2011 Australian Wine Companion - out now

I don't know why but I'm one of those people that enjoys having books sitting in my book case. Not that I read a lot but it is something that would give any visitor a reasonable glimpse into my personality.

Among my collection is 6 editions of James Halliday's Australian Wine Companion which will probably tell you straight away that I am an Aussie (No Prize for Guessing). So I was delighted to hear that the latest book of Aussie wine wisdom is out now being the 2011 edition.

The big change this year is the addition of an iphone application, which at $9.99 (AU I think) will be a big hit with New World wine buffs. Brilliant! Now anyone, and everyone, will be an annoying wine expert.

Next time you go out for dinner watch the guy who gets the wine list, excuses himself to go to the bathroom and then comes back an expert on the Australian wines on the list. Chances are he has the new Australian wine companion app!

Personally I will stick to the book because I enjoy sharing the joy of discovery with friends as we try the wine and then flip through the pages together to look up how close we were to the official ratings.

You can get your BOOK copy of the companion HERE and the iphone app HERE.

Dean