Penfolds, whose flagship wine is ultra–premium Grange, is the most popular brand among Australian fine wine collectors, one of the country's largest wine storage companies claims.

If you're serious about drinking wine, chances are you're serious about cellaring it too. And if you're serious about storing it, you'll know that under the stairs isn't the best place for your precious collection.

According to a survey run by Australian market intelligence business Food and Wine Insights, women wine drinkers are drinking less, drinking more at home and spending less per bottle at wine retailers and restaurants than men since the global financial crisis (GFC) began.

There's never been a better time to keep reds under the bed or in a cellar, writes Peter Bourne. Ever wanted your own wine cellar? I don't mean ripping up the kitchen floor. A wine cellar can mean a few cases of red kept under the bed for a couple of years. In that time it will begin to undergo the magical evolution from youthful awkwardness to mellow maturity.

Australian beer consumption has dropped to a 60-year-low, official figures show. Supermarkets are marking up alcohol by as much as 50 percent in their own-brand liquor stores to capitalise on captive grocery shoppers.

ONE of nature's cruel ironies is that, right when this year's brightest, freshest pupils are released into the world, most of us don't want to know about them. I'm talking about rieslings, by the way. Fresh, zippy, citrus tree floral and lemon and lime juicy drops from the 2010 vintage are making their way to our wine lists or store shelves. So far, many of the ones I've tasted are smart, keen to impress, perhaps a little naive but mostly pure and beautiful.

Ascend into the small towns huddled around the towering Mount Macedon such as Woodend or Kyneton, which are located an hour North-West of Melbourne, and you can’t fail to miss the faintly Northern European feel of the place. Perhaps it is the crisp bite of a cool Spring day, the historical streetscapes or even the patches of greenery from recent Winter rains but this is a very unique and beautiful landscape; not just in geography but also the climate that envelops it.

When it comes to matching wines with food, there are no hard and fast rules. The best way to learn what works and what doesn’t is to try out different combinations. That’s all very well when you have time on your side and several bottles lined up at a relaxed weekend dinner party, but not so helpful at a business lunch when the wine list is in your hands.

The understated Cape Mentelle Cellar Door is nestled in an outcrop of woodland at the cooler, Southern end of Margaret River on the picturesque Wallcliffe Road. Directly behind sits the barrel hall and it is here that for a weekend in November last year, guests from around the country gathered to attend what is most certainly one of the great events on the Australian wine calendar - the Cape Mentelle International Cabernet tasting.

For decades the Hunter Valley has been Sydney’s playground, a place to enjoy a weekend away in the country with family and friends all washed down with a healthy dose of local shiraz, semillon and chardonnay. Just close enough to make the two-hour drive along the F3 from Sydney an easy run, the magical mix of vineyards, some outstanding wines and the imposing Brokenback Range continues to draw people, both local and international visitors, to the Hunter in ever increasing numbers.