The Winery Buddhas of Yarra Valley of Victoria

Australia’s Giant Steps said that Melanie Chester joined the winery as head of winemaking and viticulture on 25 November. It marks a new chapter for one of the leading wineries in Yarra Valley, Victoria. Steve Flamsteed, who joined Giant Steps as chief winemaker in 2003, will step back from the cellar – although he is expected to continue working closely with the team. Working alongside winery founder Phil Sexton, Flamsteed has played a major role in developing Giant Steps’ reputation for excell ...

The Wine Society has made a move to improve the provenance and quality of its exclusive The Blind Spot wine range. The business said it would, for the first time in its history, provide the funding for buying grapes rather than liquid for the range of Australian wines. Winemaker Mac Forbes has spend the last decade identifying ‘interesting’ parcels of wine for the range, which has been an integral part of The Wine Society’s portfolio for the past 10 years, and securing them before th ...

Celebrities from all walks of fame are stepping into the wine world. Sports stars, actors, musicians and TV personalities are all jumping on the wine bandwagon, some owning vineyards and others getting more hands-on in the winemaking itself. This growing trend shows no sign of slowing with recent celebrities to launch their own wines including George Clooney, Gordon Ramsey and Gary Barlow. The Take That star follows in the footsteps of pop singer Kylie Minigue, who launched a successful range of ...