A blend of Savagnin Chardonnay creates this truely different and exciting wine. Strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.

It’s a multiple vintage blend of Savagnin from 2019 and Chardonnay from 2020. With no filtration and no sulphites you get a wine that has plenty of character. Apples and lemon for days…simple…

 Scintilla Wines MV Ə'LEKTRIK Rating: B Price: $36

 range with this 2017 Aglianico from the northern Adelaide Hills. Aglianico, late ripening, spends a few weeks on skins and sees a mixture of older oak and stainless steel. The result? Zippy, cherry, candy-cane on the nose. Slight touch of fresh greenery, yum. Excitable palate as the cherry, sweet sour combo of fruit goodness gets a boost of fine tannins. For a varietal I’m not that across this is a bloody tasty little number! ⠀

 ​Continuing my exploration of the @spinifexwines  range

My first foray into the world of natural wine and it has to be said, I quite enjoyed it. Nova Vita’s Project K Rose (a blend of Gris, Traminer, and Riesling) is so easy to drink, it’s borderline ridiculous. The colour, orange, is striking and the flavours range from strawberries and cream to lychees and ripe apples. Sweet, but paired with a ruby murray it was bloody awesome.

 My first foray into the world of natural wine and it has to

Seeing out Wednesday with Nova Vita’s Adelaide Hills Chardonnay. A super enjoyable and approachable expression of Chardonnay here! Showing zesty, stone fruit, sliced green apples, hints of funky struck match on the nose. A packed palate, slightly creamy, of natural citrus zest, apples, flint, and nuttiness combined with a little bit of toasty oak. I don’t think this bottle will last long!

 Seeing out Wednesday with Nova Vita’s Adelaide Hills

Loving kicking-off Xmas Day with this Nova Vita Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir. A super cracking example from one of my favourite regions. If you stumble across it, give it a try. The producers in the Hills need a little support after the recent fires. Enjoy! Merry Xmas! 🍷🙏🙌

 Loving kicking-off Xmas Day with this Nova Vita Adelaide

 Fugazi Grenache in a few months. Simply put, this is mouth-wateringly awesome! Do yourself a favour and go buy one (if you can), sit down, and get stuck in… Light bodied, raspberry, red fruitiness, fine grained tannin, and a beautiful finish make this wine a complete joy.⁣ ⁣

 This is my second bottle of the 2018 @ochotabarrels  Fugazi

Ochota Barrels Fugazi Grenache 2017.... welcome to funkytown! Having spent 2ish years in the cellar now it’s undergone quite an evolution from the super delicate, pretty, floral, and smashable summer drop I remembered it to be. I tasted it over 4 days and that’s rare for me! In summary;

Day 1 – The funkiest, savoury, twiggy, complex range of flavour that confused my brain. I definitely didn’t dislike it, but the there was a lot more complexity than I remembered. -

Day 2 – Fruit emerges from the funk. Ripe raspberries, macerated strawberries and rose petals all intermingling and rising above the dried herbs and twiggy notes.

Day 3 – Perfect balance, all flavours nicely integrated. It’s in a great spot. -

Overall, 1 day of questioning what on earth had happened, followed by 3 days of super interesting drinking. On reflection, my preference would be to drink on release, but I know plenty of people who would love the evolution! Can’t fault it for intrigue!!

 Ochota Barrels Fugazi Grenache 2017.... welcome to

This Ashton Hills Reserve Pinot Noir, reputed to be the South Australian Grand Cru of Pinot Noir is looking good to me! Along with a few others from the Adelaide Hills to support the producers impacted by those horrendous bushfires. -

 Have you chosen your Xmas day wine? This Ashton Hills

Arneis, a new variety for me to add to my ever growing list of firsts. Have you tried Arneis before?

It’s fragrant and inviting, with gorgeous green apples, nashi pears, and florals on the nose. Lots of fresh green fruit flavours on the palate, pears and apples, with a hint of stone fruit and almond on the finish. Super enjoyable, glass emptyingly good!

 Arneis, a new variety for me to add to my ever growing list

Nova Vita’s Project K, Shiraz Pinot Noir (SPN), is a seriously smashable little number... and all natural. All red berry fruit, cherries, raspberries, pomegranate, and fresh black plums. All fruit on the palate, soft acidity, soft tannins and unbelievably morish. Chill it down, open, and enjoy. It’s summer in a bottle! -

 Nova Vita’s Project K, Shiraz Pinot Noir (SPN), is a

Funky boutique producer Alpha Box and Dice ticking all the boxes with this 2016 Shiraz / Druif blend. Spicy, peppery, five spice and blackberry aromas set the scene. Followed by, blackberry, stalky, and earthy flavours to taste. Smooth tannins wrap it all up, bloody great. Get on this! 🍷

 Funky boutique producer Alpha Box and Dice ticking all the

Having never tried a Gruner Veltliner before I have to say this example from Precious Little Wines in the Adelaide Hills is incredibly enjoyable. Zesty limes, grapefruit, slightly floral with a mineral edge on the nose. Not totally unlike a great dry Riesling on the palate with plenty of citrus zip and zing but with great texture and mouth-feel due to some time in oak. I like it, I like it a lot.

 Having never tried a Gruner Veltliner before I have to say

This bottle screams handmade, small-batch, loveliness. Made each year from Ashton Hills vineyard cuttings some 20 years old on a plot no bigger than a tennis court. Whole bunch, basket pressed, minimal intervention winemaking here from the Adelaide Hills. .

 Have you tried this? . This bottle screams handmade

Got a favourite producer from the Adelaide Hills?

I have my favourites, I’m sure you can guess them, but also love trying new producers like this Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Nova Vita. Recently been rebranded/ packaged and looking awesome. Hopefully that’s a sign of things to come!

 Got a favourite producer from the Adelaide Hills? I have my

 Kids vs Adults Bloody #fidgettoys  or whatever they are

Recommendation: Buy. Coastal sea breeze in a glass.

Is it me or has there been an explosion of Semillon blended with Fiano recently? Not that is a bad thing. Winemakers are really pushing the boundaries and blending this mainly Italian grape with semillion to create a unique combination that I am loving at the moment.

Varney Wines have create a wine that screams coastal happiness. I can smell the ocean and feel the breeze.

With a 60% Semillon, 40% Fiano blend this is one to remember. A young white wine that gives plenty of texture and backend flavour with a with a bite that is subtle but makes to reach for another sip.

I think this is worth the price and clearly rated as 'Great'...simple...

 Varney Wines Semillon Fiano 2018 Rating: A- Price: $28

Fumé Blanc? I hear you say. Well it is the French name for Sauvignon blanc.

So is this the “Tarjay” 🎯of the Savvy Blanc 🤔

This is a fancy Sav Blanc and I don’t care what they call it, I love it.

 Jericho Fumé Blanc 2018 Rating: B+ Price: $25

Why I don’t post about wines I didn’t like….

I have had a few questions about this, so I thought I would explain why “not all wines make the list”

Just because I don’t like it, doesn’t mean it isn’t good or you won’t like it.

I never want to criticise or be judgemental to anyones work, passion or dream.

I started winereview_simple to recommend wine to friends and family. That has grown to a new audience, like yourself, but my main objective is still to recommend wine, whether that be something different, unique or the best wine I’ve had.

If everyone had the same taste, we all would be driving the same car and listening to the same music…simple…

 Why I don’t post about wines I didn’t like…. Wine is

Recommendation: Buy. It’s a Cool Italian Style red.

The Balmy Red is made from Sangiovese grown in the Adelaide Hills. With a beautiful Miami summer vibe on label, it screams Sunday arvo.

Recommendation is to lightly chill it. Then from me, crack it open with some mates on a late arvo as the sun is setting. Serve with some angel hair pasta tossed in fresh tomato and garlic...simple...

 P&V Wine Balmy Nights 'Red' 2018 Rating: B+ Price: $27

Time to grab a coffee or wine (no judgement here) and get ready for the next instalment of:

How can a drink made almost entirely from the humble grape have such an astonishing array of flavours? The answer is simple—chemistry.

No matter what it costs, almost 98 per cent of most wines is made up of water and ethanol. The remaining 2 per cent is a combination of acids, sugars, volatile flavour and aroma compounds, pigment compounds and tannins. Amazingly, it’s this 2 per cent that makes all the difference, giving a wine its unique flavour, colour, aroma and individuality. It’s here, in this 2 per cent, that chemistry really comes into play.

There are many, many things that can affect this 2 per cent—the variety of grape, the soil and climate in which it’s grown, the time it’s harvested, the way it is processed, the period of fermentation and the storage methods used—even the size of the glass you drink from when you finally raise the finished product to your lips.

 Time to grab a coffee or wine (no judgement here) and get

I don't think Petaluma makes a bad wine. The whites are seriously good and the reds seem to tick all of my boxes. I recently had a 2015 Adelaide HIlls Shiraz and god it was good. Just a few extra years and the development was outstanding. Year on year they make wines that are above average.

Easy to buy at most large bottle shops. Even the Merlot (and you know I don't really review merlot) is very good. A review on that later.

A real consistent winery that I would recommend to anyone...simple...

 Part of the Most Wanted series: @petalumawines I don't

I don’t usually cellar Sauvignon Blanc and I honestly think I forgot about this one but I’m glad I did.

If you cellar semillon and chardonay, add a couple of these to the list...simple... I did find

still had this online (no affiliation) 🍷

 S.C. Pannell Sauvignon Blanc 2015 From the Cellar I don’t

This has to be my benchmark for Australian Sauvignon Blanc. I love it.

It used to be my regular midweek wine and must admit I took it for granted, especially when it use to be around 20 bucks.

Like most things, price has steadily increased, but with this wine, I think is price rise is justified and deserved.

The Viticulture, the winemaking and constant quality delivers a beautiful wine year after year.

But don’t get me wrong, I wish they were still $20.

My Dad is a beer drinker and doesn’t drink red but occasionally he has a white wine and without question this is always his favourite...simple...

 Shaw And Smith Sauvignon Blanc Adelaide Hills 2020 Rating:

 Happy Friday...simple... #australianwine #happyfriday

With the devastation through the Adelaide Hills, it is ironic that an Adelaide Hills wine was my next review. My prayers and thoughts to everyone effected by these terrible events. I love your Region and hope everyone can eventually return to making amazing wine. 😢+🙏+❤️=🍷

I recently grabbed two of these Deviation Road bottles and it wasn't until I got home I realised they were different vintages, so I ended up buying the 2016 & the 2017. Perfect time for a little comparison. Instead of side by side, I did night by night.

Now before I go any further there is nothing wrong with the 2016, but the 2017 is so much better.

Deviation Road have captured everything great about Adelaide Hills pinot and bottled it.

I will be helping by buying as much Adelaide Hills wine as possible.

I would love to hear your comments and thoughts on any Adelaide Hills wine you recommend?

Anyway ‪2017 Deviation Road‬ pinot is definitely worth trying...simple...

 Deviation Road Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills 2016 versus 2017

Recommendation: It was that good it sold out.

There are a couple awesome benefits of this Instagram thing. One is discovering new wineries and the other (I must admit the best) is getting free wine.

 hit both of these, they gave me some complementary wine and prior to that I'd never heard of them.

Varney Wines is the combination of a lifelong wine career of Alan & Kathrin Varney. Who after working for some of the big wineries, bought a block of land and started their dream of making their own wine and more importantly under their own label.

Varney wines are small quantity, limited release, modern day wines from vineyards in McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills.

Its at this point you start to understand the devastating effect of the the bush fires, not only in the Adelaide Hills, but all over Australia. Its the owner, winemaker, fruit pickers, cellar door assistants all the way to the distributors who are all affected.

This Chardonnay was from a single block at the Rathdowne Estate in the Adelaide Hills. As I drink this, I don't know if this vineyard was affected by the fires, but I do know how many people worked together to bring me this wine.

How good is it? Well it sold out...simple...

My apologies for not reviewing this earlier so you had a chance to buy some. Good news is I have a Shiraz and a couple of blends to review in the near future. Until then buy Australian wine and maybe favour those wine regions impacted by this terrible disaster. 🍷

 Varney Wines 2018 Chardonnay Rating: B+ Price: $32

Rating: Buy 🍷  Jericho Tempranillo from the

🍷  For those don’t know, Tempranillo is a Spanish 🇪🇸 grape that is amazing with BBQ or long lunch in the ☀️. This one is handmade and a small batch release which shows in the quality and taste. Beautiful smell. Lighter style with a flavour that lingers. I think all red wine drinkers would love this. Imagine sharing with friends after a long week. ...simple... .

 Rating: Buy 🍷  Jericho Tempranillo from the #adelaidehills

Built for lunch. Gentle but levels of structure that shine through. If you haven’t had Nebbiolo before, try this.

Serve slightly chilled or around at 14 degree.

 Architects of Wine Nebbiolo Adelaide Hills 2017 Rating: B

Recommendation: Buy. A great take on Sangiovese 🍷

When it comes to Australian Sangiovese I find the results are mixed, but this is a gem with an Aussie touch that gives a nice little difference.

Beautiful colour. Light legs after a quick swirl. Savoury with some light acid. It’s actually the ending I really enjoy with a slight taste of candy cherry. Very good ending.

For those that haven’t had Sangiovese, try one. Built for food. Heavier than Pinot, lighter than Shiraz...simple...

 Mino+Co Signor Vino Sangiovese 2017 Rating: A- Price: $23

Entry level Adelaide Hills Chardonnay from the Penfolds label.

Light, soft even a bit shy compared to a normal Chardonnay I usually have but still shows the quality and style I expect from

 No heavy oak or buttery flavour, a little more lime or zest and creamy texture.

🎁 Great present. Won’t offend anyone

 Penfolds Max's Chardonnay 2018 Rating: B Price: $23 to $29

An all rounder in cricket or a utility player in footy is usually an unheralded, underrated but nonetheless important player.

 as an all rounder which lead me to think that all rounder player in sport. They can cover any unexpected injuries and play two or three positions. They can bowl a couple of overs without being smashed all over the park. They do whatever it takes to help the team.

It has hints of passionfruit without being a fruit salad. It’s dry without requiring a glass of water.

It may not be a superstar in any one category but it’s a real crowd pleaser. It will be able to be paired with any food combination you throw at it. Has the ability to be a midweek quaffer or the headline with fresh prawns on a Saturday arvo with friends. Now I don’t want to downplay the wine in any way with the all rounder analogy.

I haven’t even mentioned the price, 12 ridiculous dollars. That’s it $12. Stupid value. At that price I’ll take a few all rounders. We all need that value in the salary cap...simple...

 Idyll Wine Co Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Rating: B+ Price: $12

First time tasting Montepulciano and I still can't pronounce it, but I did love it.

Montepulciano is a red wine grape variety grown widely in central Italy but

 have created a beautiful wine from the Mt. Lofty region of the Adelaide Hills.

So I’m not the best pronouncing wine varieties and lack that Italiaaaaan accent where everything rolls of the tongue.

So what is Monte? Well it’s a beautiful medium body wine that is lighter but delivers a complex combination of flavour.

Little William is a very good example of Monte. A subtle smell of mixed Italian herbs and the first sip starts off soft and light. Nothing overly wins the flavour race but cheery probably wins. It’s all in unison and that ends with a touch of pepper. This is very good wine.

This shows how good Australia and Australians are at growing and producing wines from all over the world. This would be at least double the price if it was made in Italy...simple...