Max Allen has been writing about wine in Australia for fifteen years. He is the wine columnist for The Weekend Australian Magazine and G (Australia's first 'green lifestyle' magazine), wine editor for Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine and a regular contributor to numerous magazines in Australia, the UK and the USA. In 1997 Max published his first book, Red and White: Wine Made Simple, which went on to win the prestigious 1999 Andre Simon Memorial Award. In 2003, he was the first Australian to be awarded the Wine Communicator of the Year trophy by the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London. He is well known for his regular wine segment on the popular TV show Better Homes and Gardens, and is a regular judge at various Australian wine competitions.