading ‘A Word On Wine’
Happy New Year, Wine Idealists! Welcome to 2016… It’s been a while between stories (but definitely not between drinks!) on thewineidealist.com… I’ve had almost a month off to unwind and assess the evolution of The Wine Idealist over the last three years. Both it and I have come a long way since I wrote a few enthused lines about … Continue reading Welcome to Wine Idealism in 2016…
Hello, Wine Idealists! This week’s /NEW/ Edition of The Wine Idealist will also be the /FINAL/ edition for 2015… I have taken a bit of a different tact with this final post than in year’s past. I’ve written a small poem for you all. I hope you enjoy reading it… – – – Natural Wine Rules – … Continue reading Natural Wine Rules – Cheers! 2015 –
– – The Wine Idealist is 3 years old! Happy Birthday to The Wine Idealist! Thank you for reading! I started this blog, back in November 2012, because I wanted to learn more about natural, organic, and biodynamic wines, specifically from Australia and New Zealand. And, because I like drinking wine… obviously. Being a journalist, I figured … Continue reading Happy Birthday! – The Wine Idealist is 3 Years Old!
– – “It is what it is,” says Daniel Graham. Daniel is a Barossa Valley winemaker who used to make wine for Jacobs Creek. He grew up in Griffith, NSW, where his father is a winemaker. He studied viticulture and winemaking at Charles Sturt University, in Wagga Wagga. After graduating, Daniel moved to Canada, before doing vintages … Continue reading ‘It Is What It Is’ – Sigurd Wines, South Australia
– – – – “Do I have anything useful to say?”, asks David Fesq, creative conspirator, and winemaker behind one of Australia’s trendiest wine labels – Between Five Bells. “One thing I do know is that I don’t need to add any more wine to the industry.” “Wine can be so full of bullshit…” David … Continue reading VINTAGE WINE IDEALISM – Between Five Bells
Alex Craighead is an Australian born New Zealander who trained as a chef, before moving to Western Australia for the warm weather, and to study accounting. “I moved to WA because I was so sick of the cold in Wellington,” says Alex. “I didn’t have very much money and the only place we could go … Continue reading IS DON IS GOOD – DON Wines, Martinborough, NZ
In 2009, the Black Saturday Bushfires ripped through much of the state of Victoria, destroying 2,100 homes and properties, including Kate Kirkhope’s vineyard at Tarrawarra, in the Yarra Valley. “The fires tore through and obliterated our entire property,” says Kate, “and it was just way too big an expense to try and rehabilitate the property for winegrowing again.” … Continue reading ‘Bellarine Phoenix’ – Kiltynane Wines
Hello, Wine Idealists! Happy Friday! I hope this post finds you smiling and well (and with, possibly, a glass of something nice in your hand!)… There’s some exciting news afoot, here at thewineidealist.com and #wineidealism HQ! Now, before you start to think… – “Oh yeah, righto mate. What kind of cheap crap do you think … Continue reading Help Keep The Wine Idealist Sustainable… Support #WineIdealism!
Bart Arnst is one of New Zealand’s leading organic grape growers. In another life, he may well have been a prop in the New Zealand All Blacks rugby team, or, perhaps a member of the Hells Angels MC. But, in this one, he plays the role of a gentle giant sitting amongst a sward of yarrow cover … Continue reading ‘Push The Progression’ – Bart Arnst and The Darling Wines of Marlborough, N.Z
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