The team on their wine resolutions

James Halliday AM
I’ve never purchased wine as an investment – I buy it to drink in the years to come and enjoy the changes. The perfection of screwcap technology has eliminated cork taint and other disasters. I’m lucky to have accumulated and shared wines for over 50 years, but when I taste a wine and give a ‘drink to’ date, it’s tinged with sadness when I realise I won’t be around for much of its life. And when a full-bodied white or red invokes a drink-to of 20-plus years, I must turn my back on buying it. Exceptions to the rule? Dry or off-dry riesling, chardonnay, pinot noir and grenache.

Jeni Port
I’m generally not one for new year’s resolutions. Can we call it a wishlist, instead? That sounds eminently more doable and enjoyable to me. Covid has put travel plans on hold for nearly two years, so getting out and visiting more vineyards and wine producers is definitely on the cards this year. I will also use my personal wine-buying power to buy more sustainably, which means looking to lighter wine bottles, and organic and biodynamic winemakers. It’s a small step, I know, but it’s a hugely positive one.

Tyson Stelzer
With the passing of each year, I am coming to an ever-higher respect for the very greatest winemakers, their top varieties, from the most revered regions, in the best vintages. I’m becoming more discerning in skipping the lesser makers, varieties, regions and vintages. This year, I’ll be zoning in on the 2021 vintage across Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria, as well as 2018 in Margaret River, and 2013 in Champagne. I’ll be holding out until Burgundy is blessed with another classic season.

Tyson Stelzer is focusing his attention on the 2021 vintage from Tasmania, South Australia and Victoria in 2022.

Jane Faulkner
I ignore new year’s resolutions because they tend to be broken in the first week of January, but wine pledges last longer and are far more appealing and realistic. I have two: one that started during lockdown and is set to continue forever is to pull out a fab (fingers crossed) bottle from its allocated spot in my cellar for no special reason; always preferable to share it with people I love. No need to overthink it, just take out any bottle – it’s the eeny, meeny, miny, moe method. The good news is that first resolution helps with my second: keeping my cellar more manageable.

I have a fairly solid track record of breaking end-of-year resolutions, so I have to be very careful here. But I do like the idea of asking myself questions on what I think matters in a wine and, of course, what doesn’t matter is just as important, too. I’ve found that what I seek in wine has changed over the years, but I’ve recently re-read a book on wine by Terry Theise and our vinous hierarchy of needs is very closely aligned. So, what’s important in the wines I’ll be looking for this year? Clarity, distinctiveness, deliciousness, complexity and grace. I think that’s a fine start.

Erin Larkin
I’m not usually one for new year’s resolutions. I’m a ‘turn off Netflix halfway through so I don’t get hooked’ and ‘start a new habit on a Tuesday’ type of person. But I do have one, and that is to drink more healthily. By that I mean drink less. It’s the only way to drink healthily. Working in this wonderful industry surrounds me with a bounty of beautiful options, so choosing the ones that turn me on and only drinking those is the key to staying alive longer, and an improved performance the following day. Life is already too short.

Erin Larkin is drinking more healthily in 2022, with quality over quantity in mind.