Cork vs. Screw Top

As a controversial issue, the debate of corks or screw tops on bottles of wine has mostly faded from the public eye, and from your dinner party discussion. In 2017, seeing a natural cork in an Australian bottle of wine is akin to spotting a…

Decanting vs. Aerating Wines

There are a lot of questions surrounding decanting and aerating wine. What does it do? What is the difference between the two? Which one is better? When should you use these techniques? Well look no further and let me give you the low down. When…

It’s a clean sweep for Star Beverages!

Over 1100 wines were judged at the recent 2017 Melbourne International Wine Challenge. Star Beverages has always believed the brands they represent are world class but the results from the Challenge truly prove it. High Altitude Mendoza…

Industry Secrets: Preserving Red Wine by the Glass

Is there anything worse than getting to the end of the night in your busy restaurant and someone orders a glass of red wine from a bottle that you need to open.   “Great,” you think “this bottle will be off by tomorrow night.”   Alas,…

Malbec – Where did this varietal come from?

Malbec has become a new phenomenon over the last ten years and it’s cornered the market as a cheaper and more affordable merlot. But where did this varietal come from? And why did it become so popular? Malbec was originally a traditional…

Industry Secrets: Pricing your shelves correctly

So, you’ve just opened a bottle shop? Congratulations. It’s a “tough” industry people said. You can’t compete with the majors people said. Yet, you did it anyway. Good for you.   Now, you need to make it work right?   So,…

Champagne: the new winter drink?

Drinks associated with winter and the cold have traditionally been things such as mulled wine, spiced cider, even a tasty glass of red wine. For many people the last thing they would consider associated with snuggling by the fireplace or having…

Industry Secrets: You’re losing money because your staff aren’t asking this one question

Let me tell you a story. My husband and I walk into a restaurant. It’s not a fine dining restaurant...it’s a mum and dad trattoria that we frequent because the food is amazing. A lovely, young girl directs us to our table, we sit…

CELEBRATING WOMEN IN WINE

Today is a really significant day for me. It's International Women's Day! Why is that significant? It celebrates the lengths the ladies before us have had to go to encourage Women's Freedom of Expression, women's voting rights, women's right…
Star Beverages Red and White Wine

A JOURNEY THROUGH TUSCANY

For our honeymoon, my husband and I were lucky enough to spend a month in Tuscany. It was a brilliant idea because we got to experience things outside of the typical Florence, Pisa and Siena (ALL beautiful places with a rich history and I'm…