Posted: March 1, 2019
THEY call themselves the Hunter Gathering and they include some of the most familiar faces in the Hunter Valley wine industry. With the Hunter struggling to gain gatekeeper attention time in the face of “natural” wines and cool-climate offerings, the…
Comments Off on SELLING THE HUNTER / 67 View / March 1, 2019
Posted: March 1, 2019
HUNTER Valley restaurant stalwarts Andrew and Janet Wright are the duo behind the two dining offerings – the Wood Restaurant and Cru Bar + Pantry – at the new Brokenwood cellar door complex in the Hunter Valley which opened late…
Comments Off on WRIGHTS IN CHARGE / 81 View / March 1, 2019
Posted: January 10, 2019
A NEW premium Tasmanian gourmet touring experience combining the best of Hobart and Bruny Island has been launched. Feast and Fossick offers two unique tours – the two-day Hobart Fossick, and two-day Bruny Fossick – each combining premium Tasmanian food…
Comments Off on FOSSICKING FOR FINE FARE / 65 View / January 10, 2019
Posted: January 10, 2019
LEADING McLaren Vale winery Wirra Wirra has unveiled a hotel development partnership that breaks new ground for wineries in South Australia. Wirra Wirra will pair with developers Greaton on a project to build the first five-star accommodation of its scale…
Comments Off on BREAKING GROUND / 112 View / January 10, 2019
Posted: January 10, 2019
ONE of the unsung heroes of Australian wine has been recognised after two of Coonawarra’s most famous families – the Balnaves and Redmans – released their new joint venture: the 2016 William Wilson Coonawarra Shiraz Cabernet. The limited-edition, $300-a-bottle “traditional…
Comments Off on CELEBRATING A FAMILY AFFAIR / 84 View / January 10, 2019
Posted: January 10, 2019
THE Adelaide Hills is fast becoming the go-to wine region for super-premium quality wine grapes, something long-time Hills winemaker Nepenthe is capitalising on with the launch of its new Apex range. But what grape varieties made the cut? The Hills…
Comments Off on MAKING THE MOST OF REGIONAL DOMINANCE / 50 View / January 10, 2019
Posted: November 2, 2018
LEADING McLaren Vale organic and biodynamic wine producer Paxton Wines has unveiled refreshed label designs for the first time in 15 years. Paxton has worked closely with Parallax Designs in Adelaide on the project, which had three core objectives –…
Comments Off on PAXTON’S NEW LOOK / 112 View / November 2, 2018
Posted: November 2, 2018
QUEENSLAND’S first winery glamping experience is a 30-minute drive south of Brisbane at Sirromet Wines Estate. Sanctuary by Sirromet features 18 safari-style glamping tents on a 8ha property among the natural flora and wildlife. Family-owned Sirromet Winery, known for helping…
Comments Off on GLAMPING IN STYLE / 104 View / November 2, 2018
Posted: November 2, 2018
KENSINGTON St, with a wide range of restaurants, cafes and bars, has quickly emerged as one of Sydney’s hippest new dining precincts. While the suburbs may be snoozing early in the week, Kensington St’s eateries and drinking holes are doing…
Comments Off on FOODIE PRECINCT TAKES OFF / 56 View / November 2, 2018
Posted: November 2, 2018
THE Yarra Valley, one of Australia’s most popular wine regions, is set to get a new luxury hotel. Entrepreneur Martyn Barnes has signed a management agreement to badge his new Yarra Valley property as voco, the IHG group’s new upscale…
Comments Off on BARNES UNVEILS HOTEL PLANS / 26 View / November 2, 2018
Posted: September 1, 2018
TWO leading Australian winemakers have been awarded honours in the annual Queen’s Birthday Honours List. Iain Riggs, long-time Brokenwood Wines chief winemaker and managing director was named as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his significant service…
Comments Off on REWARDED FOR SERVICE / 47 View / September 1, 2018
Posted: September 1, 2018
WHEN long-time Penfolds fortified winemaker James Godfrey was given the go ahead to create a series of new fortifieds, his brief was quite specific. “It had to be good, it had to excite and had to surprise,” recalls Godfrey. He…
Comments Off on GODFREY DELIVERS / 101 View / September 1, 2018
Posted: September 1, 2018
INNOVATIVE Passing Clouds at Musk, outside Daylesford, will soon be the first winery in Australia to have a train pulling in to its own station. A collaboration between Passing Clouds and Spa Country Railway, co-funded by Regional Development Victoria’s Wine…
Comments Off on MAKING TRACKS / 146 View / September 1, 2018
Posted: September 1, 2018
FINDING good wine to drink in Thailand can be fraught with danger. Firstly, local taxes make wines very expensive, and secondly hotels and restaurants do not always store their wine stocks away from the hot weather. One exception to this…
Comments Off on THAI LUXURY / 52 View / September 1, 2018
Posted: July 1, 2018
HEAD to the Bleasdale cellar door in Langhorne Creek to taste and buy a new-release set of three single-vineyard malbecs that were launched to mark World Malbec Day in April. Malbec is an inky, robust red grape variety that is…
Comments Off on CELEBRATING MALBEC / 192 View / July 1, 2018
Posted: July 1, 2018
TWO of Tasmania’s iconic drinks producers have combined to create a unique new cider released this week. Innovative cider producer Willie Smith’s has joined award-winning Sullivans Cove distillery for its latest limited-edition special release; a whisky-aged cider. The Huon Valley…
Comments Off on WHISKY & CIDER / 57 View / July 1, 2018
Posted: July 1, 2018
WINE Australia hosted over 30 international wine professionals during April. The groups of journalists, sommeliers, wine buyers and wine influencers from mainland China mainland, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States visited Australia to gain first-hand experience of the various…
Comments Off on CHINA FOCUS / 60 View / July 1, 2018
Posted: May 1, 2018
IT’S been tried before, but with technological advances and changing tastes, wine in a can is back in focus. “Wine in can is, of course, not new, but we think we have brought a new level of dedication to bringing…
Comments Off on CAN IT / 141 View / May 1, 2018
Posted: May 1, 2018
MOORILLA Estate has announced the purchase of one of Tasmania’s leading vineyards – the internationally acclaimed Domaine A/Stoney Vineyard in the Coal River Valley. This is the first winery that Moorilla, owned by MONA founder David Walsh, and located at…
Comments Off on CHANGING HANDS / 163 View / May 1, 2018
Posted: May 1, 2018
CALABRIA Family Wines, formerly known as Westend Estate, has named Emma Norbiato to the role of chief winemaker. Calabria was established in 1945 and has grown to be one of Australia’s top producing family winemakers under the leadership of director…
Comments Off on NORBIATO TAKES CHARGE / 60 View / May 1, 2018
Posted: May 1, 2018
VOYAGER Estate, one of the leading lights in the Margaret River wine industry, has announced plans to transition to organic accreditation. Steve James, manager of wine-making and viticulture, announced the switch in the year Voyager is celebrating the 40th anniversary…
Comments Off on GROWING ORGANIC / 71 View / May 1, 2018
Posted: March 1, 2018
TASMANIA’S Tamar Valley Wine Route has gained a new cellar door, with sparkling wine specialist Clover Hill having opened architecturally-striking tasting rooms overlooking the vineyard and out to the Bass Strait. Over a year in the making, the Clover Hill Cellar…
Comments Off on REFLECTING CLOVER HILL’S ‘UNIQUENESS’ / 75 View / March 1, 2018
Posted: March 1, 2018
A WINE industry insider with an instagram account has turned his passion into a business. The new Yarra Valley Cellar Door in Healesville is the brainchild of self-confessed Yarra Valley wine lover Ben Mitchell. “In 2014 I started an instagram account…
Comments Off on PASSION PAYS OFF / 91 View / March 1, 2018
Posted: March 1, 2018
OVER the past few years, Polperro has become one of the most popular gourmet destinations on the Mornington Peninsula. Polperro owners Sam Coverdale and Emma Phillips have announced the arrival of executive chef Michael Demagistris (who has worked at Alinea, Chicago…
Comments Off on HOME GROWN TALENT / 65 View / March 1, 2018
Posted: March 1, 2018
MITCHELTON Wines has added a new string to its tourism bow with the opening of The Mitchelton Hotel and Spa at Nagambie, a 90-minute drive from Melbourne. A personal project of caravan magnate Gerry Ryan and his son Andrew, the…
Comments Off on BOOST FOR LOCAL TOURISM / 46 View / March 1, 2018
Posted: January 5, 2018
FAMILY-OWNED Adelaide Hills winery Longview has unveiled a new tasting room known as Cucina. Visitors can enjoy afternoon tastings, imbibing, eating and soaking up the terrific views from the new facility. The Saturno family says Cucina offers a menu of…
Comments Off on BEST OF ITALIAN FARE / 48 View / January 5, 2018
Posted: January 5, 2018
SAPERAVI, a grape variety that originates in Georgia, has attracted some interest in Australia – and Hugh Hamilton is one of Australia’s most experienced saperavi makers. After 12 vintages making the red wine, Hugh Hamilton Wines’ latest line of Georgian-inspired…
Comments Off on CHANCE DECISION PAYS OFF / 115 View / January 5, 2018
Posted: January 5, 2018
VIV Thomson from Best’s Great Western was named the 2017 Legend of the Vine Victoria at the annual WCA Melbourne Wine Show Awards. Thomson comes from a long line of winemakers and was awarded Legend of the Vine status for…
Comments Off on THOMSON STEPS UP TO LEGEND STATUS / 41 View / January 5, 2018
Posted: January 5, 2018
VISITORS to Tasmania have yet another gourmet option with the opening of the Taste House at Woodbridge, 30-minutes south of Hobart. The Taste House is the new venture at Woodbridge Smokehouse, an artisan business known for producing some of the…
Comments Off on FIRE UP THE SMOKER / 50 View / January 5, 2018
Posted: January 5, 2018
UNTIL 1980 the only experience winemaker John Ellis had with the shiraz grape was limited to the Barossa and Hunter valleys. But then he was approached by the owners of Mt Ida vineyard in Heathcote to make their shiraz. “I…
Comments Off on LOVE AFFAIR CONTINUES / 73 View / January 5, 2018
Posted: November 7, 2017
It is with great sadness that Wingara Wine Group announced the sudden passing of Katnook senior winemaker Wayne Stehbens on Sunday 05 November. Wayne has been an institution on the Coonawarra winemaking scene for more than 38 years and his…
Comments Off on VALE WAYNE STEHBENS – WINEMAKER KATNOOK ESTATE COONAWARRA / 179 View / November 7, 2017
Posted: November 1, 2017
Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA) has announced this year’s winner of the NSW Legend of the Vine, Clive Hartley. A seasoned author, wine writer, sommelier, wine judge and professional wine educator, Clive Hartley has been a prominent figure in the…
Comments Off on CLIVE HARTLEY AWARDED NSW LEGEND OF THE VINE 2017 / 136 View / November 1, 2017
Posted: November 1, 2017
ONE of the most familiar faces among South Australian sommeliers will be front man for the hi-tech d’Arenberg Cube in McLaren. Josh Picken, who made his name at Orana restaurant in Adelaide and has since worked at the Currant Shed…
Comments Off on PICKEN JOINS THE CUBISTS / 94 View / November 1, 2017
Posted: November 1, 2017
The Rees Hotel Queenstown and its landmark restaurant True South Dining Room have scooped the pool this year winning awards for excellence for Best NZ Hotel, Best Hotel Chef (Australia, NZ and South Pacific) Best PR for a Tourism Product…
Comments Off on THE REES HOTEL QUEENSTOWN / 53 View / November 1, 2017
Posted: November 1, 2017
IT is all change at Barossa Valley winery Elderton, where second-generation owners Cameron and Allister Ashmead have opened their family home in Nuriootpa as the wine label’s new cellar door. After a major restoration to the building and surrounding gardens,…
Comments Off on HOME IS WHERE THE CELLAR DOOR IS / 96 View / November 1, 2017
Posted: November 1, 2017
DRINKING good wine in Thailand can be problematic for visitors, with many good wines ultra-expensive due to local taxation laws and with poor storage also sometimes an issue. Not so at The Nai Harn, the first luxury resort on Phuket…
Comments Off on TASTES TO THAI FOR / 46 View / November 1, 2017
Posted: September 27, 2017
A fresh and unprecedented way of buying wine online from the best regions across Australia was recently launched by Federal Agricultural and Water Resources Minister Barnaby Joyce to counter the dominance of major retailers and reflect the shift in consumer…
Comments Off on SEEK WINE / 208 View / September 27, 2017
Posted: September 1, 2017
THE 2017 Hunter Valley Living Legend has been awarded to leading viticulturist Ian Tinkler for his significant contribution to the Hunter Valley wine industry for more than three decades. Tinkler worked for the Primary Industry Department and was instrumental in…
Comments Off on LEGEND STATUS / 45 View / September 1, 2017
Posted: September 1, 2017
THE Barons of the Barossa are looking for a further $2 million to complete the community project known as the Barossa Cellar. The project foresees an independent, globally recognised and respected regional wine museum and the Barons already have a…
Comments Off on BARONS BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE / 41 View / September 1, 2017
Posted: September 1, 2017
TWO decades after being begged to plant pinot gris on the Mornington Peninsula by pioneering duo Kathleen Quealy and Kevin McCarthy, around 70 per cent of vignerons now grow the grape. The region is regarded as the premier producer of…
Comments Off on GRIS OR GRIGIO? / 74 View / September 1, 2017
Posted: September 1, 2017
THE 2017 Orange Wine Festival will run from October 13-22 in the Central West of New South Wales, with the program now available online. There will be over 80 events featured over the two weekends, including various tastings and dinners….
Comments Off on SQUEEZE IN THIS FESTIVAL / 34 View / September 1, 2017
Posted: September 1, 2017
QT Canberra is one of the hippest addresses in the national capital – the latest incarnation of a building that is steeped in Australian political history. This quirky designer hotel celebrates its history and rebirth through bold design, a mix…
Comments Off on POLITICS PLAYED ITS PART / 39 View / September 1, 2017
Posted: June 27, 2017
FIVE new members have been inducted as Barons of Barossa, a wine fraternity in the region which aims to “proudly and enthusiastically support Barossa wine viticulture, gastronomy, heritage and the arts”. The new inductees include Winestate Winemaker of the Year…
Comments Off on BARONS BOAST FIVE MORE / 103 View / June 27, 2017
Posted: June 27, 2017
NICK Haddow, the inspirational cheesemaker and brewer from Bruny Island Cheese in Tasmania, has won global recognition for his book Milk.Made: A Book About Cheese. How to Choose It, Serve It and Eat It. Published by Hardie Grant Books, the…
Comments Off on GLOBAL RECOGNITION / 51 View / June 27, 2017
Posted: June 27, 2017
FOLLOWING on from its inaugural success in 2015, the Organic and Biodynamic Winegrowing Conference returned to Marlborough in June. With the themes Liquid, Life and Label, the Conference looked to build on the solid platform it established in 2015, where…
Comments Off on BUILDING ON A SOLID PLATFORM / 56 View / June 27, 2017
Posted: June 27, 2017
VOYAGER Estate, one of the leading destination dining eateries in Margaret River, has a new head chef in Santiago Fernandez, who took over in May. Spanish-born Fernandez joins family-owned Voyager from Sault in Daylesford, Victoria, where he spent five years…
Comments Off on NEW WESTERN ALLIANCE / 67 View / June 27, 2017
Posted: June 27, 2017
AUSTRALIA’S highest-profile winemaker on the global stage has a new role as South Australia and Adelaide’s Great Wine Capitals’ global ambassador. Penfolds’ Peter Gago adds the role to his already onerous duties with Treasury Wine Estates. The Great Wine Capitals…
Comments Off on GAGO ON THE GO / 70 View / June 27, 2017
Posted: April 12, 2017
CHINA continues to boom as Australia’s most valuable wine export market. In 2016, exports to mainland China grew by 40 per cent to a record $520 million. A decade ago, Australian wine exports to China were valued at $27 million….
Comments Off on EXPORT BOOM CONTINUES / 83 View / April 12, 2017
Posted: April 12, 2017
YALUMBA, Australia’s oldest family-owned winery, will in May launch a landmark wine that has been 168 years in the making – The Caley Coonawarra & Barossa Cabernet & Shiraz. “The Caley is the pinnacle of a long winemaking journey seeking…
Comments Off on CELEBRATING FAMILY / 52 View / April 12, 2017
Posted: April 12, 2017
NOOSA Food & Wine Festival 2017 has unveiled a 70-event program for the four-day festival, which runs from May 18-21. A total of 45 visiting chefs from Australia’s best restaurants will flock to this year’s festival, which will have a…
Comments Off on FESTIVAL OF FOOD / 48 View / April 12, 2017