New wine writer Rick Allen

Journalist and wine writer Rick Allen talks about wine trends and the latest drop to touch his lips.

Transcript

00:00 Hi, I'm Rick Allen and I'm a wine writer.

00:05 Rick, what's exciting in the wine space these days for you?

00:10 I think what excites me, we're in the Hunter and it's getting quite hot here,

00:15 so I'm really enjoying the push into those southern Mediterranean varietals.

00:20 The whites, the Fianos, the Vermintinos, that's the new wave of wines we're bringing through here in the Hunter.

00:27 Montepulciano in the reds, Tarragon Nationale, Tempranillo, Sangiovese,

00:32 they've been around a while, but there's a real push for those Mediterranean varietals

00:36 and I think that's really exciting.

00:38 How do you go about your wine tasting, Rick?

00:41 I don't profess to have the greatest palate in the world.

00:43 I think for me, I do it over two days.

00:46 I think I'll have a taste today.

00:48 I've only got a limited window of when my palate's sharp,

00:52 which maybe some will argue it's not that sharp anyway,

00:55 but then I'll come back to it again the next day, so I have two bites of the cherry

00:58 and only a couple of wines at a time. That's pretty much my limit.

01:01 What's the last wine to touch your lips, Rick?

01:06 I had a Castle Rock Riesling last night, really briny, almost like sea spray.

01:14 It was a really interesting wine.