Marc Jardine

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a hard boiled egg & a couple of glasses of chilled lambrusco... picnic lunch on the beach in Valencia with my toes in the Med

Personal Information

About Me
I'm into scuba, skydiving and snowboarding. I prefer my wine in a glass, but I'll take a bottle and a straw if you're out of clean glasses.

More About Me

I love...
Wine, concerts, bars, museums, travelling, skiing, partying, dancing, reading, writing, drinking, talking, tequila, salsa music, candles, Thai food, art, incense, sex, books, Scotland, dreaming, road trips, swords, bonfires, pickles, beads, Prague, thunderstorms, hemp, tea, whiskey, France, vampires, Bert Jansch, rain, Ireland, blowing bubbles, passion, rum, oscillating fans, South America, skinny dipping, herbs and spices, Italy, cooking, fresh coffee, languages, Bangkok, girls, laughing, snow & blue cheese.
Favourite Wine
I'll drink pretty much anything if it's wet and red, but recently I have been trying a lot of really amazing wine from McLaren Vale. And the good news is, you don't need to spend a fortune to find fantastic quality: I'm all for drinking good wine and discovering new favourites, but I don't think it should be necessary to re-mortgage the house to feed the habit.

Location

Town / City
Sydney
Country
Australia

International Wine Fair 2013

Posted April 19

Vintage Cellars is proud to bring you the International Wine Fair for 2013. Now in its 5th year, here is your chance to secure your ticket! It's their single most important event of the year and this one will be bigger and better than ever before. The Vintage Cellars Tasting Pane...
Fantastic Fizzy Cocktails That You Can Make At Home

Posted February 1

Nothing can beat the feeling of relaxing on a beach or in a swanky bar while sipping on a fizzy cocktail. Unfortunately, most of us won't get that opportunity on a daily basis. To recreate that feeling of indulgence and relaxation from the comfort of your own home, try your hand at makin...
Aussie Wine's Cheap Image in China

Posted March 7, 2012

Are we heading for "sunshine in a bottle" all over again? But this time in China? According to Professor Zhangyue Zhou, a Business Studies professor at James Cook University, the Aussie wine industry is in danger of shooting itself in the foot (again) by promoting a "cheap and cheerful" ima...
Our Short-Sighted Wine Industry

Posted February 24, 2012

No-one likes criticism. It's often hard to swallow. And I try not to rant about the wine industry I love so much. But it's a Herculean task in task in the face of the myopic, deer-in-the-headlights attitude adopted by some of our best wineries in relation to promoting and selling their wines. So you...
Dumber Than A Bag Of Hammers

Posted February 17, 2012

As the founder of BoozeMonkey, you probably won't be surprised to learn that I think social media is an amazing tool which provides us with a massive opportunity to level the playing field when it comes to marketing and selling wine. The majority of our wineries are small operators who, unl...

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February 18, 2011 1:42:46 AM EST

in the topic High Alcohol Wines: How High is Too High? in the forum Wine Chat

Tell it like it is Deb. Personally I don't believe in high % alcohol just for the sake of it, but when you can produce the kind of ball-tearing Shiraz which Oz is famous for, and when there is such beauty and balance and such an obscene amount of flavour -- anything the Old World has to say in opposition just sounds like jealousy.

Here are a couple of my favourites for anyone who is skeptical about big alcohol wines to try before claiming 15%+ is wrong:

* Two Mates Shiraz (McLaren Vale)
* Caught Redhanded Shiraz (McLaren Vale)
* Henry's Drive Vignerons Shiraz (Padthaway)
June 28, 2009 7:43:10 PM EST

in the topic Sparkling Rose in the forum Wine Chat

carinacurrants wrote...

Myles wrote...

Just reviewed the Kirrihill Pinot Noir Brut Rosé: nice tasting wine, but too much fizz. Is that more of a problem with sparkling rosé than with sparkling white?

No, just comes down to the winemaking and the properties of the wine...

With bottle fermented sparklings if the wine is young (less than 12 - 18 months in the bottle it's fermented in) the bubbles can come bursting out too quickly which can make them look harsh. I'm guessing if it's a 2008 wine it is pretty fresh. With a couple of months in the corked bottle this may calm down.

That's what I love about this place. There's always an expert on hand who's happy to help if you have a question or a problem. Thanks Karina!
June 27, 2009 4:05:09 AM EST

in the topic Sparkling Rose in the forum Wine Chat

Just reviewed the Kirrihill Pinot Noir Brut Rosé: nice tasting wine, but too much fizz. Is that more of a problem with sparkling rosé than with sparkling white?
May 19, 2009 7:15:35 PM EST

in the topic Wineries reviewing their own wines? in the forum The Suggestion Box

Some people may think I'm naive, but generally I think honesty and humility shine through (no, it's not a religious thing...). Personlally I don't think there is anything wrong with reviewing your own wine (or anything else you do for that matter) as long as you are honest with yourself. Some people may not appreciate wineries critiquing their own wines, but in the end those people will make their own judgement about how valid they think the review is based on the information to hand.

It is difficult to make an informed decision about a particluar wine based on one review alone. But as more and more reviews are posted on the site over time, a clear picture should emerge of the general consensus. That's where I think the value in BoozeMonkey's wine reviews lies. That, and following a particular reviewer whose tastes are similar to your own and whose opinion you trust based on past reviews.

The more reviews we have on the site the better, so when you try a bottle of wine, whether it was a $50 special-occasion bottle or a $3~$5 cheapie, and whether you enjoyed it or not, add a quick review so everyone can benefit from your experience. I know I would appreciate knowing which bottles you have enjoyed and which you haven't, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
February 15, 2009 3:39:32 PM EST

in the topic A-Z Wine Terminology "BoozeMonkey-style" in the forum Just Chewing The Fat

"Ranktabulous" -- a $3 bottle with no label from the bottom shelf that you *know* is going to taste awful, but it's 15% alcohol and I'm out of cash so who cares?