The New McLaren Vale: How Mediterranean Grape Varieties Are Redefining Australian Wine By Oliver Budack (c) 2025 This is a slightly edited version of an article published on the Hastwell & Lightfoot blog on 3 October 2025. When I arrived in Australia in 1995 and settled in Darwin, the wine scene was a far cry
Hahndorf Hill Winery is nestled in the beautiful undulating heart of the Adelaide Hills Wine Region, near the historic township of Hahndorf. This winery is one of my favourite cellar doors in South Australia with its focus on Austrian varietals, appropriately matched to the cooler climate of the region. Hahndorf Hill was not only instrumental
What a year! I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that it was an ‘interesting’ one to say the least, especially if you work in hospitality, no thanks to the ongoing pandemic! The beginning of the year saw a fresh start at Victor’s Place and Varney Wines in McLaren Vale. This next welcome phase of
After living in Berlin for nearly three years to complete my Sommelier studies and certification, at the end of 2017 I returned to live again in Australia. So inspired was I by the discovery of European organic and more sustainable viticulture - and the tasty and juicy wines it produced - I felt compelled to
Recently I came across an old friend, a bottle of 2012 12Volts from 4kilos Vinícola, Spain. The winery is located on Mallorca, a small island in the Mediterranean Sea. I was electrified when I saw this wine as I had visited its winery of origin a couple of times when living in Europe. Suffice to
The best thing about tasting wine? Tasting it with others… Drinking a bottle of wine with no one else to share it with is boring: in solitude I don’t appreciate the wine as much as I do sharing it in a group. I might assess and appreciate the first glass, but by the second my
So what does a dedicated hospitality worker and a faithful 'somm' do during a pandemic? With no customers to serve, no guests to pour for? What do you do with yourself? It's just not natural to not be running! What does the future hold? These are some of the thoughts that crossed my mind at
So it's been a while since I've had any time to write about my wine adventures, since moving to "God's country", the McLaren Vale wine region in South Australia, back in February 2018. I've been super-busy: moving countries (returning to live in Australia after 3 years in Berlin); exploring my new home and region (and
Repost, Wintetitles Media, published on September 25th, 2018 Oliver Budack, cellar door manager at McLaren Vale’s Gemtree Wines has been awarded the 2019 Wayne Thomas Scholarship. Named after prominent McLaren Vale wine identity, the late Wayne Thomas, the annual scholarship recipient receives a fully funded place at the Australian Wine Research Institute’s Advanced Wine Assessment
A visit to the historic Tahbilk Winery in Central Victoria, Australia, is a must for any wine lover. It’s a journey into the beginnings of Australian viticulture, and steeped in history. The winery was founded in 1860 and therefore - in Australian terms at least – it is ancient. The winery has been owned and
Winemaker Christian Müller and sommelier Oliver Budack, at Weingut Max Müller I. Photo: Megan Spencer (c) 2017 In August 2017 I visited the Max Müller I winery in Franconia, Southern Germany. Members of the Müller family have been in the wine business for the past 400 years. Today the winery is led by
Finally, June 24, 2017 had arrived: it marked a special day for us, the volunteers of the Kreuzberg vineyard in Berlin. It's the day we had all looked forward to with quite some excitement: famous winemaker Simone Adams was coming to “our vineyard” to launch the first red wine ever made from grapes of this
