Max Allen

How many more wine labels does this country need? The answer, it seems, is a lot more.

Don’t own a cocktail shaker? Fear not – Australia’s best small bars and boutique distillers are doing the dirty work for you.

For Barossa-based winemaker John Hughes, there is only one grape variety that really matters. And it's utterly, defiantly untrendy.

Pairing wine and Chinese cuisine can be a tricky beast. Max Allen has all the easy-drinking solutions you need for your next banquet experience.

The appetite for local whiskey is growing fast, with larger batches set to complement a spirited craft culture.

At a recent celebration of pinot noir, Australia's top sommeliers presented the bottles that best speak to the grape's pulling power.

You can’t put new wine in old bottles, but you can put good wine in kegs – and casks, and pouches – and still not compromise on taste.

Chablis offers a schooling in taste and terroir and, better still, it's just downright fun. Drink up.

Gamay continues to grow in popularity among Australian drinkers and producers. What's more, local winemakers are adding new character to the Beaujolais signature. We take a closer look.

If you're baffled by the obscure grape varieties turning up on wine lists everywhere, this run-down is for you.

If winter means red wine to you, we've got plenty of recommendations including a robust malbec, a pinot meunier worth cellaring and a lip-smacking young nero.

From the Rhône Valley to Kentucky, the Barossa to Abruzzo, Max Allen's selections this month cover some ground.

A powerful and complex gin from Victoria's Macedon Ranges makes our short-list this April, as does an essential cabernet franc from the Loire Valley.

A refreshing revelation in summer with a vitality all their own, these are the drops helping wine lovers see the light.

From a barrel-matured Bordeaux sauvignon blanc to a deep purple cassis made from Tasmanian blackcurrants, here are the drops we're turning to this March.

From a trophy winning nero d'avola to a botanically refreshing chardonnay, here are our favourite drinks of the month.

Locally made drops - from tonic to golden ale, vermouth to eau de vie - are full of the flavours and aromas of the bush, as the next generation of producers embrace quandong, wattleseeds and more. Here are our picks.

The refreshing rusticity of gently sparkling pétillant-naturels is a large part of their appeal, writes Max Allen.

From boutique Victorian rieslings to Christmas gin enriched with muscat, here are our favourite drops to enjoy this month.

Everything's coming up rosé as local winemakers broaden the spectrum of pink potential.

A spirit of innovation is making for intriguing iterations of the effervescent Spritz, writes Max Allen

From pale rosé to red vermouth, Max Allen rounds up the wine styles that define the moment.

As the thermometer moves northward, we're drifting towards Leclerc Briant Champagne, albarino to pair with seafood and top-notch Tasmanian pinot noir.

Small-batch craft spirits have captured the imagination of local producers and drinkers alike, writes Max Allen.

Whether it's a crunchy sémillon or textural rosé from Provence you're after, these seven bottles have got every taste covered.

Chile’s traditional-winemaking revival is bringing a new generation back to the future, writes Max Allen.

Zinfandel from David Hohnen and a rare pinot from Bass Phillip made our August short list, as did an exciting new gruner veltliner and a red blend from New South Wales.

Campari with your cornflakes? Whether booze is okay at breakfast depends on time and place, writes Max Allen.

From cider brandy with hints of toffee to a rare verdelho harvested from a 1930s vineyard, here are our picks for the top drops to enjoy this July.

From cider made with English apples to unusually dense grenache, dark brandy to Mornington Peninsula savagnin sous voile, here are June's best drops.

The rise of minimal-intervention wines has made waves in the wine world. And the best way to understand it is to taste it for yourself.

Stop! Put that bottle of shiraz down. Red wine is rarely chocolate's best friend, according to Max Allen.

From a bold Australian pale ale to a bitter and herbal chinato from Italy, here's what we'll be drinking this month.

More and more adventurous local winemakers are embracing Vermouth's botanicals.

Adventurous winemakers in the West are applying a distinct lo-fi approach to their craft, writes Max Allen.

From a floral bottle of English bubble to a tangy gin perfect for a Dirty Martini, here's what we'll be drinking this month.

We’re spoilt for variety – and value – in Australia when it comes to good riesling. Max Allen picks the top 20 from a fine crop.

Vermouth is having a moment as adventurous local winemakers embrace the botanicals. Here are 10 of our top picks.

Get a taste of vintage as well as the vine with the new crop of urban wineries, writes Max Allen.

No eggnog here: this December, we're drinking a seven-apple cider blend, a spicy durif, and a luscious sweet Riesling.

Whatever the cause for celebration, Max Allen has a juicy drop to enhance the festive spirit, from convivial red by the magnum to exuberant bubbles. Here’s to good times.

Not all the hard work of a successful restaurant takes place in the kitchen. These 11 experts are influential in shaping the food industry of the future.

Southern NSW oyster farmer Steve Feletti met his ideal wine match in the picpoul variety and now produces it here.

We don't have an official Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide Wine List of the Year Hall of Fame. But if we did, it'd look a lot like this.

These are the drops we're savouring this month, from a tangy fortified wine to a refreshingly dry Australian rosé and a bargain bin riesling.

These are the drops we've been drinking this month, from a Victorian shiraz to an apple brandy imported from Normandy.

Armed with insider's tips and a thirst for adventure, Max Allen joins friends, Romans and countrymen at the Italian capital’s most notable wine bars.

Long overlooked in favour of cabernet, Australian merlot looks set to enjoy its time in the sun, writes Max Allen.

From an extra hoppy IPA to a nicely bitter Australian vermouth, these are the drops that are getting us through that final winter month.

Cachaça is as bold as Brazil, best expressed in the boisterous and joyful Caipirinha, writes Max Allen.

Our top ten alcoholic picks for the month.

Local winemakers are using a centuries-old technique to produce excitingly complex wines.

The Apple Islanders celebrate cider with a mid-winter festival and have a wassail of a time.

Indigenous author Bruce Pascoe is dedicated to reviving native ingredients as cultivated by Aboriginal people – baking with ancient grains is just the beginning.

A radical return to old winemaking methods is rehabilitating sauvingnon blanc, writes Max Allen.

Local craft brewers are discovering saison, a style of Belgian ale just made for summer, writes Max Allen.

An unlikely wine region is proving to be fertile ground for progressive winemakers, writes Max Allen.

From dry pinot gris to savoury nebbiolo, Australian rosé is diverse, versatile and made for warmer weather. There’s never been a better time to drink pink, writes Max Allen.

New-wave winemakers are using old-school techniques to liberate Bordeaux from itself, writes Max Allen.

Small is the order of the day in restaurants, with tight wine lists showcasing boutique drops, writes Max Allen.

A small community is making a big impression with some of the hottest wine labels in the country, writes Max Allen.

Malbec is on the rise, with local winemakers producing plush expressions of the elegant grape, writes Max Allen.

Drinking wine is more than a matter of taste, writes Max Allen, so put on some tunes and fill a fancy glass.

Mornington Peninsula pinot noir is fulfilling its early promise with breathtaking finesse, writes Max Allen.

Orange is blooming, with exciting local wines wowing the locals and visitors alike.

Meet the white Italian grapes that are vying for attention with the better-known reds, writes Max Allen.

An élite global group of natural winemakers has taken root in Australia, writes Max Allen, and is set to grow.

Holidaying in a one-shop town? Max Allen’s summer favourites can be found from Woy Woy to Woop Woop.

Flexing from sweet to savoury, muscat works in a host of occasions. Max Allen does the festive matchmaking.

Eschewing the tried and true, Max Allen goes in search of fine Champagnes from lesser-known producers. Here he reveals his top 10.

Bittersweet apples and traditional techniques give French ciders their own special fizz, writes Max Allen.

The diverse flavours of Asia are sending wine lists in exciting and adventurous directions, writes Max Allen.

The local gin craze is in full swing. Max Allen taste-tests the nation’s offerings, from traditional dry to radical botanical.

First, it was boutique Australian gin; now vermouth is on the make. Max Allen savours the sweet and the dry.

Craft brewing in Australia is hitting a sour note, and that’s no bad thing, writes Max Allen.

There’s more to gamay than a merry drink-now drop – it’s a seriously seductive grape, says Max Allen.

From a first cut of 100 of the nation’s best wines, Max Allen whittled away even further to arrive at his top 10 favourites from the best in show. Drink up.

Once the sweet purple plonk of choice for yesteryear teens, Lambrusco has come of age, writes Max Allen.

The great Australian cider bubble keeps expanding, writes Max Allen, but when it bursts, who will be left standing?

Wine in the sky is a mixed bag but the highest-flying lists are well worth the long haul.

Step away from the cheeseboard with that gutsy red wine. Max Allen and Will Studd have found more harmonious pairings.

It makes sense that the Apple Isle would be the cider capital of Australia. Max Allen tours Tasmania’s finest producers and discovers the resurgence of an industry more than 100 years strong.

Heritage and history are one face of the Barossa Valley. But there’s also a renewed focus, says Max Allen, as one of our oldest wine regions sets a steady course for a bright future.

Whether you can eat it, cook it, drink it, smoke it, fly it, drive it, sail it, shake, rattle, rock and roll it or just simply luxuriate in it, we’ve got 2010’s most compelling food and travel trends nailed. The GT team have combed the globe, polishing plates, swirling glasses and leaving no hot-stone treatment unturned to bring you this sizzling list.

Whether you can eat it, cook it, drink it, smoke it, fly it, drive it, sail it, shake, rattle, rock and roll it or just simply luxuriate in it, we’ve got 2010’s most compelling food and travel trends nailed. The GT team have combed the globe, polishing plates, swirling glasses and leaving no hot-stone treatment unturned to bring you this sizzling list.

Whether you can eat it, cook it, drink it, smoke it, fly it, drive it, sail it, shake, rattle, rock and roll it or just simply luxuriate in it, we’ve got 2010’s most compelling food and travel trends nailed. The GT team have combed the globe, polishing plates, swirling glasses and leaving no hot-stone treatment unturned to bring you this sizzling list.

Whether you can eat it, cook it, drink it, smoke it, fly it, drive it, sail it, shake, rattle, rock and roll it or just simply luxuriate in it, we’ve got 2010’s most compelling food and travel trends nailed. The GT team have combed the globe, polishing plates, swirling glasses and leaving no hot-stone treatment unturned to bring you this sizzling list.

Whether you can eat it, cook it, drink it, smoke it, fly it, drive it, sail it, shake, rattle, rock and roll it or just simply luxuriate in it, we’ve got 2010’s most compelling food and travel trends nailed. The GT team have combed the globe, polishing plates, swirling glasses and leaving no hot-stone treatment unturned to bring you this sizzling list.

It’s known for its spectacular scenery, but the outstanding wineries and fine food outlets are an even better reason to visit Victoria’s Surf Coast, says Max Allen.