The Wined Up

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we try wines from Holm Oak, Tasmania ( @‌holmoakwines ). We tried the 2023 Arneis ($30) and a 2023 Cabernet Franc Rose ($35), and both are perfect for summer 2024. These wines are delicious at all levels - sight, smell, and taste. Both are fresh, lively, and light. The Rose is the brightest rose that we have seen and is very alluring on the eyes. In addition to thi...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we try to pair wines with classic Aussie-Chinese food, or as Trent says, ‘Ch-Aussie’ food. Trent and Jason have a challenge to pair wine with Sweet and Sour Pork and Mongolian Lamb. Trent chose a 2021 Torbreck Woodcutter’s Roussanne Marsanne Viognier, Barossa Valley, SA Review ($25 from Summer Hill Wine Shop). Jason chose a 2020 The Hundred, Single Vineyard Grenach...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we drink a 78 year-old wine! It’s a 1945 Penfolds Grandfather Port, Barossa Valley, South Australia (@PenfoldsEST1844). Our very close friend Nishant dropped by for this special episode to share a Port that his late-father handed down to him. It was special for the taste, it was special to celebrate his father, and it was special to create a new memory with friends...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we try wines from Aldi and Costco to see if cheap wines are any good. We perform a blind tasting on the wines to focus purely on the quality of the wine before revealing the wines purchased. Trent also shares tips for buying cheap wine whilst Jason shares the strategies that Aldi and Costco use to entice buyers to purchase their wine. Trent also shares what wine he...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we try to 3 different cheese and wine pairings. First we pair two soft cheeses (double brie and washed rind (D’Affinois Le Campagnier)) with a 2009 Moreau-Naudet Montmains Premier Cru Chablis, France. Next we pair a 24 month matured cheddar with a 2017 Marques de Murrieta Finca Ygay Reserva Rioja, Spain. Then finally we pair a blue cheese (gorgonzola dolce) with a...

Send us Fan Mail In this special episode we get to compare a 1987 Yarra Yering Dry Red No. 1 to a 2017 vintage. That’s a comparison of the same wine from the same producer over a 30-year period! Trent's late grandad had this special bottle within his wine cellar. We picked up the 2017 vintage from Valore Cellars for $119. In this episode we also discuss how tannins and acidity help age wine,...

Send us Fan Mail Listen / Watch the full episode to be release this Sunday on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Android Podcasts.  In this episode we try to pair 3 wines with Korean Army Stew (also known as Budae Jjigae).  Korean Army Stew is a stew made of instant ramen noodles, kimchi, tofu, mushrooms, veggies, spam, sausages, cheese, in thick, savoury and slightly chilli soup base.  Pairing...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we get to try wines from Clonakilla ( @‌Clonakillawines ), a famous winery from Canberra, which is in the Australian Capital Territory. Trent and Jason also discuss the increase in NBA players releasing wines which is a sign of wines spread in the community, provide a quick review of a 2022 La Petite Vanguard Grenache from McLaren Vale, share an overview of the Can...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we get to test if the Halliday 2024 Wine winners are really that good.  We also discuss what the different medals and trophies in wine competition mean, provide background on the famous Australian wine figure, James Halliday, explain the Wine Companion Halliday judging process, and finally taste and review Halliday 2024 wine winners.  The wines that we get to try a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Daniel Marcella (Italian Wine Cellar Co-Founder and Italian Sommelier) makes amazing Italian wine pairings with 2 classic Australian snacks - Pizza Shapes and Tim Tam’s!  He paired the Pizza Shapes with a 2020 Paololeo Verdeca, Valle d’Itria PGI, Puglia, Italy and the Tim Tam’s with Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG Braida, Piedemont, Italy. Daniel rose to the challenge as th...

Send us Fan Mail This is a special episode.  Not only is it The Wined Up Podcast's first vertical tasting, but it's also a tasting with a special Bordeaux wine from Chateau Giscours!  In this episode we get to try and compare Chateau Giscours from the vintages 2003, 2005, and 2009.  Trent and Jason were blown away by these wines and actually stayed back after filming for 15 minutes to fu...

Send us Fan Mail We have always had a level of influence from the USA.  As kids growing up, and even now, we have loved the Hollywood flicks, the R’n’B music, the fast food (In-And-Out Burger!), and the basketball.  However, one thing that have not had the opportunity to try much of is USA wine. In this episode Trent and Jason get to sample two wines from the USA.  The first is from Oregon and is...

Send us Fan Mail Our second episode on the Orange wine region involved a visit to popular Heifer Station Wines.  There we were able to interview Lachlan (a.k.a Chewy) who is their cellar door manager.  There’s something about the people from Orange because they are always so accommodating, inviting, and passionate. In this episode, Chewy shares his views on the uniqueness of the Orange wine region...

Send us Fan Mail Word of Mouth was our first real introduction into Orange wines and there was no better way to learn about it than with Peter and Deb.  Both were so hospitable, warm, and accommodating.  You can understand why they won an Australian Best Cellar Door Award from Gourmet Wine Traveller and The Real Review Certificate of Excellence. In this episode we get to interview Peter Gibson who...

Send us Fan Mail Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. So why not pair it with one of the most important beverages - WINE! In this episode Trent and Jason try to find out can you have wine for breakfast and, if so, what wines pair well with a standard brekkie (bacon, sausages, eggs, and hashbrowns). Trent tries to pair breakfast with a 2022 Dog Point Vineyard (@DogPointVineyard...

Send us Fan Mail KFC is one of Jason’s favourite meals.  As a kid, when celebrating his birthday, all he would ask for was a bucket of KFC, nothing else.  In this episode Jason and Trent get to combine that favourite meal with their favourite beverage - wine!  Trent sees if a 2021 Greystone Petillant Naturel (aka ‘Pet Nat') from Waipara Valley, New Zealand ($35 from Dan Murphy's) pairs w...

Send us Fan Mail Trent had the opportunity to take his family for a short visit to Tasmania.  He tried the lobster, the award-winning whisky, and most importantly he visited the wineries!  There’s just something about cool-climate regions that create amazing wines.  In this episode we sample some of his haul and try a 2021 Tamar Ridge Research Series Pinot Noir ($55 at the Cellar Door) and a 2022...

Send us Fan Mail The 2021 ‘The Pastoralist’ Cabernet Sauvignon from Riddoch Coonawarra, South Australia, recently won 2023 International Wine Challenge (IWC) best cabernet in the world, and best cabernet in Australia!  Very proud of an Australian wine winning the challenge and for Australia being considered the second-best wine producing country!  Subsequently Trent and I wanted to review the winn...

Send us Fan Mail We were inspired by the new wine show on Apple TV+ called ‘Drops of God’. It’s a fantastic show based on a Japanese Manga series where a daughter has to compete in a wine competition against her father’s protege to be able to win her father's inheritance. The inheritance includes an 87,000-bottle cellar worth nearly $150 million! One of the competitions was a blind taste test...

Send us Fan Mail We tried wines at the 2023 Good Food and Wine Show (Sydney). Great to taste so many wines from across Australia and to meet lovely people within the wine industry including Alexandria and Catherine from Kirrihill, Charmaine from Umamu Estate, and Luke and Maddy from Clairault Streicker Wines. In this episode we review two wines purchased from the show. The first is a 2018 Umamu Es...

Send us Fan Mail We challenged each other to choose a wine for two scenarios: 1.  A first date and 2.  Meeting the parent in-laws.  For the first date Trent chose a 2021 Ten Minutes by Tractor ‘Down The Hill’ Estate Pinot Noir from Mornington Peninsula, Victoria.  2. For the second date Jason chose a 2014 St Hugo’s Cabernet Sauvignon from Barossa Valley, South Australia. Subscribe to  @TheWinedUp...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we try to pair Mi Goreng with a Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut Champagne (~$80 as given as a gift) and 2021 Mommessin Saint-Amour Beaujolais ($30 from Dan Murphy’s) to see which wine best pairs with the meal. Mi Goreng (Indonesian instant noodles) was a classic meal during our university days and continues to be snack we feed our families particularly for a quick...

Send us Fan Mail We review two really, really, really good German Rieslings. They are both from one of the best vineyards in Mosel, Germany. They are a 2009 Joh Jos Prum Graacher Himmelreich Spatlese Riesling, and a 2009 Joh Jos Prum Wehlener Sonnenuhr - Spatlese Riesling. These are two aged Riesling’s worth approximately $400 each. Subscribe to 'The Wined Up' and comment below on the be...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we try pairing Chicken Twisties with a 2017 Yering Station Chardonnay from Yarra Valley, Victoria ($35 from Dan Murphys). Then we try pairing oysters in a shot glass with a thinly sliced chilli and a cold 2015 Dr Loosen Riesling from Mosel, Germany ($22 from Dan Murphys). These were recommended wine pairings from comedian Merrick Watts. We got to meet and chat with...

Send us Fan Mail We review wine labels, tasting notes, and reviews of an Australian Pinot Noir and a New Zealand Pinot Noir to see if they match reality. The wines tasted are a 2020 Oakridge Estate Yarra Valley Pinot Noir ($40 from the Oakridge Estate Cellar) and a 2021 Nanny Goat Pinot Noir from Central Otago New Zealand ($38 from Mr. Liquor). Subscribe and comment below on any odd wine labels, t...