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Top of the drops: Wine and beer reviews 2020

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

49 stories
Celebratory and relaxed: Sparkling red wine.

Three sparkling red wines to try

  • Huon Hooke
Marsanne wine country in the Rhone valley, France.

Three bottles of elegant dry marsanne to try

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Prosecco is a good option for Aperol spritzes.

Why Australians have fallen for prosecco (plus six to try)

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Pinot gris is a highly adaptable grape.

Three guises of pinot gris

  • Huon Hooke
Wine drinkers have never been as eager to try new things.

Three Italian red varieties to try

  • Huon Hooke
A new wave of alcohol-free brews bearing internationally famous labels has appeared.

Three alcohol-free beers to try

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
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The range of different styles of shiraz Australia produces is arguably the biggest in the world.

Three styles of shiraz

  • Huon Hooke
Margaret River wines have evolved beautifully in style.

Three bottles of Margaret River chardonnay

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
There is a style of chardonnay for all occasions.

Chardonnay styles for all occasions

  • Huon Hooke
Red wine offers something for almost every taste.

Red wine diversity: Three styles to try

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Price points aren't necessarily linked to the quality of a wine.

Wines that taste like twice the price

  • Huon Hooke
In a buyer's market, there are real bargains out there.

Three wines to enjoy while watching the wallet

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Many long-simmered casseroles include a slosh of red wine.

Three red wines with a little bottle age

  • Huon Hooke
Wines with top-notch regional personality don't need to bust the budget.

Three Australian wines that over-deliver

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
A good gin and tonic beats a pair of slippers any day.

Three drinks with a difference to celebrate Mother's Day

  • Huon Hooke
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These days, tannins are often more mellow than they once were.

Three easy reds to drink right now

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Vintage fortified, formerly named vintage port, is intended to age in the bottle.

Three bottles of red to enjoy in the cooler months

  • Huon Hooke
The region's time-honoured classic styles compare to wines from many more trendy districts.

Three wines from South Australia's Clare Valley

  • Ralph Kyte Powell
Adam Liaw's whole chicken and vegetable soup.

Three wines to drink with winter soup

  • Huon Hooke
Pinosity is what makes pinot noir unique - an enthralling combination of fragrance, wildness, softness and sexiness.

Three red wines big on pinosity

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Good value does exist if you're prepared to go bargain hunting.

Three lockdown recovery wines to enjoy

  • Huon Hooke
Take a risk, try something new.

Exploring the red fringe

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
It's fun when visiting friends to take a bottle with their name on the label.

Birthday wines for young women

  • Huon Hooke
Pinot meunier is gaining popularity as a light-bodied, low-tannin, early-drinking red.

Easy-drinking pinot meunier, the other pinot grape

  • Huon Hooke
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Rhone grape varieties such as grenache have made themselves right at home in Australia.

Warming winter 'Oz variety' reds: grenache, mataro and shiraz

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Try a solidly structured red to go with boeuf bourguignon.

Three wines that are a perfect food match

  • Huon Hooke
For a special occasion splurge, an anniversary, birthday, or as a luxurious gift for a wine lover these wines are mightily impressive.

Three special occasion wines worth saving up for

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
No one can deny sauvignon blanc is one of the world's great grapes.

Three bottles of sauvignon blanc everyone will love

  • Huon Hooke
Many Australian wineries provide wines that offer engaging personality and good quality in the $10-$20 price range.

Three quality no-fuss drops that fit the budget

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Local shiraz blends are enjoying a renaissance these days, with a new wave of finer, more stylish offerings joining hearty traditional types.

Three classic shiraz blends to try

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Wine sales have boomed in recent months, especially for online retailers.

Three direct-selling wine clubs

  • Huon Hooke
Spring traditionally brings hope, and this year we need that commodity more than ever.

Reds for springtime

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Maybe an easy-drinking springtime wine, something direct, smooth and vibrant, can help us focus on the positives.

Three wines that offer good spring value

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell
Sauvignon blanc is Australia's second-most important white variety in planted hectares, after chardonnay.

Three bottles of sauvignon blanc from the Adelaide Hills

  • Huon Hooke
Blends multiply winemakers' chances of achieving flavour complexity.

Three creative dry white blends to try

  • Huon Hooke
Victoria is consistently one of the best sources of chardonnay.

Three Victorian chardonnays for big occasions

  • Ralph Kyte-Powell

Continue this series

Top of the drops: Wine, beer and spirit reviews 2021
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Red to white wines.
  • Collection

Top of the drops: Wine and beer reviews 2019

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

Red to white wines.
  • Collection

Top of the drops: Wine and beer reviews 2018

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

See all stories