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We put the champagne opening myth to the test, comparing the quiet hiss to the party pop to see if bubble quality actually changes. Along the way we unpack Coravin’s medical-engineering roots, wine by the glass growth, and why glassware choice feels fussy yet useful.

• Coravin inventor’s medical background and impact
• How Coravin preserves wine using argon
• London and Melbourne leading wine by the glass
• Safety-first method for opening sparkling
• Charmat versus traditional method explained
• Blind tasting: pop versus hiss bubble texture
• Glassware choices for sparkling, aged Riesling, and red
• Theatre of wine versus practical service

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What if two Pinots from the same producer, made the same way, could still taste nothing alike? We uncork that mystery by tracing flavour back to elevation, aspect, soil and the quiet work of a long ripening season. Starting on the Mornington Peninsula with Ten Minutes by Tractor, we compare “Down the Hill” and “Up the Hill” and show how a cooler ridge delivers darker colour, finer tannins and perfume, while lower sites pour bright cranberry fruit and a touch more bunchy grip. The takeaway is simple and thrilling: site speaks, even when the label doesn’t list a formal sub-region.

Then we head to the Yarra Valley with Giant Steps, where single-vineyard Pinots translate geography into texture. Sexton in Gruyere ripens earliest and drinks fleshier with darker fruit and confident tannin. Applejack in Gladysdale steps higher for florals, red cherry and elegant structure. Bastard Hill climbs again, picking later and unfolding cardamom, Sichuan pepper and coiled energy that begs for time. With consistent winemaking across the range, the differences you taste are pure place—grey clays versus red volcanic soils, bushland buffering temperatures, row orientation guiding sunlight across the canopy.

Along the way we unpack how unofficial sub-regions coexist with Australia’s GI system, why row direction matters as much as slope, and how climate change has nudged former sparkling strongholds into still-wine brilliance. If Burgundy taught us to listen to parcels, Mornington and the Yarra are crafting an Australian dialect of terroir that any curious drinker can learn. Ready to taste the map instead of just reading it? Follow the journey, share it with a wine friend, and if you love this kind of deep dive, tap subscribe, leave a review, and tell us which vineyard you want us to visit next.

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Think all Pinot Noir is just “light red”? Three glasses say otherwise. We set up a controlled taste test with Handpicked’s single-vineyard Pinot from Tasmania, Mornington Peninsula, and the Yarra Valley to hear terroir speak without the noise of wildly different winemaking. The result is a crisp, side-by-side sensory map of Australian Pinot: an elegant, hibiscus-and-cranberry whisper from Tassie; a plush, red-cherry surge with velvet tannins from Mornington; and a taut, sour-cherry line with tomato leaf and structure from Yarra.

We start by framing why place matters—cool climates, longer hang time, and how flavour precursors accumulate—and then tackle the GI reality that Tasmania is still labelled under a single umbrella despite its diverse pockets like Coal River and Tamar. Keeping producer and intent constant at the $90 tier lets texture, aroma, and tannin shape become the guideposts. Along the way, we share the practical stuff: which dishes sing with each style (think Peking duck pancakes, confit duck, and crisp-skinned poultry), how to build an affordable group tasting night that outperforms a wine bar tab, and why premium, site-first winemaking doesn’t have to feel intimidating when you know what to expect in the glass.

There’s levity, too—a cheeky “Am I A Wine Wanker?” moment on bringing your own glass to a BYO—and genuine listener love for a tasting club that pairs our episodes with themed snacks. The biggest takeaway? Regionality in Australian Pinot isn’t a slogan; it’s visible in the colour, audible in the nose, and tactile in the tannin. Next, we zoom further to sub-regions to see if the fine grain holds up.

If you enjoy thoughtful tastings with real-world tips, hit follow, share this with your wine-curious mates, and leave a quick review—then tell us which region won your glass tonight.

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