Yangarra Estate Circle Grenache 2024

Welcome to my picks! This is a bit of a snapshot of the styles I love, and as you can see it's pretty broad, which is a fair reflection of how I actually drink. The longer I've spent in the industry the more my taste has drifted towards the classical and the old world, though I've still got plenty of love for what's happening at home, especially the exciting new direction Australian Grenache is heading in. What got me into wine in the first place was food, and the way people light up around a good bottle and a good meal. That sense of sharing, the talking, celebrating something, losing yourself in the moment and landing on that ultimate state of relaxation, that's the feeling I'm chasing most of the time. Sometimes it's with people around a table over something special, and sometimes it's quieter and more contemplative at home, a glass with a mate or on my own, something to reflect on the week over.

  Mostly I'm drawn to wines that feel thoughtful, made by someone who respects the land and the fruit and does their best to celebrate it, the way a good chef celebrates every ingredient on the plate. I spent a long time chasing the weird and wacky and I'll still dip a toe in now and then, but more often than not I reach for the classics, that purer, more honest, old school style of winemaking I resonate with a little more these days. - Pete L