Sustainable farming practices, indigenous fermentations and aging in cask are some of the cornerstones of an approach that yields distinctly potent, textured wines full of character. Pierre and Sophie Larmandier craft dramatic, vinous wines of real personality and class. ANTONIO GALLONI Join us for this very special masterclass hosted by Sophie and Pierre Larmandier – […]
This complete vertical of San Giusto a Rentennano’s flagship Sangiovese Percarlo left me speechless. Brothers Luca and Francesco Martini di Cigala showed me every vintage of Percarlo, back to the inaugural 1983, a wine that has now run its full course. I was deeply struck by the consistency of the wines from year to year, […]
The bottled 2017 Bordeaux capture all ups and downs that were characteristic of a growing season marked by dramatic frost and uneven weather throughout the rest of the year. Although 2017 is not a great vintage across the board, it is a vintage with many great wines. ANTONIO GALLONIThe story of Bordeaux 2017 really began during […]
Course Dates:7th December 2020 to 17th January 2021Registration due by 30th November 2020Exam date – February 2021 TBC at the Prince Wine Store, 177 Bank Street, Melbourne or via Remote Invigilation (time and date to be nominated by student).The WSET Level 2 Award in Wines is intended for those with little previous experience in the field of wine. Students […]
Are there two more iconic wines to come out of Tuscany in the last 100 years? Probably not. They were the catalyst for change that has reverberated around the Italian wine industry to this day. They mapped a new quality path for thousands to follow and while these days they’re part of the old guard of Italian […]
After spending 13 years as a wine buyer at City Wine Shop and The European Group, Gabrielle Poy has joined the PWS team. She brings knowledge, warmth and a sharp palate. Gabrielle spent several years abroad, furthering her knowledge by completing vintages in Italy, Spain and New Zealand. In 2010 she was a Len Evans […]
Read More >London’s traditional wine merchants were an inspiration for the early visions Michael had for a business that he would later grow as Prince Wine Store. After completing degrees in Journalism and Industrial Relations at Deakin and Melbourne Universities respectively, Michael moved to London where he worked with UK independent wine retailer Odd Binns at the height of its popularity. Returning to Australia, he worked across wine retail and importing, moving into the role of Imported Wine Buyer at Philip Murphy Wine & Spirits where he met future business partner Alex Wilcox. The two bonded over a shared vision in growing the customer base for high-end wines such as Bordeaux and Burgundy beyond the elite. His time as a partner at Italian wine wholesaler Trembath & Taylor refined his vision, but it was his buy-in of the Prince Wine Store in 2003 that allowed him to explore the potential of a retailer growing beyond its scope. Michael has played a key role in the group’s growth beyond its humble beginnings, and into the bigger picture it projects today. Now with retail stores in Melbourne and Sydney, Michael is passionate about growing the group’s impressive portfolio of producers, and profiling these in their Melbourne wine bar, Bellota and its upcoming Sydney equivalent.
Law school didn’t stand a chance with Alex Wilcox, when a cycling trip through the vineyards of Europe during university sent Alex off in a new direction towards what would become a lifelong career in the world of wine. Whilst completing an Honours Degree in Agricultural Economics at the University of Sydney, with a year spent at California’s UC Davis focusing on Wine Trade, Alex worked wine vintages in France, Tuscany and Western Australia. Realising he wasn’t destined to inherit a European vineyard, Alex followed his future wife to Melbourne where he went onto work across all aspects of wine trade, including service, retail and importing. It was during his time working at Phillip Murphy Wine & Spirits in the late 1990s that Alex met future business partner Michael McNamara; a partnership that was formalized when the two bought into the Prince Wine Store a number of years later. Over the last 13 years, Alex has been instrumental in the growth not just of the group and its breadth of offerings, but of lesser-known, quality wine producers he has worked with Michael to source and develop. With stores now in Victoria and NSW, Alex looks forward to expanding the Prince Wine Store’s customer experience to Sydney and beyond.
