"Over ten thousand bottles of Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace have passed through Sterling auctions. A river of super premium Shiraz and torrents of Champagne have flowed through the Sterling business to customers all over the world."

Now its time for Sterling to offer the highest standards of 'personalised' wine auction service on the Gold Coast, starting with you as one of our valued, long standing clients.

Here.s what.s coming;

- An expert in your .backyard. there to help with your fine wine needs
- Free Auction advice
- .No surprises. written Vendor Agreement with guaranteed costs and returns
- Streamlined freight and stock collection services

The role of Manager Queensland is capably filled by Des Harvey a Gold Coast resident with a wealth of senior management experience from a career in national investment product & services.

Des will backstop Sterling in Queensland working with his passion for wine. Des brings a decade of wine auction expertise and great wine knowledge to the Gold Coast.

From inception 18 years ago, Sterling has always worked closely with buyers and sellers in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Gold Coast roots and connections are very strong for Sterling. Raised and educated in Brisbane, Sterling founder, Lynton Barber has a strong family social and business network that stretches from Noosa Heads to the Tweed.

We are very excited by the Fine Wine market in Queensland which has a commitment from the highest levels of State Government to the vitalisation and growth of the Queensland industry.

What.s next?

We need your help

Make sure we have your up to date email and address details (Free call 1800 800 959)

Tell us what you want, particular wines; services; facilities; events etc

Get in touch with Des; we can.t keep up with demand and are desperate for new auction stock!

We all love the Gold Coast lifestyle, now Sterling is working hard making it even more enjoyable.

2009-07-21      Peel Estate Shiraz 1998 Perth Metro

Will Nairn is a gritty gentleman farmer who has dedicated himself to the pursuit of excellent Shiraz. We celebrated little Hanna's 11th birthday with a bottle of Wills finest, the 1998 Peel Shiraz. This important occasion, all about candles, cakes and lolly bags didn't do the wine justice (I tried to make the tweenies drink up both they stuck with the Coke) This is an unfinished story, the wine was too cold there were too many bursting balloons and off key renditions of happy birthday. This wine is a milestone for me; lots of quality old vine characters and wonderful balance.

PS Will Nairn cracks the three score and ten near Christmas. Go down to Peel and give him some advice, he loves advice; and maybe a big boys Lolly bag

2009-07-20      Tahbilk Voignier 2005 Nagambie Vic

I am a self confessed lover of old Tahbik whites. Add ten years of bottle age to the sublime Marsanne and you convert a cheapie into a superstar. The Voignier is a rare bird, made in small quantities. Screw cap to protect the gilded treasure for decades to come. Apricot citrus and musky notes make this wine a joy. The big buzz for me was the silky, slippy mouth feel and the subtle, exotic tropical notes woven into a force of gentle power. Originating in Condrieu in the Northern Rhone Valley, Tahbilk's first planting's of Viognier occurred in 1990 with the first vintage released in 1996.

NB My Dear old Dad is a 1927 babe and I like to spoil him /me with a bottle of the limited release 1927 Tahbilk Marsanne. Buy it, try it, love it!

2009-07-12      Phi Lucatia Park (de Bortoli Shelmerdine) Chardonnay 2006 Yarra Valley

Good story here. Down in Fremantle enjoying a bowl of Ginos pasta with two hard bitten philistines with too much money and too many toys. I felt like being fed to the lions, this is a tough audience, so I took an educational bottle along. This is a very smart wine. Jancis got 'licking chalk' Not sure how that works, but I got a very tight smart chardonnay that is the Twiggy of Dolly Parton 'up front' Chards. Sharp and hard, tight and twisty, this babe took 30 minutes to let go and show us some flesh! Well worth the wait. Even hard-man Ross admitted that the wait was worthwhile. I think he felt sorry for me and said he liked the wine; agreeing that it had indeed opened up and changed dramatically since the cap was screwed. If you like bottle Bling this one has cool medal Greeky stuff on it.

PHI Chardonnay 2006 This tastes almost disconcertingly like the Sauvignon, so strong is the character of the vineyard. Very tight and fine and on the finish there's sensation akin to licking chalk (although the vineyard soils are apparently light red volcanic basalt in fact). Needs a bit of time to unwind. From 20+ year-old vines. 17.5/20, drink 2010 to 2015, Jancis Robinson, Purple Pages..

2009-07-10      Leeuwin Art Series Chardonnay1994 Margaret Rive

Sometimes you just want to yell out to everyone in the room that they are in the presence of greatness and they should show more decorum and respect. Suspecting an encounter with greatness, I used a change meet with venerable wine scribe Ray Jordan as the time to loose the cork on this grand lady. WOW There were some wrinkles and rough edges up front but they soon glided away. Old Chardonnay is a risky business; random oxidization and cork issues knock so many good old bottle for six. This one was the reward. Perfect and just cruising. My dear, sweet better half enjoyed the dregs with her cornflakes the next morning and it was stunning. Soft smooth, wonderful varietal definition, beautiful oak presence and expression. Be warned. Don't look for this experience unless you know the price of disappointment. One in ten bottles, no matter how well cellared could deliver this joy. There again not all race horses win the Melbourne cup!

2009-07-02      Cullen Cabernet Merlot 1998 to 2007

Where do you start describing Vanya? Water nymph? Earth mother? Fashionista? Globe trotter? Lovers of the classics might see her as Athene; powerful goddess dispensing fury and hope to mankind. Well fury and hope was flowing at Lamonts in Cottesloe with Vanya presiding over a vertical tasting of the magical Cullen Cab merlot 1998 to 2007. Controlled by the Guru of the glass, John Jens, 20 fine folk idolized the wines and Vanyas stewardship. Thanks to Ian 'interior master' for my place at the table. There are stacks of notes on Cullen wines, so I won't do the list. My two bobs worth is the value of swimming against the stream and buying the 'so called' dud vintages. 1997, 2000 and 2006 were stunning. The 2005 has had lots of clever scribes pushing the hyperbole envelope to the limit. To me a black hole of a wine. SO MUCH going on in the glass you would need to wheel in Steven Hawkins to make sense of it. Defying physics as we know it? Buy and cellar this one but get a lion tamer to open the bottles; if you dare within the next decade. I know you all groaned knowingly when 2006 was listed with dud vintages. The me 2006 Cullen is a sublime thing of joy with sweet leafy cool cabernet cheekily poking its head out of the mix.

Back to Vanya; This special gal is doing a milestone this year. Slip on the hair shirt and the hemp caftan, plump the dreadies and ride your cow down to the Cullen farm and give her a slice of unleavened spelt cake and big birthday kiss!

2009-06-26      Wynns Coonawarra Shiraz 1998

Simple pleasures are a true joy and make up so much of the spice of life. This wine has always been one of my must buy cellar dozens. (along with Tabilk Marsanne and Wolf Blass Gold Riesling) Always discounted; Always great value; Always cellars perfectly: This wine made me happy and smile widely. Poor bastards drinking a $50 bottle that was no better than this cutie that was just $10! OK 1998 was a strong vintage; which did deliver big hard driving fruit and lots of quality. Just for fun; find back vintages of this wine at auction and stack then up against same vintage Cotes du Rhone. Do it blind and mix the event with some good meat dishes.

2009-06-26      Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1998

Was so wound up with the 1998 Shiraz I just had to find a bottle of the big brother Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon. This is an adults only wine. Rites of passage stuff. "Grasshopper when you can snatch the stone from my hand you are ready to go into the world"!

Funny thing is that Cabernet is becoming a bit like oriental mysticism; "do you get it"? This prophetic wine showed lots of restrained minty green tomato leaf and cloves, No expensive wood to get in the way; just fabulous fruit and lashings of layered puzzle. Sadly I was not worthy and finished the bottle way to soon.

It's a band wagon I just can't keep away from; this is old fashioned cabernet that tastes like cabernet. Maybe like Kung Fu; I need to wander the earth in search of meaning; the meaning of true Cabernet. If you are not ready to cast worldly possessions aside but like the ideal of a quest, buy some old and new cabernet sauvignons from Coonawarra, Margaret River and Yarra Valley; do your own study.

2009-06-13      Jim Irvine Grande Merlot 1998 Clare Valley

Two chance encounters with this prancing stallion. Jim Irvine and family know about high powered horse flesh and this wine is all about power and speed. Friday Lunch, at the test bed, saw a bottle hit the table and my research was cut brutally short by the obscene speed of evaporation. Well; the speed a bottle empties is the ultimate test- and this one flew! Master Irvine was heard to say, the yet to be released, 2005 Grande merlot was the best ever.

Trying hard to mind my own business I found myself dining with the love of my life at the '6 happiness' in china town. The next table had a happy Hong Kong dynasty assembled over a twenty course marathon. The family big man was making a fuss of his bottle of Grande merlot; Metering thimble serves to the worthy. I had to tell the boss man to watch out for the 2005 etc etc. He was kind and understanding, somewhat unbelieving, certainly naturally suspicious. Sometime later a glass of the 1998 Grande Merlot arrived at our table with his complements. All horsepower and breathtaking finesse. A zoom past the finishing post, the race won and noting but adoration and the winners circle ahead. This wine made me smile and plot how I would capture the world supply of the 2005!

2009-06-02      E&T Pinot Chardonnay Methode Champs 2001Yarra Valley

Reminded me of Roy Orbison; Mystery girl. Someone must know this honey's story. A rare relic of fortunes come and gone; of dreams and hopes that floundered on the rocks of hardship and reality. There was a time when E&T were contenders. Like Marlon Brando on the Waterfront; they could have been someone / thing. This is a great wine. Stunning crispness and quality for an Oz champagne clone. Left half in the bottle, cork sealing in the fizz; for an hour or two until the end of the meal. Prestige Cuvee? Rocked my socks. Of lives and love, a fragile fragment of time passing and the end that spares none.

2009-05-28       Seville Estate Shiraz 1995 Yarra Valley

Seville Estate have always captured my imagination and interest. Spose wondering if Carmen or Jose Carerras would burst out of the bottle will do that. Very interesting little slip of a thing. Light clean fresh, not burdened by wood or big licks of alcohol. I like wines like this. 1995 was a BAD vintage for most of Australia. Droughts etc. Stark contrast with WA which had one of its best wine vintages ever. Can't imagine this wine is available for the asking. I would like to look at this style against what is now popular. How many punters have ever had a wine like this. Looks like I might have to get Kung Fu to do a little more wandering and righting wrongs in search of this great truth!

2009-05-15      St Hallet Blackwell 2006 Barossa Valley

This is a Hollywood story. Lounging like moguls on the terrace of a Gold Coast mansion enjoying the water views and Blackwell in glasses big enough to drown in. Des and I agreed that for the price you would struggle to find a better Barossa shiraz. Bert Werden and many other sharp commentators heaped well deserved praises on this wine. Everything was in the right place and powerful. Not a lot more to say. Buy this wine.

2009-05-11      Penley Estate range Commercial Samples

Some producers foolishly send me bottles of pre-release wines. Penley do. My grandmother, wonderful wise and simple old thing, told me that if you couldn't say something nice you should just keep quiet. Well Penley, marriage of Penfolds and Tolley, are a good story. Easy to say nice things. Funny thing is that I used to get these packs of wonderful wine and clever press releases and wonder what worthy thing I could do with them (yes I am a slow learner) I tried to phone the winery a few times to tell them how much I appreciated the thought; they never picked up; must have been too busy making good wines.

Di Cullen once told me that you could taste the love and passion in a wine. Well I reckon that Penley do the business. What they do matters to them and they try real hard.

I meet with some serious people; an AFL legend who grew a hospitality and property empire was by the office and I had just unpacked my Penley samples. Tony has a brace of liquor outlets and loves things for free. I offered him a bottle of Penley, telling him he was a better target than me. He snatched up the new release Shiraz and Merlot. 'We love this stuff, buy heaps and have no trouble pushing it' Try Penley entry level and premium wines. Taste the passion.

2009-05-04      Houghton Gladstone Cabernet 1999 Margaret River

This wine was a first for me; I knew long ago that my palate was never going to win parlor games, Even so; years of training have helped me pick Cabernet from Shiraz. Got this one wrong all night even after I was told it was cabernet I didn't believe. Varietal definition is all well and good but what about the wine? How about a swim suit model bound in layers of mink and silk? Alternate layers, very tight layers. This was high class sex in a glass. This seductress demanded and commanding you to throw caution to the wind and drink deep. Strong vintage, very ripe, stunning quality oak, super fine tannins and the most splendid slippery silken mouth feel. A little bit of cigar box and spice.

Buy it if you dare. Carful who you drink it with and where; Control is only an illusion.

2009-04-02      Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 2006

Kind folks at Moss Wood invited me to a glittering gathering of lotus eaters down by Matilda Bay to sample their latest fare. Smart folks those Mugfords; Better watch my Ps & Q's for fear of being hounded by the Legally Blond Mugford. Of course the Chardonnay the Semillon and the Pinots were all shining like beacons, but it twas the Cabernet story that captured my imagination. Heck who isn't going to agree the 2005 Moss Wood Cab is a legend waiting for its story to be written. Well the cool and long 2006 vintage saw so tears and broken hearts with many southern WA producers not finding enough ripe cab and Shiraz to release wines. Let me be but a humble step on your road to wine enlightenment. Here is a challenge. Gather some noble characters band and pledge to explore the unfolding 2005 and 2006 premium cabernets of MR and Great southern every year. Cullen and Moss Wood must be in the line. Improvise from there. Watch out for the new Moss Wood Pinot Noir influenced by eastern wisdom; it's "Other worldly"

2009-04-01      Howard Park 1999 Riesling from Magnum Great Southern

How good is this? How lucky are we? Aussie Riesling is always a bargain. Stunners like Howard Park just defy logic and any serious standards of value. This wine bounced out of its tall glass palace fresh and perky. A few signs of being cramped and breathless. Bang Bang! Soaring like eagles this one look to the thermals and commanded the skys. Beautiful to watch and share. Ever higher, ever better. The company of greatness should never be so easy or so cheap. Buy lots of Oz premium Riesling; particularly Howard Park. My experience; something too good to be true never lasts. Just a few revved up Yanks and Krauts could create export demand that would see prices soar with the eagles! Screaming Eagles? Thinking of this wine and the experience makes me want to laugh out loud. Lucky me!