John Lehmann
Verified- Managing Editor, The Australian
- Managing Editor, The Daily Telegraph
- Managing Editor, News.com.au
Sydney
Lover of wine, good deals & good journalism. Managing editor @australian, @dailytelegraph, @newscomauHQ. Oz wine club columnist.
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Articles by John Lehmann
Gold medal winning whites for summer
Owen Inglis has a diplomat’s answer when you ask the Adelaide Hills vigneron what delivers the greatest reward. Is it the trophies his wine accrues, the gold medals, the critics’ scores or the look of pleasure on the face of a customer trying his sauvignon blanc for the first time? “What about the look on my face when I taste it at the point where I know it’s going to be a pretty good vintage?” he says, adding what is arguably the greatest high for any winemaker.
Just add music: Spring whites from Leogate, Windowrie, Hither & Yon and Chalk Hill
Fancy some Schubert with your shiraz? Radiohead with your riesling? Your answer to those questions just may affect the way you enjoy the wine. We’ve written here before about the importance of context to how a wine tastes, from our level of thirst and preconceived expectations of the wine to the price we’ve paid. But various academic studies have shown that listening to different genres of music can affect our perceptions of weight, sweetness, aroma and more in a glass of wine.
Taming pinot noir from Tasmania, Tumbarumba and the Adelaide Hills
Alchemy happens time and again in the making of a bottle of wine. From the photosynthesis that turns sunshine into grape sugar, to the fermentation of yeast eating that sugar to produce alcohol, magic happens in a whole series of scientific harmonies. But the alchemy can be at a human level too, especially at the point where the viticulturalist who has grown the grapes hands them on to the winemaker.
The Australian’s 2026 annual dozen may be best yet
The reviewers at the Halliday Wine Companion are regarded as being among the most knowledgeable wine experts in the country. Their independent descriptions of some of the wines we’ve selected to make up The Australian’s Wine Club’s 2026 Annual Dozen Premium Halliday Mix point to the quality of this once-a-year offering.
Monkey magic leads annual premium reds deal
One of Australia’s wine treasures, with a story stretching back 176 years, stars in our greatest super premium wine deal of the year. The Australian Wine Club’s 2026 Annual Dozen offers are ready to go – and among the wineries selected for our highest-tier deal, the Super Premium Six, is the widely acclaimed Bleasdale winery, with its flagship shiraz leading the way.
World-class cabernet sauvignon thanks to Professor Winkler
John Lehmann and Tom Smithies If you haven't heard of the Winkler Index, you might guess that it's a sex appeal gauge invented by fans of The Fonz, played by Henry Winkler in the 1970s sitcom Happy Days. In fact, it's a Californian professor's lasting contribution to Australian wine … and the reason why some cabernet sauvignon vines planted 60 years ago on granite soils a few kilometres from the Southern Ocean might be one of our “best kept secrets” for red wines.
World-class cabernet sauvignon thanks to Professor Winkler
If you haven’t heard of the Winkler Index, you might guess that it’s a sex appeal gauge invented by fans of The Fonz, played by Henry Winkler in the 1970s sitcom Happy Days. In fact, it’s a Californian professor’s lasting contribution to Australian wine … and the reason why some cabernet sauvignon vines planted 60 years ago on granite soils a few kilometres from the Southern Ocean might be one of our “best kept secrets” for red wines.
Glorious grenache grows from long-term vision
When so much of winemaking moves at glacial speed, it pays to take the long view. The wisdom of decisions made today can take decades to become clear, and it takes a certain confidence to rise above the short-term vicissitudes of fickle consumer tastes and the pressures of the bottom line.
European reds that reveal old-world secrets
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European reds that reveal old-world secrets
It’s a tricky thing, progress. So many advances are made in the name of giving us more choice, cheaper prices and greater consistency … and yet the artisan counter-revolution is based on the idea that we might have lost something along the way. Winemaking can be as beholden to faddery and fashion as any industry, even in the hinterlands of what we still call the Old World countries.
Secret Shiraz: $480 bottle reduced to a price you can swallow
How does premium Barossa shiraz once priced at almost $500 a bottle end up being offered for less than $40? In one word: China. Sadly, more than two years after China dropped its prohibitive import duties on Australian wine, originally imposed in 2021 during a political fight over Covid’s origins, Australian winemakers are still reeling.
K1 Adelaide Hills chardonnay by Geoff Hardy stars in golden dozen
Australian winemaking has been built on the doers rather than those who just talked. These are the people who created opportunities, created their own luck and created history. Vigneron Geoff Hardy fits neatly into this category. The fifth-generation descendant of Australian wine pioneer Thomas Hardy had an idea back in the 1980s: to find the perfect spot in the Adelaide Hills to grow cooler-climate varietals, especially chardonnay and pinot noir.
From Italy With Love: Sangiovese ultimate winter food pairing
Every football coach keeps a special place in their heart for the quiet heroes who slip from position to position without fuss. Effortlessly adaptable, these are the athletes who take on yet another new role like it’s always been theirs. They’re the ultimate team players but don’t often get the spotlight. Maybe that’s why, in the “sport” of winemaking, sangiovese rarely makes the headlines – but might just be the most harmonious varietal in a world of big-name shiraz, cabernet and pinot noir.
A celestial touch for this chardonnay and syrah from Hawke’s Bay in NZ
While bringing an almost religious fervour to our worship of wonderful wines, we find it hard to resist the belief that the world’s creator was something of a vino fan. You only have to look at the nooks and crannies of the winemaking world to understand the seemingly celestial touch that has created an array of perfectly attuned grape-growing landscapes.
The Australian Wine Club ‘bin ends’ a magical mystery deal
Peer into the corners of our wine cellar and there’s some lonely-looking figures in the shadows. Most of these bottles will be familiar and many will elicit a double-take, recognisable as exemplars of good drinking. It’s an inescapable fact that The Australian Wine Club’s special-offer dozen each week means leftovers – and good ones at that. Scattered throughout our warehouse are the tiny parcels left when the rush on each case has subsided.
Magic pinot grigio from high-altitude Orange vineyards
Things move slowly in the business of making fine wine – just ask Aaron Mercer. More than a quarter-century after Mercer first started crafting wine, the Hunter Valley-born vigneron recently won Rising Star of the Year at the Real Review awards, and it’s a prize that tells us a lot about where Aussie winemaking could be heading.
The growing trend that’s a testament to quality winemaking
Elena Brooks is a winemaker with a glass you would say is definitely half-full. After a quarter-century of award-winning vintages in South Australia, the Bulgarian-born adopted Aussie can see a trend that is a testament to her kind of winemaking. We might as a country be drinking less overall, not to mention making too much wine, but the consumption graph for so-called “premium wines” – priced at $15 a bottle or more – is on an upward curve.
Golden chardonnays that are worth catching
It’s a well-worn ritual during a long weekend away in the countryside – suffused in the glow of the landscape, local produce and perhaps some local drinks – to quickly search online for local property. Usually such “in the moment” exploration goes no further.
Secret cellar: Door opens on $200 premium Barossa shiraz deal
The people who create the wines we love are facing levels of stress, debt pressure and uncertainty not seen in decades. That was the dire warning issued by the Australian Grape and Wine Association (AGW) in February and, unfortunately, the “deep structural distress” facing the wine industry will take years to resolve. The core of the problem is a massive oversupply of wine.
Italian job: Sangiovese – the risky red that paid off
McLaren Vale vigneron Peter Lloyd admits his father ventured into “no-man’s land” 40 years ago when he pulled out his grenache vines and planted sangiovese. “It was a big risk – there was barely any Italian varieties in Australia at all,’’ says Peter, the son of Mark Lloyd, who ran the family’s acclaimed Coriole winery for four decades. “But nobody wanted grenache back then and Dad basically created an opportunity that didn’t really exist.
Wine voyage of discovery leads to hidden Spanish treasures
As most readers know, it always pays to look beyond the headlines. Just as the most interesting stories are often those the journalists have had to tease out, so we sometimes like to step off the beaten path to find wines that deliver depth and discovery in unison. Wherever possible, we add value to those criteria, as an opportunity to explore the breadth of Spain’s red-wine-making credentials confirms.
Age brings beauty to 95-point white
Buried in the tasting notes that adorn this column each week, there’s often a line about the cellaring potential of a particular wine, offering the tantalising thought that a good bottle is almost certain to get even better – with a little patience. But while the reflex may be to reach for something robust and red – such as cabernet sauvignon or shiraz – to lay down in the cellar, a number of white varietals also have the backbone to improve with age.
The Australian Wine Club: pinot noir from Trescowthick Wines, Vandenberg, Hunter’s, Brightwater
It’s probably an exaggeration to say that Alex Trescowthick knows each of his pinot noir grapes by name – but not that much. The archetype of the small-batch winemaker, with a myopic focus on a couple of varietals, Trescowthick can’t stop eulogising about the concept of “pinot with character” – even though he knows his heart will be broken at times along the way.
Super premium six deal: big reds from d’Arenberg, Schild, Penley, Dandelion, Hungerford Hill and Stonehaven
Old vines, brilliant winemakers, out-of-the-box dreamers and visionary families come together in this line-up of outstanding Australian reds. It’s been our custom at The Australian Wine Club to release a Super Premium Six once a year as part of our Annual Dozen promotion each September but, with so much superb wine presently available and the cooler months on our doorstep, why wait? Each wine has a story – and, in this case, at least a 96-point rating from leading wine judges.
Our golden chardonnay glistens on world stage
It’s a warm, spring late-afternoon in Amsterdam, and an Aussie tourist seeks out a glass of something chilled and white. To their pleasant surprise it’s a chardonnay from South Australia, its palate full of crisp apple and trademark fresh acidity. It hits the spot. Meanwhile, wine drinkers in Bangkok and Singapore are enjoying the same glass of Aussie viticultural elegance, and bit by bit the wine export rebound is gathering shape.
Bold reds soar from Victoria’s premium wine country
If it’s possible to be an accidental icon, Rutherglen durif is the epitome of fame that wasn’t really meant to happen. A varietal now grown from South Australia to the Riverina, it is still synonymous with Rutherglen, more than 120 years after it was first transported from the south of France to the Victorian High Country.
Don’t be scared: put these reds in the fridge
As a piece of consumer advice, it’s up there with “may contain nuts” and “this beverage may be hot” – well-meaning but ultimately not overly insightful. The tip to drink red wine “at room temperature” is reasonable enough on the surface, until you contemplate a stiflingly humid afternoon late in the Australian summer when the last thing we want is a glass of red that almost feels warm to the touch.
Summer whites to sip with a clean conscience
Aftermarket 12 minutes ago Pic: Getty Images When you hold your glass up to the light, it’s simply a delicious glass of riesling that’s glinting a beguiling shade of pale yellow. But the journey to get you that wine, and the choices made along the way, are anything but simple. They tell you a lot about where Australian winemaking is increasingly heading – and why that’s a good thing for all of us.
Fringe USMNT player Haji Wright’s club Coventry City demands record $270 million from desperate West Ham
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Fringe USMNT player Haji Wright’s club Coventry City demands record $270 million from desperate West Ham Original
The list of the most expensive transfers in soccer history includes the likes of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Cristiano Ronaldo. A new name has been floated to join their superstar ranks: American striker Haji Wright. Wait, what? Wright, a 27-year-old fringe figure on the United States men’s national team who plies his trade for Coventry City in England’s second tier, is the subject of transfer interest from Premier League team West Ham United.
Blockbusters and quiet achievers – 12 of 2025's best Aussie wines - Stockhead
As we head into the festive season, I’ve looked through our cellar and pulled together my favourites from the year. The blockbusters are there – premium Barossa and McLaren shiraz (RRPs up to $95) and crackerjack chardonnay – but Australian winemakers are also exploring new territory so I’ve included a couple of less familiar varietals that I’d love you to try. There’s also an accent on lighter reds that you can enjoy with your favourite meals over summer.
A piece of Canada's existing Trans Mountain pipeline, in British Columbia province
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A piece of Canada's existing Trans Mountain pipeline, in British Columbia province
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A piece of Canada's existing Trans Mountain pipeline, in British Columbia province
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‘Best wine’ to honour Bali bombings hero
Tim Cox can remember the moment when an inspired wine prompted an inspired name, and created an ongoing tribute. More than 10 years ago, the head of Allegiance Wines was tasting a wine that had no name and wasn’t part of any of his existing ranges – all he knew was that it was very, very good. The moment came while tuning in to SBS’s Insight program to watch his accountant tell a story that brought him to tears.
Pale pink rosé to get serious about this spring
If Australian rosé was once a luminously blushing bride, now it’s the very model of pale-pink sophistication. A wine that was almost the by-product of leftover grapes – or at least those with enough sugar to produce the stereotypical lolly water dismissed by so-called “proper” wine drinkers – is now front and centre as a showstopper in all the right ways. Top winemakers are growing savoury varietals to celebrate regional differences and terroir but in rosé form.
Cote du Rhone reds deliver rustic French charm
The Rhone Valley sweeps majestically for 240km through the southern French countryside, the drama of its steepling hillsides and valley plains matched by the epic scale of its history. But among the thousands of vineyards scattered across the 170-odd villages that have the geographic right to make wines classed as Cote du Rhone, a little local knowledge goes a long way.
Devilish taste of Tassie pinot noir creates wine hot spot
The great James Halliday says that if he were starting off as a winemaker again, he would head to Tasmania. As we know, our wine club president is a keen admirer of pinot noir, making Tasmania an obvious choice. Such has been its success in recent years, the Apple Isle should be rebadged as Australia’s “pinot isle”. Take the prestigious Australian Pinot Noir Challenge as an example: a Tasmanian pinot noir has won the competition in five of the past six years.
Grapes of tomorrow: star winemaker looks to the future
Celebrated McLaren Vale winemaker Rob Mack spends his days touring the road less travelled, focusing his view on small vineyard sites and grape varieties beyond the mainstream. His philosophy puts an accent on styles and varieties he believes may become more dominant in the years ahead, as climates change and drinking preferences veer towards slightly lighter styles.
Tour de France: spring whites from Chablis to Sancerre
We love Australian whites. Who can say “no” to an ice-cold glass of Clare Valley riesling on a warm spring afternoon, or a sip of Margaret River chardonnay with a lunch of barbecued bugs? But wine is also about discovering new styles, opening the senses to less familiar tastes, appreciating how wines produced in different climates and soils speak the language of their land.
Soft power: Coonawarra reds lead easy-drinking revolution
A new generation of Coonawarra winemakers is making premium reds to drink earlier, without losing the region’s global reputation for top-class shiraz and cabernet sauvignon. Any political party struggling to work out how to retain what it has always stood for while adapting to a fragmenting audience could do worse than head to South Australia for a scouting trip in Coonawarra.
The magical chardonnay that stopped a winemaker in his tracks
For a Buddhist it might be the moment of enlightenment. For an Italian chef, it could be the tiny window when the pasta they are cooking is just al dente. For legendary winemaker Bruce Tyrrell, it comes standing in the vineyard, a clutch of grapes crushed in hand and juice running down his arms. It’s the magical moment of realisation that something glorious is being created. Even after 60 vintages, the occasions when Tyrrell has had that special feeling linger in his memory.
Sustainable practices and the taste of spring – a natural selection - Stockhead
There’s a bracing reality to her perspective: you can plan for next week, next year and even the next decade as you tend your grapes. You can learn from history and anticipate the varietals and wine styles that will thrive in the future. But unless you work with the elements – from the soil, the climate and what Cooter calls “the good with the bad” as seasons unfold – then there’s probably heartache ahead.
Heavenly reds with a lighter touch
If the malbec in your glass tastes even more divine than usual, please raise that glass to Brother John May and toast his devotion to the cause of winemaking with purpose. While Europe has a long tradition of religious institutions making excellent and sought-after beers, the concept of high-end holy winemaking is less well explored.
Halliday Annual Dozen offers incredible value on premium Australian wines
The Australian Wine Club’s most important wine selection of 2025, The Australian’s Annual Dozen Premium Halliday Mix, is a smorgasbord of styles that sweep the arc of Australia’s diverse wine scene. The defining feature this year is extraordinary value – even before our deep Annual Dozen discounts reduce the average bottle price to just $21.99.
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