Rare cask

Rare cognac sells for high price

French winemaker Remy Martin is selling 786 bottles of a very rare cognac for $16,464 a bottle.

Winestein uncorked

Gettin' fizzy with it

DAVID PRESTIPINO Once upon a time I cringed at the thought of drinking red wine that was fizzy and cold, but the fact is Australian winemakers have started producing stuff that's worth trying, and sticking to.

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Medieval tipple

The great armagnac quest

HENRY SAMUEL IN PARIS Producers of armagnac, France's oldest spirit, are on a drive to win over a new generation of tipplers as the golden digestif marks its 700th anniversary.

Winestein Uncorked

A pinot in my pantry

After the financial excesses of Christmas, David Prestipino finds some winners in the bargain bin of his local bottle shop.

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Winestein uncorked

Top 20 wine bargains for Christmas

DAVID PRESTIPINO Wine writer David Prestipino has collated a list of his top 20 best wines for Christmas.

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The comeback kings

DAVID PRESTIPINO, WINESTEIN UNCORKED Angove wines has some of the best value wines available in Australia this summer.

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Bubbly burst

Price bubble pops

JENI PORT Champagne is going cheap as the GFC bites, writes Jeni Port.

Wine battle

Duel for Australia's best bottle of red

WINSOR DOBBIN After more than 50 years, the supremacy of Penfolds Grange as Australia's leading wine is under threat.

International recognition

Vintage award year for McGuigan wines

VALKERIE BAYNES Australia's McGuigan Wines has been named winemaker of the year at the prestigious International Wine and Spirit Competition.

Winestein uncorked

Wine fit for papal palates

DAVID PRESTIPINO The Pope will salute Australia with a glass of red from a small-family run Coonawarra winery on Australia Day.

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Top drop

Chardonnay wins top NSW wine award

SARAH MCINERNEY The much-maligned chardonnay gained a reputation boost last night when Brokenwood's 2007 vintage won a coveted state wine award.

Image problem

Australian chardonnay is fighting back

Chardonnay is suffering from an image problem but local winemakers are gearing up to do something about it.

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Delivered to your door

Need help choosing a wine? Join the club

SARAH MCINERNEY Sick of staring blankly at the shelves of the bottle shop only to choose a wine that doesn't live up to expectations? A wine club could be the answer, writes Sarah McInerney.

Wine with personality

Wine organics

PETER BOURNE, THE (SYDNEY) MAGAZINE Going green can be a test for any winemaker but organic wine delivers wonderful flavours, writes Peter Bourne.

Comic relief

A graphic grape with hints of lemon and manga

DANIELLA MILETIC D'arry Osborn is 82, lives on the land and has never heard of Japanese manga comics - but he has a lot to thank them for.

Out-priced

In the red: Penfolds St Henri reaps $8000 at wine auction

KELSEY MUNRO Penfolds Grange, long revered as the greatest and most expensive Australian wine, has a serious challenger.

Wine history

Penfolds Grange collection an auction winner

A collection of Penfolds Grange, spanning 40 vintages, sold for $138,000 at auction.

Mixed messages

Drinking for your health - it's a balancing act

PAULA GOODYER The consumption of red wine can create a good news story or a bad one - depending on which research you read.

Top drops

Hidden treasures

BEN CANAIDER Ben Canaider shares some of his favourite wineries from off the beaten track.

The rules

Matching wine with food

SIMON THOMSEN Forget the rule that red wine goes with red meat and whites with white meat. It's all a matter of taste.

Top of the drops

Australia's favourite wines to keep

SARAH MCINERNEY One of Australia's biggest wine cellaring companies has released a list of the top 50 wines we like to cellar. Penfolds Grange topped the list but there were also a few surprises.

International wine

Expanding wine horizons

BEN CANAIDER One in 10 bottles of wine consumed in Australia today is imported and sales are growing, writes Ben Canaider.

WINE LISTS

Who's Afraid of the Restaurant Wine List?

JENI PORT While there are times you might feel out of your depth, the restaurant wine list is not your enemy.

NEW GRAPE VARIETIES

Wines you should look out for

JENI PORT Some wines on the shelves present a minefield of potentially embarrassing mis-pronunciation - but they're also very exotic.

TOP DROP

Location, location, location

BEN CANAIDER Wine writer Ben Canaider takes a quick trip through the hills and valleys of Australia’s wine regions.

Gifts

Plonk the perfect present down

JANE SOUTHWARD How to select a special bottle for people of all vintages.

Sweet talking

Not just for the ladies

JENI PORT For years, winemakers have noted that Australian wine drinkers talk dry but drink sweet.

Starting a cellar

Cellar dwellers

JENI PORT Starting a wine cellar can be great fun but don't confuse laying down bottles for future drinking pleasure with future financial gain.

snob appeal

Class in a glass

MARK HAWTHORNE Wine is loaded with snob appeal, but don't let that scare you off. Here are 10 easy steps to getting more enjoyment out of wine.

WINE

Screw cap versus cork

JENI PORT The debate is over - the aluminium screw cap is here to stay.

expectation

Are expensive wines worth it?

JENI PORT Does an expensive wine always mean a better wine?

taste

Time to breathe

JENI PORT One of Australia's leading sommeliers, Frederic Rivard, has a firm policy to decant almost every wine he and his team serve.

BARGAINS

Wines a billionaire drinks

ERIC ARNOLD, FORBES.COM One of the world's richest men can afford any wine he wants, but his top picks suit anyone's budget.

Mornington pinot

PETER BOURNE THE (SYDNEY) MAGAZINE Passionate Victorian winemakers have mastered the famously tricky pinot grape.

In the box seat

PETER BOURNE THE (SYDNEY) MAGAZINE Forget that cheap and cheerful image - casks have moved upmarket and offer great value.

cellaring

A fine drop

JUSTINE COSTIGAN Climate control is essential to the health of your wine, according to the experts.

wine expert

Top five wine dos and don'ts

TESSIE VANDERWERT When it comes to handling wine, show respect.

GOING GREEN

Plonk in plastic

RACHEL BROWNE First it was screw caps, now it's wine in plastic bottles. What next?

vintage

New Penfolds Grange released

Latest batch of Australia's iconic wine, Penfold's Grange, released at $550 a bottle.

sommelier

At home with the Grange

Fancy a bottle of Grange? Just head to South Australia and make your own.