Posted: September 2, 2019
THE picturesque township of Berry on the New South Wales south coast is the venue for the inaugural South Coast Food & Wine Festival. The three-day event (September 13-15) aims to showcase the best the south coast has to offer….
Comments Off on SHOWCASING SOUTH COAST FARE / 42 View / September 2, 2019
Posted: August 9, 2019
Some wine reviewers make it very complicated when it comes to wine tasting. An wine writer in The Australian has described Penfolds Grange 2015 with an absurd list of flavours including “hint’s of crushed ants, coconut ruff, dark plums of perfect…
Comments Off on ‘Hints of crushed ants and boot polish’: Tom Elliott finds this wine review particularly laughable / 180 View / August 9, 2019
Posted: July 1, 2019
IF you really want to get away from it all then New South Wales bush retreat Turon Gates is an excellent choice. Turon Gates has just added six new riverside, self-catering glamping tents on its 2,500ha property at Capertee on…
Comments Off on GATES OPEN ON GLAMPING SITE / 121 View / July 1, 2019
Posted: July 1, 2019
TAYLORS’ new $1000 a bottle The Legacy 2014, unveiled in April, contains interesting innovations. A unique, three-pronged sculpture encases the wine, each pillar signed by a representative of each generation. The wine is bottled in a statuesque tapered glass bottle,…
Comments Off on CREATING A LEGACY / 42 View / July 1, 2019
Posted: July 1, 2019
THE Barossa Valley has welcomed a new cellar door for chocolate lovers. Barossa Valley Chocolate Company is the first combined chocolaterie and cellar door in South Australia’s most famous wine region. Located in the heart of the Barossa just outside…
Comments Off on ONE FOR SWEET TOOTHS / 57 View / July 1, 2019
Posted: May 2, 2019
THE Australian wine community now has a Diversity and Equality In Wine Charter which all grape and wine producers are being encouraged to sign on to. The aim of the charter is to create an inclusive industry where all participants…
Comments Off on PUSH FOR MORE WOMEN / 55 View / May 2, 2019
Posted: May 2, 2019
THE dynamic team at Invivo Wines is clearly not content just to sit back and enjoy its recent record-setting crowdfunding capital investment offer (which raised over $NZ4 million, $A3.8 million, from 687 investors in just over a fortnight) not to…
Comments Off on INVIVO IN THE CITY? / 99 View / May 2, 2019
Posted: May 2, 2019
YALUMBA has unveiled a new regional wine range in tribute to company founder Samuel Smith. Yalumba launched Samuel’s Collection; described as “the gateway to Yalumba’s premium wine portfolio” in March. It is 170 years since Smith planted his first vines…
Comments Off on HONOURING A SPIRIT OF INDEPENDENCE / 98 View / May 2, 2019
Posted: May 2, 2019
FALANGHINA? Nero di Troia? Piedirosso? All are new releases from the Chalmers vineyard at Merbein outside Mildura, all are from the 2018 vintage and all are first releases of the grape varieties in Australia. The wines are part of the…
Comments Off on NEWCOMERS MAKE THEIR MARK / 263 View / May 2, 2019
Posted: March 1, 2019
LEADING Clare Valley winery Pikes has opened a new state-of-the-art art tasting room and sophisticated new restaurant – Slate. The restaurant and tasting room operate side-by-side in a dramatic new building which blends contemporary design with the traditional materials and…
Comments Off on PIKES SETS A NEW STANDARD / 142 View / March 1, 2019
Posted: March 1, 2019
MARLBOROUGH winery Wither Hills turns 25 this year, growing from a few hundred cases in 1994 to a global brand that has won innumerable awards, hosted royalty (The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2014) and been recognized as one…
Comments Off on Wither Hills Celebrates 25 years / 44 View / March 1, 2019
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 / 69 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 / 91 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 / 69 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 / 127 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 / 106 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 / 64 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 / 122 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 / 111 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 / 69 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 / 32 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 / 52 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 / 111 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 / 170 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 / 64 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 / 213 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 / 67 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 / 72 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 / 162 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 / 212 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 / 77 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 / 83 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’ / 86 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 / 114 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 / 74 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 / 53 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 / 55 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 / 145 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 / 52 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 / 60 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 / 83 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 / 272 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 / 170 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 / 105 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 / 56 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 / 108 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 / 50 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 / 228 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 / 51 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 / 45 View / September 1, 2017