screwtop.net - no nonsense wine and beer reviews

Red, white or amber, we'll happily drink it and tell you what we think.
We are based in Australia, so we have access to some fantastic wines at great prices - most of the wines we review are Australian or New Zealand produced. We are realistic about how much real people spend on a bottle of wine, especially when it's just to have with stir fry on a Tuesday night. Sometimes we find ourselves wandering off the topic to talk about food or travel. We hope you'll bear with us and come along for the ride.
A final word - while we like wine and beer very much, we're not so keen on formal wine review language.
We want to keep it real, and have a bit of fun.

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Good and much less good

Posted on December 30, 2011 by screwtop.net

Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc & McWilliams Balance Semillon Sauvignon Blanc. Jeremy bought these on a two for $26 deal. We had the Brancott first and it was a great match for the asian salmon dish we had for tea. The Brancott was crisp and dry. It has more in common with a light chardonnay than it does with many of the more fruity and sweet SBs around. Enjoyed muchly. On to the McWilliams. Girly label with butterflies and a weight watchers points sticker on the collar – we should have been suspicious. In our defence, we were in a shopping centre BWS after a few hours of boxing day sale mahem. Defences were down, and a dud was bought. It’s low alcohol, but I would have forgiven it if it didn’t taste like dirty fly screen.

Posted in White, Whites under $20, Wine | Leave a comment

Henninger and Hahn

Posted on November 25, 2011 by screwtop.net

Ok, I’ve been sitting on this one for a while, but Kylie said screwtop needed more beer reviews. Alphabetically, Hahn is first – Jeremy’s choice. He prefers it to the other low carb beers around. He says it tastes more like a normal, full strength beer. Henninger is David’s choice. He likes the price ($30 a carton) so it’s a good beer to have on hand for mid-week knock offs and unexpected guests. Expected guests get Langmeil Shiraz, so rest assured he’s not cheap. He also likes it because it’s a German style of beer.

Posted in Beer | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

My Thai Auchenflower

Posted on November 12, 2011 by screwtop.net

One of our favourites, My Thai is a great restaurant with fantastic food and excellent service. It is consistently referred to as the best Thai restaurant in Brisbane, and there is no doubt in our minds that this is the case. Of course, BYO is allowed, and they have nice, cold Singha beer as well as a good wine list. My Thai is next door to another restaurant called Sprout. New owners there, apparently, but it always appears to be trying a little bit too hard, and the patrons look bored. They’re probably wishing they went to My Thai.

Posted in Food, Restaurants | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ingoldby McLaren Vale Shiraz 2009

Posted on November 6, 2011 by screwtop.net

Ingoldby has long held a place in our hearts because of its reliability, good price and elegant label. When we saw it on special in the local bottle-O’s catalogue for $11 rather than the usual $16 or $17, we hastened down the road to secure a box. Maybe we have been seduced by the label too many times. Maybe the rose coloured glasses have disguised what was always the truth, but this batch of Ingoldby had a rather unpleasant vinegary end.
Really disappointing. Ingoldby was our go-to, no brainer Shiraz.

Posted in Red, Reds under $20, Wine | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Godiva truffles

Posted on October 29, 2011 by screwtop.net

We opened the box with hushed reverence. The packaging is gorgeous, and unfolding the layers of cellulose paper to reveal the chocolates certainly adds to the drama. We had a box of six, and there they were nestled perfectly in their individual compartments. Once you’re in, it’s a guessing game to compare the selection you have in the box with the pictures on the leaflet.
Our box contained a couple of the usual suspects like Truffle Traditionnelle: Milk chocolate cream center in a milk chocolate shell, enrobed in dark chocolate and rolled in cocoa powder. We also had a Truffle Tarte Tatin: Apple caramel wrapped in a milk chocolate shell and rolled in milk and white chocolate flakes. The flavour of apple was recognisable but unusual and unexpected in a truffle. David cut each truffle into four so we could taste them all (they are quite big). No surprise, they were all lovely.
Thank you Tara for sharing with us!
Here is a link to the Godiva website.

Posted in Food, Other delicious things | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Eagle Vale Whispering Lake Shiraz 2005

Posted on October 24, 2011 by screwtop.net

This is a single vineyard Margaret River shiraz. The label says ‘medium to full bodied wine with an array of black fruits, fragrant spices and peppery flavours’. We agree. Comments: thick legs, smells earthy (David); so smooth (Tara); lovely timbers – earthy and complex (Jeremy); rich and fruity (Claire). Overall, there’s plenty going on in the glass and we enjoyed it very much. This wine costs around $30.

Posted in Red, Reds over $20, Wine | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Langmeil Valley Floor Shiraz 2008

Posted on October 23, 2011 by screwtop.net

Langmeil is a Barossa winery. Their website says ‘Home of what we believe is the world’s oldest surviving Shiraz vineyard: The Freedom 1843′.
About the wine:
David said it was heaven in a glass, with big, bold berry overtones.
Tara could taste strawberries.
Jeremy could taste pepper.
Claire thinks this wine is the whole package.
Overall, we liked it very much and agree it’s a very attractive special occasion wine, well priced at around $30.

Posted in Red, Reds over $20, Wine | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

David’s Good Taste

Posted on October 20, 2011 by screwtop.net

This is Spinach & Beef Pappardelle with Balsamic Glaze by David Backhouse.  David was featured in the October issue of Good Taste magazine as part of the Home Cook of the Year 2011 competition sponsored by San Remo.  He was one of six finalists from a pool of over 5000. See David at the Good Taste finals. Fantastic work, David!

Posted in Cooking, Food | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Hue beer

Posted on October 9, 2011 by screwtop.net

Jeremy in Hue with some bottles of Hue beer.  All the major cities in Vietnam have their own beer.  Some, like Saigon beer, are available all over Vietnam, but Hue beer – only in Hue. The label has a real home-made feel, and we noticed that the foil seal was a common feature with a lot of the local beers. Next time, we will make proper notes instead of drinking the beer and forgetting what we thought. Screwtop.net didn’t exist back in February, 2011. That’s our excuse, and a great reason to go back.

Posted in Beer, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment