The Full Bottle
Why do we call white wine ‘white’ when it’s not?
“Blanc” in French, “bianco” in Italian, “blanco” in Spanish. It’s the universal word for wine that’s not red, pink or amber.
- Huon Hooke
Does red wine take longer to age under screw cap or cork? The jury is out
Those who use screw caps will likely tell you cork is rubbish, while those who’ve stuck with cork will tell you it’s the best.
- Huon Hooke
What is the wine industry doing to combat the effects of climate change?
Huon Hooke looks at the challenges facing winemakers, including heat and humidity.
- Huon Hooke
If guests bring a bottle of wine to a dinner party, do you have to open it on the night?
It depends on whether they make it known, subtly or otherwise, that they’d like to drink it.
- Huon Hooke
Help! Why is it so difficult to open a stubborn screw-capped wine bottle?
Screw-caps are a great seal, but sometimes they just refuse to budge.
- Huon Hooke
Does darker colour signify better quality red wine? Not always. Here’s why
It’s only natural that we judge a book by its cover, but when it comes to red wines, it can be misleading.
- Huon Hooke
Why are Gen Z and Millennials moving away from drinking wine?
Australians have only really been wine drinkers since the “wine boom” of the late 1960s, writes Huon Hooke.
- Huon Hooke
‘Revolutionary’ Tassie shiraz, Italian grapes: How climate change is altering our wine map
Many Australian wine regions, including cooler climates, are swinging to vines that tolerate heat and drought.
- Huon Hooke
Penfolds’ new wine is controversial and boasts a super-sized price tag. What’s the fuss about?
At $3500 a bottle, Penfolds-Jaboulet La Grange is sure to be a bloody fine wine, writes Huon Hooke.
- Huon Hooke
Do we need expensive gadgets to preserve the fizz in wine?
Don’t silver teaspoons or dead matches preserve the bubbles in open bottles of sparkling?
- Huon Hooke