From the Editor, Leigh O’Connor.
The Australian boutique wine industry represents a dynamic and growing sector within the country’s broader viticulture landscape.
Characterised by small-scale, often family-owned wineries, boutique producers prioritise quality over quantity, focusing on handcrafted wines that reflect terroir, innovation and artisanal methods.
Australia has long been known for its major wine regions - such as the Barossa Valley, Margaret River, Hunter Valley and Yarra Valley - but within and beyond these regions, boutique wineries have carved out a niche.
This week, we go beyond the Barossa to seek out hidden-gem regions producing world-class drops and the restaurants showcasing them best. Take a journey with us to Readers’ Choice Award-winning wineries, along with a curated guide to wine country weekenders just waiting to whisk you away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Can You Guess the Top Countries with an Aussie Wine Obsession? Australia's wine industry is worth a whopping $7.2 billion and with 60% of all Australian-grown and bottled wines being sent overseas to be enjoyed by other nations, the globe seems to agree: Australia does wine well.
We tell you which countries are partial to an Aussie tipple – our Kiwi neighbours are certainly enamoured, drinking 9.38 bottles per legal drinking age person on average every year.
As the temperature drops, there’s nothing like a glass of red to warm things up - whether you’re unwinding at home or sharing a hearty meal with friends and loved ones. ALDI has released its latest collection of seasonal wines and we taste test six that are sure to tempt red lovers.
As a teenager, you would find Jack Powlay at home teaching himself how to spin sugar or making an apple Charlotte out of an old Larousse Gastronomic cookbook. These days you will find him in charge of the kitchen at Chef-hatted Sault restaurant in Daylesford, where we head for this week’s Chef Chat.
Don’t miss Jack’s recipe for beef tartare with a twist – but be warned, you will need to start the fermented tomato powder used in this dish about 10-11 days before you plan to serve it!
Vera Italia’s Chiara Barbera invites you to meet Franco – the ‘Willy Wonka’ of Cedro. Got you hooked? One of Chiara’s Culture Creators, Franco makes gelato from cedro – a large, fragrant citrus fruit native to the Tyrrhenian Coast of Calabra - which unlike its cousins, lemons and oranges, has minimal pulp and the flavour is found in its rind.
We also serve up exotic wine and food pairings along with red wine recipes for a warm and comforting Winter meal – you’re welcome!
