Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Sirromet Wines are based over East in Mount Cotton (Queensland) and have been producing wine since 2000. The grapes for this Verdelho are grown in their high altitude Granite Belt vineyard in southern QLD.

On the eye it's a silver yellow-green colour. The nose is full of creamy passionfruit and crisp Granny Smith apples with a touch of fresh mint. It's full of flavour in the mouth with fresh pineapple and apple flavours dominating. I absolutely loved the finish on this Verdelho - the flavours hang round for quite some time. Highly enjoyable!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

This is a very special limited edition bottle which was a collaborative project by the Riverina winemakers in NSW to celebrate 100 years of winemaking. In hindsight perhaps I should of kept it since only 3000 bottles were produced but hey, I couldn't resist! 6 wineries each put in a barrel of their finest Durif to be blended. The participating wineries included; Berton Vineyards, Calabria Family Wines, Casella Brands, De Bortoli Wines, McWilliams Wines, Nugan Estate & Warburn Estate.

Opaque, inky purple magenta colour on the eye. It looks so rich and sultry! Pungent nose with dark black fruit, spice and oak coming through. Vibrant acidity on the palate and a very fruit toward nature with a punchy finish. A very satisfying red but then again you can't go wrong with a well-made Durif!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

This was the third Riesling in our recent 3 Drops wine flight (see 2 notes prior to this for the 2015 & 2016) and one I was very excited about - I do love my Rieslings with a bit of age on them. I find the complexity and flavours they gain really interesting and of course tasty.

In the glass the 12 is yellow with a slight brassy tinge. Toasted apricots come through on the nose with a trace of minerality. I swear every time I went back for a taste I'd find something completely different but these are the words I kept coming back to; lemon butter, waxy finish, fine acidity & slightly dusty. Highly enjoyable and drinking well right now.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

This 2014 Shiraz is another new release from the @alkoomi team in the Great Southern.

It's a mouthwatering garnet colour on the eye. On the nose it's very aromatic with a certain warmth that rises from the glass. Aromas of candied fruits, spice, vanilla and warm berry pie entice you into the glass. The palate is super smooth and silky with black cherry, pepper spice and wonderfully integrated tannins. Nice lengthy juicy finish.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Ferngrove know how to please dry-rosé lovers! This 2016 Malbec Cabernet is an absolute stunner for $20 a pop. It's the first year these guys have produced a rosé blend, and what a way to start!

On the eye it's a pale pinky peach colour. The nose makes me think of Icing sugar dusted raspberries, cranberries and grapefruit. It has a smooth silky mouthfeel with beautiful red fruits and a nearly savoury like finish. It's well balanced and has lovely structure. I thoroughly enjoyed this rosé and I could imagine sipping on it while cruising the harbour on a luxury yacht (dreams are free!).

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

This bad boy from @Oakover Grounds just won a Gold medal at the recent 2016 Singapore Airlines Swan Valley Wine Show - well done guys!

On the eye it's a deep purple-red velvet colour. I love the aromatics rising from the glass with this wine - it's a mix of black fruit and raspberries with a generous sprinkling of spice. The palate packs a cherry-filled punch with nicely integrated tannins and a decent length finish. I enjoyed the richness of this vino!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Willow Bridge Estate from WA's Ferguson Valley (Geographe region) have just released a couple of new reds from their Dragonfly range. One of those being this 2015 Cab Merlot retailing for $20 a pop.

The blend of this 14% abv vino is 71% Cab Sauv, 27% Merlot and 2% Shiraz. It's aged in a mixture of new and mature French oak barrels. And Mr. Spittoon loved it - considering he's a Shiraz drinker through and through I was shocked when he couldn't shut up about this cab, perhaps it was the tiny 2% Shiraz in the blend that he caught a whiff of!

In the glass it's a deep yet vibrant red-purple colour. On the nose I was picking up blackberries, subtle vanilla and a violet floral note. On the palate it's like a dark chocolate fondue with blackberries and plums alongside a hint of field mushrooms. Good acid backbone with smooth silky tannins and a flavoursome finish. Great value and super tasty for all red wine lovers.

A big thanks to the Willow Bridge team for this sample.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

This is another bottle I received as part of the Taylor's Wines #tempchallenge. If you haven't seen any Taylor's Wines recently, take a look the next time you're in the bottle shop as they have a temperature sensor on the back. This is to help guide you to the optimum drinking temp of different wines for maximum enjoyment! Once my rosé reached the optimum 8-10 degrees this is what I thought...

Candy-floss pink on the eye with lovely scents of sweet red fruits, rose petals and vanilla bean rising from the glass. On the palate it's refreshing and dry with plentiful red fruit flavours (think raspberries and strawberries) and crisp acidity.

After trying the wine when it was too warm, too cold and then at what's suggested the optimum - I have to say it was definitely more enjoyable when it was the latter. Not too cold to hide any of the flavours and not too warm that it heightens the alcohol and becomes unbalanced.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

⚡️ NEW RELEASE ⚡️

Marko's Vineyard 2015 Point Eight Shiraz comes from the high altitude cool climate of the Adelaide Hills in South Australia 🇦🇺. This is Marko's first vintage of Shiraz and the reason it's named 'Point Eight' is because it's sourced from point eight of a hectare on a single vineyard. It's very limited with only 1,200 bottle produced this year. 12 months in French oak and fermented in small batch open fermenters. RRP $42.

On the eye it's a stunning inky ruby red. It has a rather pungent perfume full of spices plums, vanilla and mocha. The palate is juicy and full of flavour. It's fruit and berry driven with a distinct black pepper spice finish. I really enjoyed this as a night cap (it was impossible to have just one glass too!) but it would be tremendous with a big juicy steak.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

This 2016 Riesling is a brand new release from the 3 Drops team down in WA's Great Southern Wine Region. I was lucky enough to try this alongside their 2015 and 2012 Rieslings - it was amazing to taste the difference in each vintage. Even the 15 and 16 were distinctively different. As expected the 2016 has a definite fresh and vibrant swagger to it.

In the glass it's virtually a water white colour with a slight yellow/green hue. Fresh white flowers, green pear and lime juice aromas rise out of the glass. The palate is textural with crisp acidity and flavours of apple candies and a lemon honey ice tea. Completely smashable!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

People tend to either love or hate Sauv Blanc. Those in the latter don't realise that winemakers are spending extra time with their Sauvs now to make some pretty enjoyable drops - they're not all high acidic gooseberry bombs. There are ones on the market now that show finesse, elegance and winemaking skill.

And this 2016 new release Sauv from Alkoomi in the Frankland River fits into that uber tasty bracket! Like a number of Sauvs these days this one has seen a bit of oak. About 1/3 was fermented in French oak and left on lees for 3 months before blending with the other 2/3s and bottling.

It's a pale, nearly water white colour on the eye. On the nose I'm picking up lemongrass, pineapple and dried herbs. The palate it beautifully structured with delicate flavours of guava and lemon coming through. It's restrained and the slightly creamy mouthfeel is highly enjoyable. It's one of those wines that's so easy to drink you wonder where it all went so quickly.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

This is a brand spanking new release from the @ferngrove team - introducing the 2015 'Diamond' Chardonnay retailing for approximately $25.

We had this on American hotdog night and it was a pretty good match actually!

It's a yellow with a slight hint of green in the glass. The nose is toasty with whiffs of melon and vanilla. In the gob it's nice and rounded with good acidity. I love the freshness combined with the elegant creamy buttery characteristics. This Chardy took me to breakfast in Paris - fresh fruit salad and a buttery croissant.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

I have to admit, I'm becoming a total fan-girl for Great Southern Riesling. It's fast becoming one off my top picks when ordering wine out and about.

This GS Riesling is a very special one indeed. It's a brand new release from Alkoomi Wines which has been specially crafted to celebrate 40 years of winemaking (congrats guys!). Sandy & Rod own and operate Alkoomi down in Frankland River and the vines for this 'Melaleuca' were actually planted by Sandy's parents back in 1971! This very monumental vino sells for approximately $34 a bottle.

On the eye it's a brilliant crystal clear silvery yellow colour. On the nose candied lemon, a touch of fresh honey, crisp apples and Spring blossoms entice you in. The palate is like biting into a juicy pear with creamy honeydew melon and a lovely citrus freshness. Absolutely stunning, hands down it's an awesome wine.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

received this bottle as part of my #tempchallenge pack. If you haven't noticed yet, Taylor's wines now have a temperature sensor on the back of the bottles to help you make sure you're drinking your wine at optimum temperature when the flavours and aromas will really shine (more on the blog soon). After popping this one in the fridge for 30 mins to get it to the right temperature, this is what I thought...

Pretty red-purple colour on the eye with lovely fruity aromas mixed with a touch of sweet cigar and oak. On the palate plentiful flavours of blackberries and cherries come through with some definite tannins. For under $15 it's a good quaffable red that would be perfect with some BBQ meat.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

In case you missed it - on the weekend I put ice in my wine! Before you jump to conclusions about my new habit, there's a very good reason behind it.

Italian brand, Zonin, have released Prosecco Ice. It's a sparkling wine intended to be drunk over ice as a fashionable aperitif. The brand suggests adding a slice of lemon or lime for intensified freshness or even some fresh mint leaves.

So what did I think? For $13 a bottle (BWS & Dan Murphy's) it's an uncomplicated refreshing summer drink. When temps reach the high 30s in Perth sometimes you just need an ice filled beverage that won't go warm in a matter of minutes like a glass of Chardonnay would. It's the thirst quenching best of both worlds. It says Demi Sec on the bottle which means medium sweet but this definitely wasn't as sweet as expected. It had that typical Prosecco apple crispness to it with a nip of honey.

Wine cocktails are in this summer and yes I would drink this Prosecco on the rocks again for $13 a pop. Plus they say it matches well with food like seafood, strawberries and raspberries - 3 of my favourite things!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

I recently received this 2016 Wild Fermented Sauvignon Blanc from the team at Marko's Vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. The vineyard from which this Sauv is grown was planted in 1994 which makes it one of the oldest Sauv plantings in the region. RRP $27

It's a crisp light yellow colour in the glass. Aromas of flowers, candied apple and passionfruit rise from the glass. That passionfruit follows through to the palate alongside crunchy lemon acidity. A nice wine to crack into after a long day at the office. Just add seafood!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

This 2014 Great Southern Shiraz has just been released by the Ferngrove team. It spends 18 months in new and mature French oak before the two are blended together for bottling. RRP $20.

This is one deep, dark wine - it's virtually opaque on the eye and is a rather inky scarlet red colour with purple hues. There's no hiding from the fact you've had red wine after drinking this tipple as the colour easily sticks to the lips and teeth! The nose is full of black fruits, peppery spice and leather while the rich palate displays spiced plums and dark chocolate. Apparent tannins and a distinguished finish.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Vermentino is a white Italian grape variety which grows well in the Swan Valley due to our Mediterranean type climate. This 2015 is a new release from the @oakovergrounds team.

In the glass it's a very pale yellow with grassy, savoury aromas mixed with whiffs of fresh pink grapefruit. The palate is fresh and bright with a creamy-like mouthfeel. It's a lovely refreshing palate cleanser with distinct lemon notes. I could totally see it becoming the new G&T and the go-to seafood match this summer.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

And so my love for Great Southern Riesling continues...

A new release from the Ferngrove team! This 2016 'Cossack' Riesling retails for approximately $23 and is part of the Orchid Range.

In the glass this GS Riesling is a crystal clear baby yellow colour with a slight emerald fleck. Apples, minerality and juicy lime scents rise from the glass. The palate is crisp, smooth and it has a creamy refreshing-ness to it - wonderful texture in the mouth with hints of apples, grapefruit and lemongrass. A stunner example of a beautiful dry WA Riesling.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine #mediasample — 10 years ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

The latest Sauvignon Blanc release from the Alkoomi Wines team from WA's Great Southern region. 2016 had a nice warm growing season with decent rainfall to produce excellent fruit which makes this $15 Sauvy B über good value.

On the eye it's a pale yellow diamond colour. The nose entices you in with crisp scents of fresh herbs, passion fruit and candied lemon. Pineapple and passionfruit stand out on the palate for me with some refreshing pink grapefruit on the finish. Think of all the synonyms for 'refreshing' and you have your description of this tipple.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine
#gifted #mediasample — 10 years ago