It’s interesting to learn that some of our top winemakers started out in very different careers.

It’s nothing new, of course. Even James Halliday had a previous life as a partner in a law firm. Wine has a way of drawing you in like that. What begins as a passing interest soon becomes a distraction and, before long, it’s an all-consuming passion. For the five people we spoke to this edition, that pull was so strong that it made them drop everything and switch careers. We could have filled the entire issue with similar stories – it’s a common scenario across the industry, and yet another reminder of the power wine can wield.

All this warm weather got us thinking about a variety of drinks for this edition, from Australia’s burgeoning craft rum scene to semillon, sherry and even sangria. And if the holiday season has you dreaming about travel, check out our story on Italy’s Verona. Thanks to Campbell Mattinson’s inspiring words about the region’s incredible wine, food, scenery and history, by the time you finishing reading this piece, you might just be ready to book flights over there.

Also, don’t miss our chats with former English cricket great Sir Ian Botham, as well as winemaker Remi Guise from Western Australia’s Margaret River. And you can get excited about the increasingly diverse styles of wine from the Yarra Valley too.

We hope it all leads you to some excellent wine discoveries to share with friends and family as you ease into the new year.

Cheers,

Amelia Ball