Author Archives: The Wine Commander

International Pinot Noir Day

Posted on August 18, 2025 by The Wine Commander

It may have passed you by but 18 August was International Pinot Noir Day,  It is particularly celebrated in New Zealand as the world continues to drink more and more Kiwi Pinot. Wine Titles reports that as consumer preferences shift … Continue reading →

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Wines of McLaren Vale

Posted on October 21, 2024 by The Wine Commander

I had the pleasure to revisit the McLaren Vale region of South Australia and visit a number of smaller producers – after all that’s where gems can be found. The first settlers to the region included a Charles Hewitt who … Continue reading →

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Pinotage Odyssey in Stellenbosch

Posted on October 7, 2024 by The Wine Commander

Pinotage became a unique South African grape variety when a Professor of viticulture at Stellenbosch University crossed the varieties of Pinot and cinsault (Shiraz). But it took until 1941 until the first Pinotage wine was made. Some international acclaim was … Continue reading →

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Retropective Wynns Black Label tasting

Posted on May 27, 2024 by The Wine Commander

The annual release of Wynns Coonawarra wines known as Wynnsday is officially Wednesday 5th June, 2024. However I was privileged to a preview of three of their icon wines with Wynns Senior Winemaker, Sue Hodder (left) as part of a … Continue reading →

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Extensive Margaret River Tasting

Posted on May 25, 2023 by The Wine Commander

I was delighted to visit the Margaret River region in May on a mission to concentrate on chardonnay and cabernet/blends. The first thing I quickly realised was the abundance of the Gingin clone which originated from the Côte d’Or, France and … Continue reading →

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