The Full Bottle
Dreaming about planting your own vineyard or starting a winery? Read this first
The cost of establishing a vineyard has never been higher, and then you have to sell the wine. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
- Huon Hooke
Where to buy a good lighter style of shiraz in Australia
Cool-climate regions are the place for this more refined, aromatic and less-weighty style of red wine.
- Huon Hooke
Can I fly domestic with a bottle of champagne in my hand luggage?
Airlines insist you don’t pack anything with the potential to explode, but can you bring bubble-wrapped bubbly onboard?
- Huon Hooke
Forget fake designer bags, counterfeit wine production is rampant
It’s not so much about prestige bottles, the big money lies in concocting large volumes of cheaper wines that lots of people will buy.
- Huon Hooke
Why are Australian winemakers still using wine corks instead of screwcaps?
Screwcaps aren’t necessarily the best closure, but they’re arguably the best we have at present and much more consistent than cork.
- Huon Hooke
Chilling a red? The ideal serving temperature for serving wine
Often we lazily chuck all whites in the fridge and serve reds at room temperature. But here’s how to do it properly.
- Huon Hooke
From the vineyard to bottle: How location - or terroir - affects the taste of wine
Influencing factors include sunshine, temperature, rainfall, humidity, latitude and altitude, aspect, slope and soil fertility.
- Huon Hooke
Why some winemakers think filtering removes the ‘goodness’ of the wine
Unfiltered white wines may appear cloudy, but it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s worse than a clear wine.
- Huon Hooke
Buyer beware: Should you trust the opinion of retail-staff wine reviews?
Some boutique wine shops may publish a trustworthy critique, but most liquor retailer reviews should be taken with a grain of salt.
- Huon Hooke
What’s the shelf life of wine in soft packs?
Not to be confused with cask wine, there appears to be a trend to package higher-quality wines in pouches.
- Huon Hooke