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Top of the drops: Wine and beer reviews 2018

Wines and brews reviewed by Good Food drinks experts Huon Hooke and Ralph Kyte-Powell.

47 stories
Shiraz goes surprisingly well with medium-hot Indian curries.

Three wines that match up to spicy food

  • Huon Hooke
Sparkling wine being poured into glass.

Three 'alternative' bubblies

  • Huon Hooke
Terms such as chalk, gravel, ironstone, steel and gun-flint are used to describe minerality in wine.

Three chardonnays showing minerality

  • Huon Hooke
Sparkling wine.

Three great-value sparkling wines from Tasmania

  • Huon Hooke
The current releases of some of Australia's greatest wines are guaranteed to blow your mind.

Three of the best: High-scoring Australian wines

  • Huon Hooke
There's more to wine than shiraz, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc.

New-discovery grape varieties: Three to try

  • Huon Hooke
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Seppeltsfield's 1878 Centennial Cellar, where the flagship 100 Year Old Tawny is housed.

Any port in a storm: Three fortified wines for winter

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
White wine isn't just for the warmer months.

Three white wines for cooler weather

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
The best Australian chardonnays are comparable to any around the globe.

Is chardonnay Australia's best white wine?

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Pinot noir grapes.

In the pink: Three pinot noirs of contrasting styles

  • Huon Hooke
Red wine pouring into wine glass.

Three wines made from nero d'Avola grapes

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Black wines are bold and beautiful.

Five black wines to drink this winter

  • Chris Morrison
Australia is the sixth-largest export market for Champagne.

Three champagnes of different styles

  • Huon Hooke
Australian winemakers are roaming the globe looking for new grape varieties to try.

Three less-common white wine varieties

  • Huon Hooke
Cellaring wine doesn't mean locking it up for 20 years.

Three age-worthy reds that won't blow the budget

  • Huon Hooke
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Grenache grapes ripe on the vine.

Comeback trail: The return of Australian grenache

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Two glasses of white wine standing side by side.

The white grape variety that's back in vogue

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Stream of wine being pouring into a glass closeup. Downloaded under the Good Food team account (contact syndication for reuse permissions).

Three vegan-friendly wines: A win-win-wine situation

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Botrytised grapes in the sunshine.

Sweet as: Three Australian sticky wines

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Even modestly priced red wines can improve with cellaring.

Three affordable reds that will cellar well

  • Huon Hooke
Not all $20 wines are created equal.

20 buck luck: Three good-value Australian red wines

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Victoria has become the home of pinot noir in Australia.

The rise and rise of Victorian pinot noir

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Riesling grapes on the vine.

Low-octane, high-intensity wines

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Shiraz grapes on the vine.

Three grenache-shiraz-mourvedre blends

  • Huon Hooke
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Thirst-quenching summer beers.

Drinks reviews: ​Three Aussie beers for Australia Day

  • Huon Hooke
Gerwurztraminer grapes.

Three wines to see in the Year of the Dog

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Dark-coloured, strongly flavoured wintry brews.

Back in black: Three dark beers for cool weather

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
An inexpensive wine is only a bargain if it's good.

Everybody loves a bargain: Three well-priced wines to try

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Chenin blanc is an important grape variety in France's Loire Valley.

The adaptable chenin blanc: Three to try

  • Huon Hooke
Cabernet franc is one of the five classic Bordeaux red grapes yet it seldom takes a solo role.

Three cabernet franc-driven reds

  • Huon Hooke
In Australian, rosé can be made from any grape variety.

Three interesting Australian rosés to keep you in the pink

  • Huon Hooke
A ripe bunch of sangiovese grapes.

Sangiovese makes itself at home in Australian soil

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Judiciously handled, viognier adds aromatic complexity and perfume to shiraz.

Red with white: Three grape blends to try

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Italy is a treasure trove of grapes just waiting to be discovered.

​Three Italian whites from lesser known varieties

  • Huon Hooke
Riesling grapes at vintage.

Three refreshing rieslings for spring

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Harvested shiraz grapes at Henschke's Hill of Grace vineyard in Eden Valley, South Australia.

The three big guns of Australian red wine

  • Huon Hooke

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Top of the drops: Wine and beer reviews 2019
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Sauvignon blanc has put the Marlborough region of New Zealand on the world wine map.

Marlborough sauvignon blanc: Three to try

New Zealand's most famous wine is also Australia's favourite white. Here are three savvy sauvignon blancs putting Marlborough on the map.

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