Wine with Meg + Mel

Send us Fan Mail We taste a line-up of Australian icons. From Tasmanian bubbles to Hunter Semillon, Canberra Shiraz Viognier, and Yarra Cabernet blends, we map style, site, and ageability with unashamed love for homegrown greatness. • Arras Late Disgorged 2009  • Tyrrell’s Vat 1 2019 • Tolpuddle Chardonnay 2004 • Clonakilla’s Shiraz Viognier 2024 • Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 1 2021 Please follow us...

Send us Fan Mail A toast to legacy, a clash over creativity, and a bottle that could change how we drink. We open with a tribute to Peter Fraser—winemaker, mentor, and quiet force at Yangarra—then step straight into the friction points shaping wine right now: the awards that reward meaningful storytelling, the slogan that sparked a pile-on, and the packaging pivot that’s bigger than aesthetics. We...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered how a $12 Italian white can stand toe-to-toe with a $40 benchmark? We bring Aldi Australia’s wine buyer, Jason, into the studio and pull back the curtain on how supermarket wines can be precise, expressive, and outrageously good value without cutting corners. From the first pour, it’s clear his approach is different: start with typicity, build texture with intention,...

Send us Fan Mail We blind taste Aldi’s Blackstone Paddock against renowned Australian bottles and were absolutely shocked by what we found. • Aldi wines + our end of year partnership • Aldi Blackstone Paddock Tasmanian Pinot Gris ($19.99) tasted with a renowned Tasmanian Pinot Gris worth approx $40 - a beautiful alsatian style with savoury notes and oily texture. • Aldi Blackstone Paddock Margaret...

Send us Fan Mail We blind-taste three Kunawarra Cabernets and then compare our notes to the wineries’ own descriptions to see what holds up. Along the way we share a science-backed look at regional character, practical decanting and cellaring advice, and a simple rule to spot trustworthy tasting notes. Wines:  Redman 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon  Brand and Sons 2026 Cabernet Sauvignon  Zema Estate 2018...

Send us Fan Mail We taste the spritz surge head‑on, from peachy Bellina to zesty Zoncello, a spiced curveball, and a local bitter orange can, while unpacking how climate news nudges fine‑wine prices and how producers adapt. We share how to serve spritz properly, why real fruit matters, and why welcoming spritz grows the wine world. • the spritz boom across Australian shelves and bars • serving rul...

Send us Fan Mail We put the champagne opening myth to the test, comparing the quiet hiss to the party pop to see if bubble quality actually changes. Along the way we unpack Coravin’s medical-engineering roots, wine by the glass growth, and why glassware choice feels fussy yet useful. • Coravin inventor’s medical background and impact • How Coravin preserves wine using argon • London and Melbourne...

Send us Fan Mail What if two Pinots from the same producer, made the same way, could still taste nothing alike? We uncork that mystery by tracing flavour back to elevation, aspect, soil and the quiet work of a long ripening season. Starting on the Mornington Peninsula with Ten Minutes by Tractor, we compare “Down the Hill” and “Up the Hill” and show how a cooler ridge delivers darker colour, finer...

Send us Fan Mail Think all Pinot Noir is just “light red”? Three glasses say otherwise. We set up a controlled taste test with Handpicked’s single-vineyard Pinot from Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula, and the Yarra Valley to hear terroir speak without the noise of wildly different winemaking. The result is a crisp, side-by-side sensory map of Australian Pinot: an elegant, hibiscus-and-cranberry whis...

Send us Fan Mail Wine scoring systems have proliferated, leaving many consumers confused about who to trust when choosing their next bottle. We break down the differences between wine shows, critic ratings, classifications, and journalistic approaches to help you navigate the complex world of wine recommendations. • Wine shows use panels of expert judges who taste wines blind, scoring on a 100-poi...

Send us Fan Mail Meg and Mel dive into the groundbreaking Endeavor wine industry report that reveals surprising insights about Australian wine consumption patterns across demographics and regions. • Affluence drives wine purchase more than age, with wealthy consumers favouring Champagne, Chardonnay, and surprisingly, Riesling • Gen Z unexpectedly over-indexes on Champagne consumption despite limit...

Send us Fan Mail It came to our attention that our Nebb ep wasn’t uploaded currently so you all never heard us Greek out over one of our fav grapes… well…  here it is!  Meg and Mel explore the world of Nebbiolo, comparing Australian examples from Victoria with Italian classics from Piedmont. • Nebbiolo is known for its paradoxical nature - light in colour but powerful in tannin and structure • Cla...

Send us Fan Mail Meg and Mel dive into the world of unusual grape varieties, exploring wines most people have never heard of and definitely can't pronounce. From a surprisingly good organic Australian Chardonnay to obscure European varietals, they share discoveries that will expand your wine horizons. • Yolumba Organic Chardonnay from South Australia delivers unexpected quality for $23 • Expl...

Send us Fan Mail Angus Barnes, Chair of the Sydney Royal Wine Show, shares insider perspectives on Australia's premier wine competition and his journey through the wine industry.  • Born in the Hunter Valley, Angus fell in love with wine while backpacking through Europe • His extensive career spans roles at Pernod Ricard, NSW Wine, Wine Communicators Australia, and now Bunamagoo Estate Wines...

Send us Fan Mail Ever wondered what $27 worth of Cabernet Sauvignon can get you? How about the prestigious Wine of Show trophy at one of Australia's most respected wine competitions? We're in studio with crystal clear audio this week, tasting our way through the top winners from the Sydney Royal Wine Show – and the results are truly eye-opening. Among 1,500 wines entered by 261 exhibitor...

Send us Fan Mail Producer Austin joins Meg for a spirited exploration of Shiraz/Syrah variations from different regions, discovering how labeling influences expectations and uncovering surprising stylistic differences. • Syrah and Shiraz are the same grape variety, with different names indicating stylistic differences • The French Crozes-Hermitage exhibits lighter body, higher acidity, and fresh s...

Send us Fan Mail Meg and Mel tackle misleading wine marketing claims, exposing a company that touts "zero-sugar wine" as revolutionary when most dry wines already contain negligible sugar levels. They investigate a suspicious endorsement from a non-existent Master of Wine and taste-test the underwhelming products. • Most dry wines already contain minimal sugar (around 0.5g per litre or l...

Send us Fan Mail Sweet wines are often purchased during tastings but rarely opened at home due to our psychological tendency to prefer sweeter options in small quantities rather than full glasses. • Four different styles of dessert wine explained - late harvest, cane cut, muscat, and botrytised Sauternes • Dessert wines need sugar levels above 50 grams per litre to be classified as sweet • The psy...

Send us Fan Mail Remember when you swore you'd never wear barrel-leg jeans again? That's how many wine lovers feel about Sauvignon Blanc – but just like those jeans eventually won you back, this misunderstood grape variety deserves a second chance. We're diving deep into Sauvignon Blanc's remarkable diversity, exploring expressions that go far beyond the familiar Marlborough st...

Send us Fan Mail The Australian wine industry faces pivotal changes with new transparency regulations while debating the broader issues of health labeling and market fairness. We explore the Emerson Report's game-changing recommendations that could revolutionize how wine is sold and marketed across Australia. • Trying the viral jalapeno wine trend – is adding spice to rosé worth the hype? • T...

Send us Fan Mail The Master of Wine qualification represents the absolute pinnacle of wine education – a credential so challenging that only 5-10% of candidates ever pass. Since its creation in 1952, just 480 people worldwide have earned these prestigious initials. But what exactly makes this qualification so formidable? Taking you behind the curtain of this elite examination, we dissect real ques...

Send us Fan Mail Meg and Mel dive into the world of Barbera, exploring whether this Italian red variety truly deserves its reputation as the wine of choice for "cool kids." • Barbera comes from Piemonte in northern Italy, at the foot of the Alps • The grape produces wines with high acidity, minimal oak influence, and distinctive purple color • Typical flavor profile includes blackberry,...

Send us Fan Mail Australian sparkling wines showcase distinctive regional characters that rival champagne in quality while expressing unique Australian terroir. • Blind tasting of four Australian sparkling wines from three different regions: Tasmania, Yarra Valley, and Whitlands High Plateau • Traditional method sparklings have many variables beyond region, including aging on lees and fruit charac...

Send us Fan Mail Meg and Mel tackle changing dynamics in the Australian wine industry, from restaurant closures to big investments and new marketing directions. • Meg shares insights from VinExpo Asia where Australian wine received positive feedback and shows a shift toward lighter-bodied reds and more whites • Oak Ridge restaurant closure highlights broader hospitality industry struggles with pro...

Send us Fan Mail Mel tests her theory that Margaret River Chardonnay producers are abandoning their signature big, buttery style for leaner expressions through a tasting of four wines across different price points. • Meg Brotman argues that Margaret River has traditionally delivered reliable, high-quality big Chardonnays with texture and weight • Meg describes Margaret River Chardonnay as having a...